In addition, plants have an upright, open architecture allowing easy to access to a bountiful yield of gorgeous long, slim fruit with very smooth skin. The reduced spines on foliage minimize fruit abrasion during harvest as well as skin irritation to workers harvesting fruit. These varieties are part of the Slick Pik® series carrying the gl-2 glabrous gene developed by Loy. Two new yellow straight neck summer squash varieties with reduced spines are available to home gardeners, Smooth Operator from High Mowing Organic Seeds and Blonde Beauty from Rupp Seeds. Loy is responsible for 29 percent of UNH’s cumulative royalties earned since 1999. Yeager in 1940, this breeding research represents the longest continuous squash and pumpkin breeding program in North America. Along with cucurbit breeding introduced by the late Dr. Loy’s experiment station-funded work, which has largely taken place at the experiment station’s Kingman Research Farm, Woodman Horticultural Research Farm and Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, has resulted in more than 70 new varieties of squash, pumpkins, gourds, and melons sold in seed catalogs throughout the world. Better appearance and improved nutrition and eating quality increase consumer acceptance and demand for locally produced vegetables, thereby providing more income to growers,’ and for regional seed companies marketing locally adapted varieties, helps maintain their profitability,” Loy said. Improved variety performance in terms of yield, quality and ease of culture is paramount. “Development of new varieties is a key underpinning for production of abundant and nutritious vegetables. His most recent work has resulted in the commercial release of several new cucurbit varieties that are well suited to state and regional growing conditions, have improved yields, and exhibit disease and pest resistance. Limit the use of insecticides when blossoms are setting.Growers preparing to plant their fruits and vegetables have a number of new summer squash, melon and pumpkins to choose from this year that were developed at the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire by a researcher who represents the longest continuous squash and pumpkin breeding program in North America.īrent Loy, emeritus professor of plant genetics, continues his ground-breaking plant breeding work as an experiment station researcher. All vine crops depend on insects for pollination. Treat extra early sowings with a fungicide, for cool soil protection. of row - or in hills of 5 seeds per hill, 4 ft./122 cm. Leave a bit of stem on each fruit, when it is cut from the vine.ĬOMMERCIAL CROPS: Sow outdoors from May 10th. Harvest before severe frost, keep cool 55 - 60☏/13 - 16☌. If it doesn't freeze hard or rain for long periods leave them on the vine till Halloween. Pick pumpkins after they are bright orange and the skin is hard. Remove all blooms or flowers from each plant from this point on to prevent further pollination.įeed regularly (once every 15 days) with a weak solution of 5 - 20 - 20 fertilizer. For show size fruit (to be used at county fairs), limit fruit to one central pumpkin per plant. When small pumpkins are 2 in./5 cm in diameter, remove all the fruits at the ends of the vines, leaving the best 3 pumpkins at the center of the plant. Water plants at first sign of wilt throughout the summer - but don't wet -the leaves, it encourages disease. Dust plants regularly, every week to prevent cucumber beetles. Each plant requires 15 - 20 ft/ 5 - 6 m in diameter. rows, staggered 8 ft/2.4 m apart, in every other row. Transplant in a sunny spot in 5 ft./ 2 m. After seeds have sprouted, feed pots once lightly, with a soluble fertilizer. deep, cover seed with fine soil and firm. Don't wait till late June to seed them, or they will never mature! For giant size pumpkins you can start seed indoors in 3 in./8 cm. Sow 3 lbs./1 kg per acre oz./28 g sows 20 hills Pumpkins take over 100 days to mature from seed. PUMPKIN - for Halloween, processing & home garden.
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