From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mn

Heres something to wrap your mind around. If youv've grown giants for a long time now you might have found a pattern in offspring. This is what I and hopefully you typically see. The pattern starts with a realitavly good (good crosS) seed producing a 1000+ pumpkin. Next this thousand pounder in turn produces smaller pumpkins UNDER a thousand pounds. Then one or two of THESE SEEDS produces a thosand pounder and so on. This is a typical pattern I've seen repeadly.

But recently I've seen a new pattern. This pattern goes like this a thousand pounder is grown whith good genetics behind it then it in turn producess a 2nd generation of thousand pound pumpkins and in some cases this 2nd generation produces a third generation of thousad pounders.

My theory is we've done so much controlled polination that we've breed in the trate for 1000 + pumpkins to produce 1000+ pumpkins. What does this all mean? Whell it means that any thousand plus pumpkin has the potencial to produce a very large (potencially 1000+) pumpkin. Now this is kind of a well known fact but there is more too it. 1000 + PUMPKINS THAT PRODUCE 2ND GENERATION 1000+ pumpkins are very good seeds to grow. For example the 1068 wallace produced the 1253 spery, so there for the 1068 wallace is a good seed. Also (this is not part of the example) the 1068 wallace is a good seed because the 1253 spery produced thousand pluss pumpkins.

Ultimatly 1000 + PUMPKINS THAT PRODUCE 2ND GENERATION 1000+ pumpkins are very good seeds to grow,and so are they're 2nd generation.

I believe that if we cross breed more 2nd generation 1000+ pumpkins we could ultimatly create better seeds and more aggresive plants. We could also get 3, 4, 5, or,even 6th generation 1000+ pumpkins.


So what are your thoughts on my theory. Hope this provides info for better seed selection.

11/21/2006 9:04:01 PM

Louth , Ireland

Here's to controlled pollination !

11/22/2006 1:33:49 PM

the real question is it a matter of gentics or better growing pratices since only a small percent of seed is grown, and is seen in pumpkins at the weighoff.

11/28/2006 12:03:35 PM

Choctaw, OK

growing practices have certainly influenced weights big time....but our selective breeding is also part of the picture. In general, i have noticed that pumpkins have generally become thicker than even 5 years ago. No one is going to grow something with thin walls. The latest chart has been right on target for me the last two years.....my gut feeling tells me that growing practices have increased weights more than our controlled pollinations

11/28/2006 3:33:39 PM

Mn

I supose the goal for larger wieghts has out weighed the goal of thicker walls. Meaning that pumpkins are getting thicker walls but not as fast as increasing weights.

11/28/2006 7:19:03 PM