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Macomb County

I realize I said weight is like a crap shoot. It's not quite that extreme either, luckily. A lineof seeds inside a ripe pumpkin is more as I began, a litter of puppies or kittens. Who, yes, will follow the gerneral tend of their parents as they grow-up. As far as coloring, size, weight, temperment and so on. However, there will be enough noticable genetic differences so that they're far from be a whole litter of twins. They're closer in the middle with the runts and beasts on both ends. And unfortunately, you don't get to see each plant's baby pumpkins set before deciding which one to plant. Even from champion parents, you just get to randomly pick, stick the seed in the soil and hope it's the beast or one of the 2 or 3 beasts of the litter. Of course, there are things like the weather, location, care, etc. I'm just saying, all things being equal on that end, there's still a factor of genetic luck that comes in. The fortunate or unfortunate aspect, depending on which side you fall on, is things are greatly maginified through Ags. A minor variation in a Howden become a major one in an Ag. A 10% genetic weight variation in Howdens is the difference between a 27lb pumpkin and a 30lb pumpkin. Hardly enough for the first grower to feel defeated about and the second to feel puffed up about.
Where a 10% weight variation in an Ag is the difference between your 900lber and his 1000lber. Why I said this is serious fun, but make your focus the fun. You can't let this sport or hobby make or break your growing spirit.

8/5/2005 10:40:55 PM

Macomb County

It's even a game of musical chairs between the Heavy Hitters from year to year. There's always that luck factor.
Why I'm convinced the important thing is just finish, limp across the finish line if you have to. Let's not hear any more about someone rippping out their plant. Even if you finish with one the size of a basketball, you've had a learning season. You got to experience an Ag grow from start to finish and rhythm of how it grows, flowers, sets, ripens and ends. Better preparing you for next season.

8/5/2005 10:41:29 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

GaintJack,
I hear what your saying. I don't dispute it.
I think that these "heavy hitters", and consistantly top regional growers, should get their due, though. The luck of the seed draw may be part of the equation, but these top growers put their plants into a position, to give the fruit an opportunity to reach close to it's maximum potential.
I agree, it should be fun. But it's easy for this A.G. growing to be an emotional roller-coaster. I think it's good to keep everything in it's proper perspective. It's not always easy to put it into practice though.

8/5/2005 11:07:55 PM

No Place Special

PLEASE do not reply to this post.

8/5/2005 11:25:37 PM

Macomb County

Doug, don't get me wrong. It's sure more than just luck of the seed. I'm definately the first one to give the Heavy Hitters their due. I'm just hoping to show that even the very best among us still have an inescapable luck factor to absorb. It's like hockey, ole #99, Wayne Gretsky, didn't enter the league with the sole goal and mountain of pressure on himself to smash every Detroit's own Gordie Howe's scoring records. He loved playing hockey and putting the puck in the net and time and again was surprized himself to have smashed another record. Same here. The best way to enter this sport or hobby is for the love of growing and getting a pumpkin. Quicker wit and keener insight like the Heavy Hitters have will reveal itself if you have the potential and talent in you. Drafted by the NBA, you can't make your goal to be the next Michael Gordan. You can only set your sights on mastering the court. Sinking foul shots and 3 pointers and shot blocking. Like the lesson learned in a Charley Brown Christmas. It's not such a bad Ag. Because what makes it special is you grew it.

8/5/2005 11:59:26 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Morty, I wish you would consider the entire gambit of facts. The rules for growing AGP's are not written in stone. This time of year the journeyman grower should shift their focus onto the faster paced plants. If you have only two or three plants it may be OK to keep on nurturing all of them. You can eat up a lot of time caring for a plant that will never exceed 700 pounds.

Growers sometimes rip out plants at this time of year because they have lost the only fruit they have. caring needlessly for a plant that may produce a small pumpkin could help if one is to run experiments. For most growers it is simply not worth the effort to waste time on a non-producer. It is far better in my IMHO to take it out and get the cover crop growing for next year...

In my case I started out with 14 active high care plants at two site's and have now been whittled down to On Aug. 6th, with just 5 strong potential plants that have a chance to plop over 1,000. Two, have been taken out to grow a cover crop. Four, have been left to go wild and receive only insecticides and fungicides. Two, have failed to thrive and finally One my biggest, has split, which I hope to nurse along to day 50....I can't waste time on the runts no matter how little effort is involved.....Water is another factor that prevents the grower from 100% plant care that we haven't even discussed.....

The purpose of the Ailts-Landry Benchmarks was to try and determine potential fast growers quickly so that growers could shift gears and eliminate plants from the running and thereby save resources.........I will still have time to fool with a couple of non-producers each year....

Your point of learning while growing is some what valid just a bit left of center for the serious competition grower.....

The factor of genetic luck is directly proportional to the growers skill and determination. IMHO.

Sorry, for calling you Morty.

8/6/2005 10:25:24 AM

Chico, Ca

where can one find the Ailts-Landry benchmark?

8/6/2005 7:22:56 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Ailts-Landry benchmark.

http://www.gvgo.ca/index.html

8/8/2005 1:10:35 AM