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Eddyz@efirehose.net

I opened up my 920 Cole selfed today and out of the 500+ seeds in the pumpkin, I will be lucky to have 10 viable seeds. They apear full grown but empty.
All my other pumpkins had a good number of viable seeds, so I believe it to be a flaw with the plant I grew.
So now here is the question!!!
I kept a cutting to regrow next year. Are the chances pretty good that I will not get any viable seeds out of the next pumpkin on the plant?
Second question!!! Is this a common trait of the 920 Cole???

Thanks for any and all input

Eddy

10/31/2004 1:09:36 AM

Md/ Usa

more like a lack tolal pollenation

10/31/2004 1:03:51 AM

Wichita, KS

How heavy was this pumpkin, Eddy?

10/31/2004 1:38:56 AM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ spacemaster400@earthlink.net

Wonder if a soil problem could have possibly contributed to most of the seeds not being viable, what was the weight on the fruit, and any problem with the soil it was grown in ?? .....such as a first time patch that has been underworked ?? There could be many contributing factors...

10/31/2004 3:04:51 AM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

The Pumpkin was unofficially 325 lbs, Pollinated on the 21st of July, Harvested on the 19th of Sept.
It was grown in the same patch as 5 other plants. Patch is 2 years old. All the ground received the same treatment, water etc.
The biggest factor we had was the abnormally cold summer, but my other plants all procduced pumpkins with viable seeds.
I used no non organic fertilizers.
Soils tests showed no abnormalities, except my calcium was on the low end of the scale, so we supplimented, but to all the plants. I had a 1002 Carter plantd next to this one and it produced viable seeds in all mature pumpkins(4)
Eddy

10/31/2004 9:29:02 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Cold weather at pollination time could be an answer to this.
We here in Germany had very cool weather at that time (Owen was even using warm water bottles!) and some of my pumpkins had low or very low seed counts....check out my last few diary entries from yesterday.
Seeds were all grown to normal size but a lot are light and hollow.
Other German growers (Owen, Michel, Ingo) are reporting similar things....there must be a weather related reason.

Martin

10/31/2004 10:22:59 AM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

I grew the 696 Hoomis, 567 Wallace selfed, and it also had no viable seeds. Many looked like they needed about 2-3 weeks to mature. I think that variety just needs more time to develop. Just like splitters too, I also think all the many factors from environmental conditions affect certain genetics more than others. It's a good bet you'll get seeds next time if conditions are better....

10/31/2004 10:42:57 AM

Riverton, WY

My 673 Hoffman 04 (986 Chechon 02 x 1058 Houghton 02)was pollinated on a very cold day in late July. I got hundreds of nice looking large tan seeds, & all but about 10 are completely hollow. I think the cold might have something to do with it.

11/1/2004 8:25:25 AM

That State Up North

Eddy

Pollenation is a complex event. It depends on many things, prior to pollenation effecting the pollen health, and female flower developement. The temperature and humidity at the time of pollination can have an impact on polen germination.
The 1049 Koch had very few seeds in it, but the clone I grew off that 801.5 that grew the 1049 produced a ton of great seeds in my 720 pound fruit the following year.

Nic Welty

11/1/2004 4:31:54 PM

Okla

I have noticed that here in Oklahoma the most seeds I have ever gotten from a AG is about 350. I usually get around 250-350 seeds from the fruits we grow. It gets me how everyone else gets a huge amount and we never do. I have used as many as 7 or 8 males on each female on the fruits we grew and still not very many seeds. So its not using more pollin that effects it. Is it the climate that has some control over seeds production? If you figure it out, let me know.
Thomas

11/1/2004 5:55:00 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

This is interesting because up until now everyone thought that
cold conditions were better to prevent aborts. It's a complex
process, no doubt.

I got 500 solid seeds from my 468 (1005 Mombert X Self).

All of July was very cool in the mornings for us this year,
and I had many, many aborts. I attributed this to too much
nitrogen, however...

11/1/2004 6:08:20 PM