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Napa Valley, CA

Here are some interesting stats regarding latitude and growth.

5 of the 7 1400+ pound pumpkins grown were grown between 40 and 43.5 degrees N. Latitude.

17 of the 19 1300 to 1400 pound pumpkins grown (AGGC) were also grown between 40 and 43.5 degrees N. Latitude.

So that means 22 of the 26 heaviest ever grown were in this latitude range...... thats 85%
The 4 big ones that were not grown in this latitude range did not miss by much...... 2 Eaton's and 1 LaRue slightly north of 43.5 degrees and the 1353.5 Liggett slightly south at 39.6 degrees.

100% of all listed pumpkins weighing more than 1300 lbs. were grown north of 39.6 degrees N. Latitude...... and south of 46.5 (which is where Jack LaRue is).

How many pounds does the optimum amount of sunlight (or warmer nights) add to our pumpkins ?

1/10/2006 1:28:26 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Interesting reflection on the potential ability to grow, or lack of, a 1200+ pumpkin in the South.....

1/10/2006 4:59:15 AM

Utah

gee I'm at 41° North ... what's wrong with me !

1/10/2006 9:18:31 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan (michiganpumpkins@sbcglobal.net)

Hey Kyle, how's it going?

Here's a thought: we in Michigan saw our weights go WAY up this year in an exceptionally hot year here. So the heat, though it brought many headaches we don't usually have in our area, helped us. We are in the latitude George describes as preferred. The unusual heat, judging from our weights, is preferred. I'd say our 2005 temps were more on par with the temps of southern states rather than a typical Michigan summer. So perhaps southern states have 'preferred' temps. They just don't have a 'preferred' amount of daylight hours. I believe the next step in improving weights is supplementing sunlight with artificial lighting...I personally think that would help at any latitude, but perhaps especially in the south. The problem is that supplying enough light to simulate an extra hour or two of sunlight per day would cost a fortune just to light one plant...Southern growers are definitely at a disadvantage regarding sunlight hours/angle of sun's rays...
It would be interesting to know what greenhouse growers consider to be the optimum number of daylight hours they give their spring flowers...

1/10/2006 9:33:54 AM

Ft. Branch, IN (stevenson@sit-co.net)

Would you say that the majority of growers (and experience growers especially) are within this range? Could that also be part of the reason that we are seeing this trend?

1/10/2006 9:42:25 AM

Eugene,OR

George, Napa & Santa Rosa are at about 38.5 degrees N. Until your Napa boys popped out the 1200.5, 1195, 1145, etc. this past year I believed that we were lattitude challenged. Now I know it can be done multiple times in the same patch, in the same year.

1/10/2006 10:19:51 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Day length & solar intensity not withsatnding, don't forget to factor in smog & proximity to coasts.

Coastal humidity is a bid deal since it impacts the timing & fequency of fungicide treatments which have a detrimental impact on overall plant productivity.

Gotta toss in some El Niño and La Niña there somewhere too.

Facor in soil anomolies (RI sand, NH granite dust, etc) too.

The lines are fine here and "orange belt" is a squiggly bugger that's for sure.

Hey Kyle....good to see you posting!

1/10/2006 10:33:42 AM

Mocksville, NC

Were the Buffalo roamed for thousands of years

1/10/2006 4:17:05 PM

Long Island,New York

I can't believe after all the discussions on the south and lesser wieghts people from up north still think its just temperature. Geez. Humidity, temperature, sunlight intensity, daylegnh,nighttime differentials...not just temperature.

1/10/2006 5:49:31 PM

Norton, MA

Don Langevin lit his two plant semicovered area this year. His two biggest ones were in there. Let me say though, it looked AMAZINGLY complicated. AleX Noel.

1/10/2006 6:46:04 PM

Mulino, Oregon

George, what about us in the "Lattitude with Attitude" that haven't grown a 1300 lber yet? You're killing me. Couldn't you have dropped the qualifying number a few hundred pounds! LOL

Jim

1/10/2006 8:32:22 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

Just sounds like sour southern grapes to me G...
No, wait, I mean...if I said that, it would sound like sour southern grapes. LOL. What he said.
Good stuff George, BF

1/10/2006 10:23:30 PM

Napa Valley, CA

Russ, No doubt our weights were up this year because of improved genetics and beter growing techniques.......however I think that Napa weights were also higher partiially because we did not get blistered with 100 degree temps for 3 or 4 days in a row during May, June and July, subsequently most of the leaf canopys that I saw here in September looked green and healthy. Leaf burn was minimal 2005 and this helped us a lot. I can recall only 1 day over 100 degrees all summer.

Jim......the "Lattitude with Attitude"......lmao.........geo.

1/11/2006 2:54:54 AM

Norton, MA

Well, that's one thing going for me here at around 42* N! AleX Noel.

1/11/2006 6:11:37 PM

Cologne / Germany

Comparison for the latitude, from my old schoolbook:

"In North America, between 42* and 46*, you find cities like Chicago, Toronto or Montreal with cold winters and blizzards.
In Europe, at that position, you find cities like Barcelona, Nice oder Rome. They don´t even have something like winter or snow.
So the climate is completely different (gulf stream), although the amount of light is nearly the same."

Although it doesn´t help much, I should go to beautiful Rome or south of it to grow a big one next time LOL

1/11/2006 6:45:50 PM

Morristown, IN

Well where I liver I am 39.7 I think that thats close enoguh for a monster!

1/11/2006 6:52:10 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

I liver in Santa Rosa and hope Vineman is right about growing 1200.5, 1195, 1145, etc.

1/11/2006 10:12:55 PM

SF Bay Area, California

My liver is in Los Altos and I'm going to feed it to my pumpkins!

1/11/2006 11:31:21 PM