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Rhode Island

some interesting observations from many years of growing.
keep in mind please that there is no hard fast evidence of anything i list. just my observations and opinions.i will be refering to pumpkins taping one thousand pounds and up.

weighing light at the scales.
soil conditions and weather also play a huge roll in the growth of your fruit.im not so sure though that it has anything to do with how thick a pumpkin wants to grow. the genetics must be there to start with. then the weather-food source,spray program,etc, can take over.

a lot of huge pumpkins have disapointed when places on a scale. many of the huge ones yearly seem to be weighing anywhere from 100 to 250 pounds under tape.
i realize there have been several that weigh what they tape (including the 1689 jutras-etc)and am hoping that because a few of those monsters this season are on the 1385 jutras that they will weigh true or go over as well.

if your looking to go over chart ? to me a good indicator of a fruit that should go heavy is.

mid season tests indicate all the potash is being sucked out of the soil-and you need to add with sprays weekly.
lower daily gains but for a longer period of time-walls grow thicker inside but do not show up in the daily weight estimate averages.
i like a off white pumpkin thats green in the shoulders ,salmon color between the ribs and on the blossom end, with canteloping. slap the shoulders and your hand hurts.thump it and it sounds like a tree trunk.

the world record could fall this year but its no guarentee .taping big and weighing big is a whole different ball game.

the key to breaking the world record thisa year is to have it weigh what it tapes. the key to breaking the 2,000 pound barrier is taping 1,700 to 1,800 and weighing over chart.
thanks ..pap

9/29/2009 7:43:48 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Agreed - we saw it Sunday. Salmon goes heavy - Orange does not. When it happens, 1 TON won't be the beloved smooth orange like a field pumpkin. It'll look like the 1502, 1689, etc. It'll have that "Knaussy" thing going on.

9/29/2009 11:45:18 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

>> lower daily gains but for a longer period of time-walls grow thicker inside but do not show up in the daily weight estimate averages.

Yep, this leads to a point that I've wanted to express here for some time.

I think we're all fooling ourselves when we say, based on OTT, that "I grew 40 pounds today." Follow me here...

The OTT chart is based on mature fruit that are weighed. Mature fruit have mature wall thickness, usually. Just, whatever is normal for a mature fruit. So, a mature 600 pounder might have 10 inch thick walls, and a mature 1200 pounder might also have 10 inch thick walls. One is just plain bigger than another.

The deception that is going on, is when we say in early-August that "We're taping 600 pounds now!" Well, that's fine, except that in early August your fruit might have 6 or 8 inch walls, and you're comparing that to a chart that is based on mature, end-of-the-season fruit.

Fruit don't start out with 10-inch thick walls. They start out at 1/4 inch thick, and take the whole season to reach their potential. So when we say... "I averaged 40 pounds a day for the first week of August", and then, "20 pounds a day for the last week of August", it's all baloney. I mean, nobody is trying to deceive, but it's a matter of not understanding our own data. I think the growth curve is much smoother. That is, it's a bit closer to 30 pounds a day for most of the growth cycle, until maturity kicks in... and then it's a matter of keeping it hydrated and healthy.

The other related thing to comment on is when people are tempted to cut the fruit when it stops growing on the outside. I strongly believe that the fruit can continue to grow on the inside, and "hydrate", as long as it is connected to the vine and receiving that drip-drip-drip. At the very least, leaving the fruit on the vine until the very last moment is usually the best thing to do.

Ah, after writing all this, I hope it's no

9/29/2009 4:22:19 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

I ran out of characters...

After writing all of this, I hope it's not thought of as a thread-jack. Just getting a early start on winter. lol

9/29/2009 4:24:48 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I agree Cliff.

Also, the current genetics do tend lead to orange going light. I am on a personal quest to change this perception. We will see later this fall if I'm on the right track.

9/29/2009 5:12:03 PM

Roselle, IL GJGEM@sbcglobal.net

It will be a nice test this weekend for me on the orange goes light theory... I have an extremely orange pumpkin that I am growing off my 988. The 988 pumpkin went around 10% light. The cross was 670x1450. I hope that the 1450 brought + heavy to the cross... I just weighed a 1385 that went 11% light. It's like getting kicked in the nuts at the scale.

9/29/2009 6:35:33 PM

Winston Salem NC

I figured my pumpkin would go light on the scales with all that I have seen that were orange and tall going light. It made the exception and went just under 11% heavy. I do however think that longer, lower pumpkins with a salmon or tan color will prove to be heavier in most occurances.

9/29/2009 7:36:17 PM

Salem, NY

The same results were seen in Cooperstown last Saturday- Some of the "heavier taping pumpkins" actually went lighter than expected, while some(under 1000lbs.) weighed heavier than expected.

9/29/2009 8:17:06 PM

Iowa

Something I have observed, is that most symetrical pumpkins tend to go on chart or heavy. I think some of this is that they are easier to get an accurate measurement, no voids of measuring air, or questions where to place the tape. And also they tend to have a more consistant thickness throughout the pumpkin. So, IMHO, alot of + or - to chart has to do with the shape of the fruit.
Ralph

9/29/2009 10:49:52 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I don't think we can make valid statements on judging if a fruit will go heavy by looking at color. The 603.5 Muller goes orange and frequently in the 10% heavy range. The 670 Daigle also can go quite heavy. It' unlikely that a world record will be shiney orange, because IMO most of the top growers aren't growing orange genetics or breeding for orange.

9/30/2009 10:08:48 PM

Wi

I agree with everything Pap says. Not just to agree either:)

I thought I had a dud in my patch this year on 1428 Revier . Disappointing growth never hit 25 / day. It weighed 15% heavy last weekend while still growing 8 / day and weighing 1245. Not really a dud after all.

Had that pumpkin grown 35 / day would it have blown up like a balloon and gone light? Good chance I think.

9/30/2009 10:10:49 PM

Covington, WA

I believe the key to getting any pumpkin to weigh over the chart is to slide the chart underneath the scale, then weigh your pumpkin. The chart is just a tool to help us estimate the weight based on three measurments and past records. All we can really measure in daily gains is inches, or centimeters if we're so inclined. Everything else is just a guess. My pumpkins aren't gaining much in inches these days, but I'll bet they're still putting on some pounds. I believe this is why we see splits late in the season as sag lines develop, the walls are getting thicker and heavier and they simply get overloaded sometimes at weak spots and crack. As for color being a factor in fruit going light, it's been a common belief for many years that good color means more likely to go lighter than expected. I think it's an urban myth but maybe a good winter project for someone with an AGGC membership to put together a survey based on color and measurements. Maybe get the shape questions figured out as well as to which is best. And where the green ones factor in that equation?

9/30/2009 11:55:00 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

All great info for this time of the year. Alot of growers focus on the exact weight the OTT total indicates but we should really pay attention to the range of 5% either way of the total as the chart info says the OTT total is withing 5% accurate. We just always assume the greater by human nature and maybe slightly undermeasuring at weigh offs to ensure some percentage of heaviness so our seeds are attractive to grow as most of us do not seek out seeds that went light to chart.

Kirk

10/1/2009 6:10:11 AM

Covington, WA

OK I'm now convinced it works. I put a copy of the 2008 tables under the scale at the Scholz farm contest and my bright orange 279" pumpkin that was estimated at #463 and it weighed in at #509.5. This got a few laughs from the other growers there, and encouraged by this result I did it again when my squash at 260" and #377 estimated was weighed. This time the results were even better and the fruit went #476. I will use the same chart next Saturday at Central Market. I must say that until today it was just a theory, but now I am getting some proof. I will continue my experiments and report them here. Perhaps the charts do somthing to increase the earths gravitational pull on the fruit. Maybe I should get another weight without the chart under the scale and see if there is a difference. I'd rather not do this until they are officially weighed as thus far I like the outcomes I've had. To be continued.....

10/3/2009 10:28:21 PM

Covington, WA

I continued my experiment on Saturday. My pumpkin measured 305" OTT. I placed the chart under the scale and weighed the pumpkin. It registered 673 lbs. 12% above the chart estimate. Due to time constraints I was unable to get it weighed again without the chart under the scale. But the evidence I have now indicates that if you want your pumpkin to go heavy, weigh it over the chart. It has worked out well for me this year.

10/13/2009 12:30:51 PM