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United States

I was looking at world records by year, and it looks like 1996 was the first year to break 1000lb. In 2012 someone broke 2000lb, and now the record is over 2700lbs. Why have growers been able to achieve such massive improvements in recent years?

10/9/2022 1:40:18 PM

British Columbia, Canada

Better seeds and better / more refined growing techniques.

10/9/2022 1:49:39 PM

Lodi, California

I believe that "some guy" is named Ron. Lol.

It's actually been pretty consistent gains, more people have joined the hobby, world records have increased on average about 80lbs a year consistently. The more you do something, and the more people you get to do it, the better you'll get at doing it.

Genetics have also played a big part. All we're doing is constantly and rapidly selecting the seeds that produce the biggest fruit. That will very rapidly produce a gene pool that is bent toward that goal.

10/9/2022 3:12:41 PM

United States

How close do you think we are to hitting a biological limit on pumpkin size?

10/9/2022 6:27:59 PM

Bethlehem CT

Growers sharing their knowledge and their seeds has really helped push this hobby further than I ever thought possible. Don Langevin set the tone in his books when he states that growers should follow the golden rule. "do unto others as you would like done unto you."

10/9/2022 6:37:43 PM

Gourd Zone, WA

CO2 can supposedly be a limiting factor. Outdoor growers have 15-20 % more C02 than a few decades ago. Without that boost, would a lot of patches still be coming in nearer to 2000 rather than 2400?

10/9/2022 7:24:35 PM

Kutztown, PA

Actually in the last 20 years Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide levels have only increased about 10%. Generally they've gone from 400 ppm on average to 420 ppm. While an increase in CO2 levels may benefit plants elevated temperatures as a result of that increase would have a negative impact. I think pg3 has hit the nail on the head. The more seeds grown, the more big pumpkins grown, the more sharing of knowledge, the more seeds from big pumpkins to select from, the more big pumpkins grown. In any population of any living thing the larger the population is the bigger the gene pool thus the more to select from. As the hobby grows so will the the size of the pumpkins. Probably the increase in information sharing on the internet, YouTube, including this site has allowed access to growing techniques allowing relative new pumpkin growers to excel. The knowledge in took many folks 20-30 years to gather is no longer "Top Secret". There's no substitute for experience but answers to growing questions are just a keyboard stroke away.

10/10/2022 8:52:05 AM

Gourd Zone, WA

1992 356 ppm/ 2022 420 ppm = 18 % increase. I didnt say anythimg untrue, so don't send me to jail for spreading misinformation just yet please :) Imho, there's surprisingly little good info, but heaps of bad info, a keyboard stroke away. (I have trouble sorting it out so I have almost given up on the internet). I think the Wallace's were single handedly responsible for about 500 lbs of that increase-- from what I've seen Ron was the best at teaching and inspiring other growers. Credit goes to Gene McMullen and Quinn Werner, for making good crosses.

10/10/2022 1:36:22 PM

Kutztown, PA

Blossom, I've been taking CO2 readings outdoors since 1993. I typically use an instrument called a Q-Track which give instantaneous readings and is fairly accurate when calibrated. I will say that most of my measurements were taken in Florida, but also in NJ and PA. Since 1993 when I started collecting that kind of data CO2 readings have rarely been much on either side of 400 ppm at ground level. Having said that levels are most definitely dependent on your location. For example CO2 ppm can easily double just stepping into and occupied building. Hey, maybe my wife will let me grow a pumpkin in the living room:). Anyway, I agree that folks that have excelled at this because they made good crosses and developed good technique on the their own deserve a lot of credit. But, I also think the "cat's out of the bag" now as evidenced by so many big ones being grown.

10/10/2022 3:12:43 PM

Gourd Zone, WA

I dont know what cat that is... I am either dumb or out of the loop. I am sure I'll be the last one to know. I was happy with the results we got this year, but myself and so many other growers will never reach the upper echelons. The majority of us are still out of the loop??

10/10/2022 3:55:59 PM

Gourd Zone, WA

Is it not still good soil, good seed and good luck? Now you are making it sound like there's secret voodoo involved too?? Well sadly as usual I dont know what to believe.

10/10/2022 4:04:57 PM

Kutztown, PA

I think you gotta add good weather but I guess that's luck too, or even luckier you own a controlled environment. For sure good seed, good soil and good luck are the three biggest factors. PS, hard work is a given, but you have to do that even when your not as successful as you wanted to be. I'd say the harder you work the better your chances but that wouldn't be true. It would be more accurate to say if you don't do the hard work you'll have no chance of any good luck :)

10/11/2022 8:53:23 AM

Kutztown, PA

Everyone has there own Voodoo, some of it more powerful than others:)

10/11/2022 8:56:17 AM

Western NY

Genetics.

I didn't do 1000# *more* in technique this year as compared to 17 years ago when I grew a 1407 (which was #3 in the world for that year).

10/11/2022 8:57:51 AM

Kutztown, PA

I agree with Andy - Genetics is the key, but take a guy like me for example that's new to the hobby. Without the internet I would have significantly reduced chances of learning any technique, asking any questions, and finding good seed. The availability of information, ideas, and remedies, both good and bad for comparison, is the "Cat" I'm referring too. Undoubtedly many more people have the opportunity to make their own seed selections and share the results than were able 20-25 years ago. Some folks have been doing that for a long time and improved upon the "heavy" and even the "color" genetics. The more people doing that the closer pumpkins will come to reflecting the full and maybe final outcome of our preferred characteristics.

10/11/2022 10:14:26 AM

Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

genetics are important but if you had to grow next season using the same cultural practises you did ten or fifteen years ago with the seeds of today i think the gains in weight wouldnt be what they have been people rarely got soil tests let alone tissue testing and with the amount of products out there today getting better and better and growers get to see on this great site pictures and information to help i certainly dont use many of the products i used ten years ago

10/13/2022 5:59:09 AM