CONTEST: Guess total vine length of my rampicante squash!

Okay, I have gone back through this thread and summarized guesses to date in this spreadsheet. Come on, folks, you have until Monday night!

Guesses so far!

If I missed anyone, please let me know. Thanks all for making this so much fun.

Megan, I think you should set up the Rampicante Ramp per Acara's idea, then aim at %$^&*(those who shall remain nameless)
My guess is 287 feet.

By the way, was their problem just the rampaging rampicante, or the whole idea of a vegetable garden in the front yard?

I think it was the whole front yard thing. But knowing them... who knows. I have grown both tomatoes and squash in the front yard before with no censure. Granted the rampicante got much bigger than I ever dreamed it would, and in all fairness, it wouldn't do for everyone's yard to look like that. But they should have warned us first before sending a certified letter...

Megan wrote:I think it was the whole front yard thing. But knowing them... who knows. I have grown both tomatoes and squash in the front yard before with no censure. Granted the rampicante got much bigger than I ever dreamed it would, and in all fairness, it wouldn't do for everyone's yard to look like that. But they should have warned us first before sending a certified letter...

I can't believe they would complain about such a lush looking plant! If it were here in Texas, you'd be the town star, with photos in the local newspaper. Was this just one plant?

I'm going with 58 feet. I can't believe you had to pull it while it was still blooming!

belfrybat wrote:
I can't believe they would complain about such a lush looking plant! If it were here in Texas, you'd be the town star, with photos in the local newspaper. Was this just one plant?

Yes ma'am. That was just one squash plant. (There is a pumpkin but the vine is less than 2 feet long.) I am sad, too. I pulled close to a couple dozen blossoms with a hope of eating them, but given the huge climate changes we've had in the last day or so, I don't think they will last. Lots of little (and BIG ) rampicante fruits, though.... and a whole bunch of lima beans as well.

What a fun idea Megan,! at least they waited until the fall before lowering the boom

92', 6"

It's killin' me! How long? H o w l o n g ?

I'm changing my guess since I realised this includes all stems, not just the main one (yeah, I know -- read the fine print!). 123 feet.

Monday's the last day for guesses, everyone! I'll post results Monday night. Good luck!

I have no clue, but I'll go with 126'.

Did they tell you which regulation you were in violation of? No offense to your neighbors, but from what I could see of their yards in your photos, I'd take your bountiful, full-of-life yard any day over their sterile-looking plots.

You can't keep a SFG'er down. I predict your garden will be better than ever next year.

99'

97, such a waste. Stupid HOA

Thanks folks! Any more takers? We've got about 3 hours left.

If it isn't too late I will guess 222 feet.

What a shame you had to take it down. I can see if they said, don't do this next year but to have to take it out right away. By all means fire the "torpedoes" at their houses, heads, cars or whatever.

GK

Yes, it really does stink and what kills me the most is that it wasn't done yet. I've had some luck with forcing the peppers to mature, at least. But thank you! (And cut-off is at 8pm EST tonight.)

Isn't it close enough to the time to go ahead and announce the winner?!

I'm not making you stay up past your bedtime, am I?

It took me quite a while to cut that monster plant up into measurable portions!

Total length: 272 feet, 2 inches (82.9 meters)
That includes the 15" that actually attacked the house and grew up between the framing and the siding! There were actually 4 tiny light-starved fruit growing inside the siding... oh my gosh.

Winners!

1st place: Furbalsmom @ 287'
2nd place: Blackrose @ 253'
3rd place: Wyldflower @ 317'



Thank you very much, EVERYONE, for making this so much fun. Love ya for it!

Wow ! congrats to the winners ! this was fun ! and thanks Megan for doing all that work !

If I were the HOA I'd be careful what I said around that killer squash...

If anyone's curious, here's the breakdown.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvKybWIO3JQGdDExUzVPcm9mNnJhbkJpMENJRkRNdVE&authkey=CLmroJgK&hl=en#gid=0

The longest segment (242") is actually not the longest single vine... I had to cut it up further because it was becoming unmanageable to stretch out for measuring.

The main stem was pierced completely through, about 18" up from the ground. I looked but I didn't see any bugs inside. The interior of the stem looked like it sort of ballooned out into little white pillows inside the lesion, if that makes any sense.

I also noticed that the stems put out secondary roots in at least 4 places where they hit the ground. One of those places was inside my other SFG bed, and that one had significant root development. But what I found striking was that even the original sprouting place, the roots were much smaller than my pole beans or tomatoes.

P.S. I cooked up this contest on my own; it is not sponsored by the SFG foundation.

Wow! This was a great idea Megan and so much fun!

What fun, Megan! I'm so glad you were able to take the lemons handed to you by the HOA and make lemonade!

I'm surprised that I was one of your winners... Of course, I'd love to have some of your Rampicante seed!!!! see PM for a longer message.

Thanks so much!