From

Location

Message

Date Posted

N.e. Ct.

Genetics or Gardening skills
Which is the more important factor, in your oppinon for size.

2/9/2011 1:03:47 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Both..you can have the world record seed and kill the plant

2/9/2011 1:34:07 PM

Alaska

Genetics first and foremost then skill. Let's face it you won't ever see a mule win the Kentucky Derby.

2/9/2011 1:34:51 PM

Cincinnati,OH

I think skill has more to do with it than genetics, so long as your not using a "mule" seed.
Chris Stevens grew the 183 Bosworth "mule seed" to over 600lbs a couple years back.

2/9/2011 6:28:21 PM

Midway, UT

Both are important but I'd give the edge to genetics. All of the top growers have multiple plants in their patch and at least a few of those plants will get the same kind of love but usually just one comes out the patch as a giant.

2/9/2011 7:53:58 PM

Littleton, Colo

I agree A-Boy , edge goes to genetics...we had three of our own seed in our patch last year, under the same conditions and they all came out different......look how many 1068s Ron and Paps grow in their patch and each one was different....

2/9/2011 11:16:50 PM

Ontario

You are going to need both to reach big weights, but gardening skills are more important than genetics in my opinion. If you give a top seed to a gardener who does not know how to grow giants, you have just wasted a great seed. Just like taking a top bred thoroughbred to the Kentucky Derby who only knows how to trot or canter!!

2/10/2011 8:31:27 AM

Johnston, Iowa

Giant Pumpkin = Genetics + Skills - Any Bad Luck

Just like Napolean Dynamite says, you gotta have those skills

2/10/2011 8:57:36 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Weather is a very big factor too. If you don't get enough rain or get too much rain you won't do well. Too hot or too cold, hail, wind are all factors that can have a big effect on your success.

2/10/2011 9:28:03 AM

Littleton, Colo

Let me back track ....I didn't like my last post...genetics are so important...and your knowledge on gardening is just as important....your skills are what you can control...understanding your soil and what it needs or not needs is a HUGE part of your gardening skills...the seeds are going to do what they are programed to do and all we can do is give them the best opportunity to do their stuff (Lots of do-do in there LOL)...Ron and Paps are master gardeners and Ron knows his genectics, they are the best of the best and they have skillz...I like what Pumkinman Dan said !

2/10/2011 11:38:52 AM

Rhode Island

unfortunately you really need both if you want the opportunity to get the best from that seed.
and at that theres still as many of us know,not a guarentee of success.
thats pretty much why so many new growers come and go in this hobby. unfortunately during any given season ? failure is an option.
lets just hope we all taste some success as well. its what keeps us all going back year after year..
pap

2/10/2011 1:38:11 PM

Alaska

If you really wanted to play around with this give lets say 6 clones to your average grower and 6 more of the same clones to a group of advanced growers. The results would be very interesting.

2/11/2011 2:43:49 PM

Alaska

Give the 12 clones to growers that are all in the same geographical location in order to help take mother nature out of the equation.

2/11/2011 2:46:16 PM

Muddy Waters

Gardening skills without that a seed is toast!

2/11/2011 3:12:06 PM

Alaska

So if I give one of the best pumpkin growers out there a field pumpkin seed and I give an average grower an Atlantic giant. You mean to tell me the field pumpkin variety is gonna get bigger than the Atlantic giant pumpkin? No it won't and the reason why is called genetics. This whole debate is a moot point since everybody is using the Atlantic giant variety. The point I'm making is if you don't grow the right variety you don't stand any chance at all. Go back and look at, from what seed and from who grew it and the chart takes you all over the weight map. I see first time growers going over 1000lbs quite frequently. Grower skill? Nope. Genetics? Yes. IMHO

2/11/2011 4:17:11 PM

Muddy Waters

You can debate anything,Im saying without gardening experience a silver bullet could be wasted by a rookie.There is skill involved, skill being,Knowledge,experience,and the green thumb alot of us have.Genectics is a given,I cant grow a giant lemon, with a orange seed.lol

2/11/2011 5:10:00 PM

Eastern Washington State

Both are Required, neither is Sufficient.

2/11/2011 5:50:34 PM

Johnston, R.I.

I think you need both and a little luck to go along with them..

2/11/2011 5:53:17 PM

Muddy Waters

Your both right some of these post cannot really be answered 1 way.Can GOD make a rock he can not Move??

2/11/2011 6:36:47 PM

N.e. Ct.

Wow my first check sence I put this post.
Thanx for all the responce, this is my first year with GP's. I like the comment about clones. The clones are the only way to completly eliminate genetic tendencies and truely evaluate growing methods.
As far as I can tell so far, and I could be wrong, There does not seem to be any consistant effort made between growers to controle the genetic crosses that everyone is growing, and I'm not sure you could if you wanted to. Maybe within clubs it's better i'm not sure. based on my experience with other growing I believe skill are more important. I also agree you shouldn't be waisting your skill on a mule seed, gentics can't be ignored. As for clones I will be growing some this year it should be interesting. I feel the greatest potential for improveing
the hobby is our skill and they are with in the realm of our control. How genetic material between parents mix is up to mother nature, we have no controle. Also it takes thousands of generations to get consistant repeatable trates from genetics. I woun't live that long.

2/11/2011 7:26:21 PM

N.e. Ct.

Has anyone out there done any clone growing for the sake of refineing growing methods?

2/11/2011 7:31:06 PM

Alaska

mshy is doing some serious cloning. Maybe he's the guy you need to talk to?

2/15/2011 1:17:59 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

firefly, one of your comments caught my eye!!! "we have no controle. Also it takes thousands of generations to get consistant repeatable trates from genetics". Seems to me, that the AG growers have done this "trates" thing !!! Growin em BIG!!! in the past couple decades!!! Granted, not repeatable from each and every seed...but the weights keep on goin up!!! Peace, Wayne

2/17/2011 1:07:29 AM

N.e. Ct.

wayne: It is true that the top wieght does inch up. but is it going up because of genetics or skill? I'm sure I don't know. If I had to pick a side I guess it would be skill. Reason being If you look at the size of lets say the top 10% of the pkn's grow in a season I would bet that better than 75% of them come from experienced growers, not newbe's like me

2/17/2011 11:12:05 AM