From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Rhode Island

last year i said i did not think we could get much past 1,600 pounds for several reasons. length of growing season also played heavely into my thinking
now ? we have an almost 1,700 pound giant (1689 joe jutras )grown from the 998 pukos, thats setting the record charts on fire ----- again.

im very tempted to say that 1689 record should hold for a few yers ? but, now im not so sure anymore.

hell, i never immagined last years world record of 1,502 would go down this year as many times as it did.

where the heck is it ever going to end? is their an end? i always used to think so. now? not so sure anymore.

pondering in pumpkin land

ps --- i still think combining the best chance for overall success is picking the right seed stock , extending length of season with good spring and fall weather, pollinating on time so you catch the right growing cycle in tune with the sun.
wall thickness and shape of fruit play a huge roll in any championship pumpkin. be it local,regional or world.

if she cant take the pressure she will blow.
seed-soil-sun ----all equally important. cant do it with one item missing

thanks pap

12/26/2007 5:05:16 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan (michiganpumpkins@sbcglobal.net)

Pap:
I think in the future we will have growers extending their growing seasons on both ends by supplementing daylight & heat. Lots of growers are already doing it with heat, but not so many with daylight, since greenhouse quality lights are an expensive proposition. But I think it will bear out that supplementing daylight will be a HUGE factor in extending growth. And, though I'm not inclined to take that step myself, there are many guys among us who will pay several hundred bucks for a seed. Why not a few grand for a greenhouse lighting system? Once one grower does it with success, many will follow...

12/26/2007 7:34:26 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

As I sit here and think about this, my first reaction was that we are breaking down along regional lines, i.e., maybe now the northwest can't keep up with the northeast, etc. I think if the genetics were breaking down, that's the first place we'd see it.

But then, look at the reality. True, New England has tended to hold the edge, but we had 1500 pounders in California and Oregon, 1400, 1500, and 1600 pounders in the center of the continent, and more 1500 and 1600 in the northeast. To me, this means that we're all getting much better as growers, or the genes haven't peaked yet. It's a little of both, but I think it's safe to say that the genes haven't peaked yet.

I think those genes are now held by hundreds of seeds. We've successfully harnessed the 935 Lloyd (723 and 845) and the 898 Knauss, and others, and kept the best genes in our seed stocks. I think a REAL expert could come in here and find the most amazing genetic experiment ever undertaken, collectively, by all of us.

12/26/2007 10:26:06 AM

Minnesota

I remember when breaking 1,000 pounds was a big deal, now I'm waiting for the 2,000 pounds to be broke, its not to far away.

12/26/2007 10:43:56 AM

Greencastle, PA

Recent experiments with pruning may also have contributed to extended growth periods. I've heard that the McKie's have a revolutionary pruning pattern which incorporates tertiary vines so that there are young, healthy leaves later in the season.

Furthermore, the fact is that we already have the genetics to produce a 1-ton pumpkin. The 1354 Checkon has grown a 441" fruit. It has also grown fruit that weighed 20% heavy. If a 441" fruit were to weigh 20% heavy, then it would weigh over 2000 lbs. It's all in the luck of the draw. We've seen a 1631 that weighed over 20% heavy. Why not 2000?

12/26/2007 12:12:10 PM

i dont think there is a end-soil balanced -great weather keeping leafs as healthy as can be-blood sweat and tears -yes some will fail-crack split etc it happens to any seed but some will make the distance trying things a little differnt here and there cant hurt in my eyes your only going to get back what you put in

12/26/2007 12:31:47 PM

Colorado

I always wondered about moving a 1800 pound pumpkin. I thought that might be a logistical problem for the hobby.The 1689 will be hard to beat in 08 but it will go down in two seasons almost for sure.The weights will plateau at some number1800,2000,2200?

12/26/2007 1:39:52 PM

Santa Rosa California

i think that there are big things planned for this sport and it will be great

12/26/2007 8:02:34 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

More CO2 in the atmosphere, warmer temps, more & better genetics, better pruning techniques, finer pest control with less colateral plant damage, better soil health....if we have another year with so few cloud free days,,,who knows? One ton might come sooner than we think.

I think that Frank (Edwards) is on the right track. Sun light really is the most limiting factor. Supplemental lighting might never make up for sustained periods of heavy, dense, rainy cloud cover. But there may come a time when the tie-breaking effort is an artificial increase in light intensity & the lengthening of the solar day.

Never mnd the cost of seeds, soil, fungicide, irrigation & high intensity lights. I can't wait to see the electric bills! LOL

12/26/2007 11:29:33 PM

Netherlands

If sunlight is a factor, northern Europe will be the place to grow. In countries like Sweden, it is light for close to 20 hours a day at its peak. When it is ever sunny in Holland, we have sun from about 4-5 am till 10-11 pm. This is true for almost the entire pumpkin growing period, except for September.

12/27/2007 4:54:09 AM

Rhode Island

im moving to the netherlands pap

12/27/2007 6:21:16 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Brad now if you could keep them mean temperature above 70° and the soil the same temp...yes

12/27/2007 7:46:21 AM

Ohio

Brad, what is the temps that time of year in Sweden when the day light hours are that long?

12/27/2007 8:37:05 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Elaborating on Shannon's post, I'm wondering how the growing degree days in Sweden and the Netherlands, compare to say Rhode Island?

12/27/2007 10:33:46 AM

Knopp, Germany

if you use a greenhouse, the temps do not mean much

12/27/2007 10:51:50 AM

Somers, CT

This year I am going to try crossing with Tomacco seeds.

12/27/2007 11:02:39 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Good point Owen.

12/27/2007 12:50:53 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

When you're talking daylight hours, it's a simple function of latitude. The farther north you go, the more daylight you'll have in summer. (Or, around the solstice.)

Interestingly, much of the northeast is really not very far north. Where I'm at in Idaho, I'm really as far north as Niagra, and also Massachusetts. Western Washington is much further north, and northern Europe is even more north. Scandinavia, wow.

12/27/2007 1:07:42 PM

Netherlands

I use a greenhouse, which even on cloudy and rainy days will keep the temperature above 70. A little sun and it will soar to about 80-85 which is about as high as I like to go. Once in a while I get up to 90 if there is little wind. The problem is nights. The temperature will drop down to the 50s, but only for a short period of time as the sun will have that warmed up again quite early in the morning and it cools off quite late at night. I put blankets on the pumpkins the entire growing year.

The only problem in Holland (and less of a problem in Sweden except for this past summer) is the amount of rainy and cloudy days.

I started my squash, which became a WR, a week earlier than normal because of a warm spring (75 in early April). The plant got off to a great start. June, July and August were all equally cold and wet. September was fine. So, generally speaking I had identical temperatures from April till September.

With a little better weather than this past year (i.e. less clouds - rain doesn't matter in a greenhouse), I think growers in northern Europe could surprise us this coming season.

12/27/2007 1:23:46 PM

South Finland pumpkinfinland@gmail.com

When speaking about surprises Brad is obviously talking about me;) I am bit norther than most growers in Sweden, latitude is 60 North. Just waiting that it starts to blow from East somewhere in mid August and continues about month or so. Wind from East means that we have warm ending from Summer. Wont happen every year but when this happens only sky is limit... And we got generally lot less rain than Sweden and lower parts of Europe.. So beware, my 188.5 will change dramatically on 2008,lol

Seriously speaking we struggle with temps but every now and then Summers are long and night temps arent here so down that you could imagine,surprise is only waiting...

Winter in Finland? Send us some snow, havent seen that stuff for weeks now.And we live in the land of polarbears,lol

12/27/2007 1:47:12 PM

Ohio

how much does a green house knock down on the UV rays though? or does it?

I was talking to Todd Skinner this year and he told me he tried a greenhouse for the first time this year and thinks growing in a green house might have hurt him instead of helping him because of not getting enough UV rays, and by his weights this year I think he could be right maybe.
he told me he could tell a diffrence in the brighness in his greenhouse when he would be inside it verses to being outside it.

12/27/2007 1:47:22 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Yep your gonna lose 5% or so of light through polythene.
The old saying was 1% of light = 1% of growth.
Hanging lights creates more shade from the natural light as well.

12/27/2007 2:32:41 PM

Pinedale, WY

This sort of goes with Alaska too, I assume. They have lots of light, but short growing period, because it gets cold. So is it a trade off? More light for less days, or less light but more days of growing, which is better?

12/27/2007 5:07:02 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Think of this, I am at 32° latitude here in southern California, it is warm enough to grow pumpkins for a good 8 months out of the year but the problem is not enough sunlight. Imagine what might be possible if I had grow lights. Us southern growers could level the playing field...but I'm not willing to go broke trying to pay the electric bill.
In reality even if I had grow lights I think the summer heat really takes a toll on the life of the plant and how long the pumpkin will grow.

12/27/2007 9:50:38 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Higher latitudes do have more hours of light but the intensity of that light falls off the chart pretty fast.
As Vince points out, warm places like SoCal pay a very high price in having light intensity that is TOO strong.

Yes, greenhouse covers do cut light intensity to a degree.

12/27/2007 10:43:44 PM

Netherlands

I have no choice but to grow in a greenhouse. We have a moderate climate in Holland, compared to Finland and Sweden for example. I have a very long growing season with frost usually gone in March and not coming back till late October, early November.

Some day, somewhere in Europe, we will have an ideal summer. The same is true for the US. Not everybody has a great summer every year.

12/28/2007 3:26:32 AM