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Rhode Island

this past summer there was talk of world record pumpkins everywhere. i to bought into the gala and thought because of the weather in certain areas of the country all season long, that we just might see the wr broken several times come october?
well, as it turns out? thats all it was-talk. some great pumpkins ? yes for sure. some great growers competing for the top spots? yes as always, some surprizes? yes, definately. but world records? only one. ----------thank you again christy for giving the competition growers a new goal to shoot for.
what does that tell you? to me it reenforcers what i have suspected for several years now.
the quest to grow a two thousand pound pumpkin is just that ---- a quest.
a two thousand pound goal that if ever accomplished? will take a very special seed,grower and season to accomplish.a pumpkin that will tape wr numbers and then go fifteen percent over chart is probably the only way it will ever happen.
everything would need to be perfect and then still get lucky at the scales.
think about it for a minute. you had fantastic weather in regions with the best growers in the world.these growers in turn had the best seeds available in the world today.
the world record went down once.and there were not that many 1,600 and 1,500 pounders either.
i have said it before and ill say it again.anyone who can grow chart thumping pumpkins in the top tier of there respective sites and major organizations weigh-offs certainly have what it takes to get the most out of any seed they choose to plant.
unfortunately, after what i observed this year though i just dont think any seed, plant, or even perfect growing soil and weather is capable of growing a giant pumpkin for a long enough period of time,or thick enough ?. to reach two thousand pounds. i hope im wrong.
thanks......... pap

10/22/2009 7:19:23 PM

South East

patience, is all we need.

10/22/2009 7:26:05 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I have never disagreed with you pap until now. We're still tweaking with the genetics of AG's here and that's what will make the difference in the end. All the other factors you mentioned will be an asuumption when the one-ton goal is reached. I remember when the 1500 pound mark was finally achieved.

10/22/2009 7:44:51 PM

hmmm, 445"OTT and 9% over = 2,000#'s could just have easily gone that way.

How many fruit 1500/1600 went high percent over this season?

I contend we are closer than you think pap.

10/22/2009 8:10:17 PM

Decatur, IL

I think we need to be patient, at least for a few more years. It took ten years to get from 1000# to 1500#. In only three years, we've added 223# to the 2006 record. It took six years between 2000 and 2006 to add approximately the same amount of weight. I know that there has to be an upper limit to the size of these things, but I definitely think that 2000 is attainable.

10/22/2009 8:25:57 PM

Western NY

We will hit it. We are the million monkeys at the typewriters banging away each year. 11 of the last 12 years another masterpiece was produced.

Not only that but the results from 2007 and 2009 were grossly above and beyond the normal rate of increase of the big one(s), and should not be sneezed at, especially in the historical context (see link below).

The genetics are out there. Paying attention to crosses will help, but I believe the last 5 years we have just started getting into proper plant care, and the next 5 years will take us into a more scientific approach that will lay the groundwork for 2000 pounds.

http://greatpumpkincommonwealth.com/2000.php

Take a look at the graph at the bottom. See how far above the trend the 1689 was? the 1725 was just as special, which to me signifies that the weights are not stagnating, and in fact they could just be starting to really take off.

10/22/2009 8:38:32 PM

Wi

It's my opinion that we are at least a couple seed generations away from 2000#. I don't believe there is a seed today that is capable of a full ton. Someone prove me wrong, but I don't think we are there yet.

We need a seed that candle growing to 425" and go 10% heavy. How many of those are out there? Then we need to cross it with another of the same and find the result.

As pap says we need a perfect weather year. 2007 was that year IMO. When will we see another 2007? Who knows.

10/22/2009 9:08:44 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I don't think we are anywhere near the limit yet. We are just starting to scratch the surface of organic soil management, insecticides, fungicides, genetics and many other components of growing pumpkins.

I look at how far technology has come in my lifetime. I grew up in a farm house with a hand fired furnace and a hand crank telephone on the wall. Now I have a programmable thermostat to control my furnace and air conditioner. I carry a cell phone that with a few punches of buttons can call anywhere on earth. And if I learned the vioce dialing I wouldn't even have to push the buttons. With this computer I can share information with anyone on the planet.

I'm guessing that advances in plant growth hormones, beneficial microbes, plant nutrition, other technologies, and the increasing CO2 content of our atmosphere, the one ton barrier will soon fall and weights will continue to increase beyond that.

10/22/2009 10:03:52 PM

canal winchester ohio

I don't think we've reached the top yet, this year was way above any past year.
I added up the totals of the top 10 pumpkins the last 4 years & I also included damaged pumpkins as they made it to a scale at a weighoff.
Here's the average of each year.
2006- 1389 lbs--(1) 1500 lbr's,(3) 1400 lbr's.
2007- 1574 lbs-- (3) 1600 lbr's, (7) 1500 lbr's.
2008- 1507 lbs-- (6) 1500 lbr's.
2009- 1627 lbs--(1) 1700 lbr , (5) 1600 lbr's (9) 1500 lbr's.
This year was way up.

10/22/2009 11:43:59 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I agree with pap. IMHO if 2000 lbs. is reached, it will be many years down the road.

10/23/2009 12:34:49 AM

Saegertown Pa.

I thought this year lived up to all the hype, all I kept hearing was there would be no world record this year no matter how many big pumpkins were out there. And we got are first 1700 LB pumpkin. And look at all the 1600 Lb and 1500 Lb pumpkins there were, what a great year. I think Andy's post said it all, if you look at the numbers were not slowing down yet who now's were it will stop if it ever does.

10/23/2009 5:18:21 AM

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

Pap...you never fail to spark a good debate! Its a good thing there is a lot of optimism out there or else this hobby would shrivel and die. This season was as challenging as any. There have been countless personal bests set across the golden growing belt, even with the early season challenges. Why is this...I think its the co-operation between growers and the sharing of information and seeds that makes this one of the greatest hobbies on earth! Yes, it can be frustrating, but you have to keep trying and its that 1st place finish, that new Personal best, that keeps you coming back for more.

I agree with Dan and Andy's comments...we will see a 2000 lb pumpkin and likely more than that...maybe a metric tonne (2205lbs)?...but frankly I don't want to see it too soon...the bar is high enough already...lol

John

10/23/2009 7:43:32 AM

Rhode Island

i certainly hope im wrong and guys like andy are correct however, i just think everything in life has a ceiling.a max that can be achieved but not surpassed. 2,000 pounds may be a real stretch.

thats not to suggest that growers will stop competitive growing just because a max has been attained either.
people who enjoy the competition will continue to grow no matter what.

i just feel that with growing a piece of fruit you have limitations.

the life cycle of fruits and veggies is number one on the list of limitations. we all know what happens to pumpkins that grow to fast----the walls are usually thin and can not support the daily gains -they blow out. and, if they make it ? they also can in many cases weigh under estimates.

the length of growing season is also a big concerm. they dont grow forever or for long periods of time.the clock starts ticking the day you pollinate.

10/23/2009 7:45:56 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

C'mon Dick, that's not true & you know it.

Warnock's record stood at 403 lbs for 70 years. 400 lbs is an average days culling at the Wallace place nowadays . LOL.

10/23/2009 9:03:34 AM

The County of Berkshire, UK

Being as im just a "Newbie"..2nd year grower, I think that the plant we all grow is exactly that a plant, a living thing..we try our best to "help" the plant the best we know how Soil sample tests,amendments, water, pesticides, fungicides..the list is endless..but it is still just a plant..it will decide (with our help of course) how and what its going to grow but at the end of the day it will decide ..I think that the way forward as Pap says is to make the plant and fruits grow longer..but its just my thoughts I know others may think and know different..all I know is that im glad I grow these amazing plants..and with everything we know about them, luck will decide when some one will hit the 2000 lbs mark!!

10/23/2009 9:21:50 AM

Covington, WA

pap, you are turning into a nattering nabob of negativity. 2000 lbs will be reached and the plateau may even be beyond that. It's not a matter of how long we can keep them growing but how solid a fruit we can develop and how much water we can get them to store. I started growing when 1000 lbs was still the quest. For me it's a goal I have not achieved but I am certain I will one day. I feel 2000 lbs is possible if the right seed goes to the right grower and the right set of conditions are achieved. I don't think it will be common by any means and I feel anything grown over 1300 lbs are truly exceptional fruit. But like Andy said, with this many monkeys hammering away a masterpiece is bound to be created. Howard Dill and a few other exceptional pioneers of modern giant pumpkins created the foundation with their selective breeding practices. With so many people doing this now and making concious choices it is amazing to me how narrow the gene pool has gotten with the fruit that are really heavy. But we seem to be narrowing our focus on what truly is most productive.

10/23/2009 12:59:27 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=123326

this is a pic of an old 2003 post card i have from p and p seed company that i keep on my fridge. i think this year of all years has me believing that 2000 pounds is not far off. a warmer consistant pattern from spring through late sept. will be needed. the 1677.5 hunt was only 51 inches circ on day 20. did the colder temps increase the weights this year? i am not so sure, but the temps were consistant. give that same plant a warmer consistant pattern and who knows if it would have been bigger and heavier. but my guess is that that individual 901 plant in better temps in the same hands of the Hunts could have seen 1800 or more. that plant had the magic. when one of those magic plants hits the right conditions, look out. hopefully the magic of the 1725 plant is captured in the selfed cross. from what i have read, it was so far ahead of all the other plants early on it was silly. a beastly plant with the magic. cross a big monster grower like the 1725 with a monster and heavy grower like the 991 or the 901 or the 1041 mckie and hope the stars lign up just right in a couple of the seeds and the big heavy monster cross gets one of the heavy hitters the 275 more lbs needed to achieve 2000.

10/23/2009 1:32:43 PM

Iowa

2000 lbs will probably happen someday, but first we will need to see 1750, 1800, 1900, 1950 and so on. It will be gradual and IMO will probably not be a pumpkin that goes 15 or 20 percent heavy. In other words it will probably not happen untill 1500 is a little more common than it is now.

10/23/2009 1:51:39 PM

Somers, CT

It appears to me that the growing season is plenty long enough and the walls of the fruit appear to grow proportionally to the overall size. This could go on forever.

10/23/2009 2:53:24 PM

Las Cruces NM

Pap, there is probably is some theoretical limit where an AG crushes under its own weight, and that is the point that AG will grow to. I don't think that is 2000lbs so we will see it surpass 2000. Weight has increased 50+ lbs a year so it is still a couple of years off but 1500/1600/1700 lbs plus have been produced: 2005 = 0/0/0, 2006 1/0/0, 2007 =6/3/0, 1998 = 4/0/0 1999 = 8/4/1 and WR has been broken 4 of the 5 so how you figure things are slowing down?

10/23/2009 9:29:51 PM

Jackson Twp, Ohio

The 1385 Jutras Plant that grew the 1725 was way ahead of the other plants in our patch. The fruit however as I recall wasn't especially large until day 40. The fruit early was very similar to the others in the patch. If I recall correctly at the tour I was going to be happy with a couple of fruit just over 1000 lbs. I think that within 5 years we will see a 2000 lber. It will happen, but when.

10/26/2009 1:01:40 PM

New York

I'm not sure if anybody will see this post, but I was browsing old threats and found this discussion interesting. In response to Phonzie, I actually think 2000 will be passed with flying colors rather than in small increments. 1500 appears to currently be the general ceiling for AGs, except for a few exceptional cases, and I think 2000 pounds will be another such case.

5/19/2010 3:56:57 PM