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Cologne / Germany

My planting descisions for 2004 are made. I´ll need these seeds to complete the patch, so they´ll go into the soil and not into the freezer:-)

Please email me at bigpumpkins02@aol.com. Couldn´t update the email under user settings, so don´t use the link on the left, it´s not working.

Thanks, Ingo

2/11/2004 8:49:21 AM

Cologne / Germany

Seeds are traded. Thanks for the fast replies.

Ingo

2/11/2004 10:25:33 AM

Norton, MA

Holy cow! I woulda' given you dozens of 1153's and 1236's if I'd had them! For just one 1260.4. It is a great and VERY RARE seed. Where did you get two? Alex.

2/11/2004 6:18:49 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Alex,
In fall of 2001 the 1260 Weir pumpkin was flown to Germany for a pumpkin exhibition. After the exhibition the seeds were saved by the company that bought the pumpkin.
They were then for sale here in Germany in 2001 and 2002. If I remember correctly Ingo bought 8 of them and I myself bought 40.
I tried to get a few more but they are sold out since last March.
Best wishes,
Martin

2/11/2004 7:35:34 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

and I'm still waitin' on my one 1260....

2/11/2004 8:30:26 PM

Indiana

dang, I guess I needed to get up at 8:49:22 am to catch that amazing deal!

Tom

2/11/2004 11:23:48 PM

Deer Park WA

Martin, you have any 1260.4 left to trade? Craig sent me a cracked straggler last year but I failed to germinate it :{

2/12/2004 1:18:02 AM

Cologne / Germany

When the seeds were offered on that website from Switzerland in 2002 I bought 20. Next morning all seeds were sold out. I remember it took them a long time to do anything with these seeds and some people (including me) thought they were lost.
By the way: almost every 1260 seed had a small crack on the surface, but it had no influence on germinating for me. Maybe Martin had the same experience.

2/12/2004 5:00:30 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Forgot the say that I do not have left all 40 seeds now!!! That would sure be nice... But at least 30 of them were already traded before the 1370 was grown from it and several more after that...
Martin

2/12/2004 5:33:44 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Nice to hear that I spent so much money and time to help german growers and never ended up with one seed. Many people thought I had one or more but maybe now floh and martin can clear the air once and for all.
I had none....thanks.
I wouldn't comment earlier out of respect to martin especially since we have both helped each other a lot but now I feel pretty hurt.
(Too bad I couldn't speak german well enough...)

Michel

2/12/2004 11:24:38 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Ingo, I had those seeds for you too.
Thanks also,
Michel

2/12/2004 11:25:41 AM

Knopp, Germany

Do not include all German growers in this mud sling here Michel.

2/12/2004 1:21:46 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Michel,
I think you should neither blame Ingo nor myself for buying those 1260 Weir seeds.
They were officially up for sale from Juckerfarmart for everybody who wanted them until they were sold out.
You were free to buy them as well. It was in your hands....
No need to complain now!
I agree with Owen. You should not blame anybody for your own mistakes! You are a nice guy but a bit too emotional.
Best wishes,
Martin

2/12/2004 1:59:22 PM

Long Island,New York

Perhaps they took so long because they were trying to figure out how to screw Craig weir out of his seeds????

2/12/2004 3:01:05 PM

Waquoit Mass

ditto on the screwin

2/12/2004 4:17:55 PM

South Hill, Virginia

If I remember correctly weren't they supposed to send the seed back to Weir?

2/12/2004 4:32:25 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Concerning the agreement between Juckerfarmart and Craig Weir I am quoting a letter sent to me directly by Craig Weir in winter 2002:

"1260.4 PUMPKIN SEEDS
The 1260.4 lb. Pumpkin was sold to a company in Switzerland. The agreement was for them to send me back 100 seeds. I had given up hope of getting the seeds back, but they (86 seeds) finally arrived at the end of January. The pumpkin was not opened to harvest the seeds until mid December. This was 2 1/2months from the time the pumpkin was picked. As you might expect, the seeds show a slight brownish color from being inside a fermenting pumpkin. I had to throw away some that were definitely no good. Now I'm down to 77 seeds.
Anytime seeds remain in a pumpkin that is breaking down germination rates are questioned. Though I'm sure some won't germinate, I believe most will. I did break open two seeds, the inside of both looked pretty good. I think both of them would have germinated. Without doubt the toughest part of growing a big pumpkin is not having enough seeds to send to everybody who wants one. Interest in the 1260.4 seed has been very high."

2/12/2004 5:49:15 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

continued:
"The truth is that I have about 175 seed requests and a total of only 77 seeds from the pumpkin. Because more people won't get a seed than those who will, I feel compelled to explain where they will all go.
#1. 1 am keeping 25 seeds for future growing and seed trading.
#2. In past years when I was after a seed, I did the same thing that all of you have done.
I wrote the grower a letter with a self addressed bubble pack. I have kept a list of all growers who sent me back a seed that I requested. Each of these growers were sent a 1260.4 seed.
#3. 1 have some good friends who are growers and I was happy to share a seed with them.
#4. 1 didn't want to have to choose who got the remaining 33 seeds and who didn't so I spread all the remaining bubble packs on the floor. I had my eight year old daughter Brittany put a 1260 seed envelope in any bubblepack she chose at random until the seed envelopes were gone. (She said it was fun.) I don't even know who got seeds and who didn't! Your chances of being picked by Brittany were about one in five. Those of you who got a seed, it's in this bubblepack. Those of you with empty bubblepacks and there are unfortunately
many of you, lost the lottery.
The enclosed picture is the 1260.4 taken the day before the Topsfield weighoff.
Wishing you a new personal best in the 2002 growing season!

Craig Weir"

hope this helps....
Martin

2/12/2004 5:49:42 PM

Syracuse, NY

JUUUSSTTT PLAAAAAAAANT SOMETHING ELSE, GUYS N' GALS! lol...

2/12/2004 5:50:13 PM

Syracuse, NY

okay, sorry.i shoulda thought a minute. when one really wants a seed and it is just outta reach, that can be a bummer....

2/12/2004 5:54:55 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

How about if you trade great seed, for a seed(s) you *really*, *really* want..and it/they arrive ruined, or never arrive at all...2 years in a row?
Now THAT's a bummer.

2/12/2004 8:52:29 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

from the same person....

2/12/2004 8:54:44 PM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

This dusts off my memory when this monster was sent over to Germany. I looked up there website, emailed them and tried to get a seed or two, but never got a response. I then called the number on the website, thinking, heck, how many German growers know what seeds they are getting! Well, when I called, they said the pumpkin seeds were all gone, and this was in mid January of that year. I guess they didnt want US growers to have them or something.. Well, as pumpkin pal said above.. Ill just grow something else. there are so many darn genetic crosses out there, If you think you dont have equal opportunity with one of the seeds you already have, you are stone crazy. I mean heck.. a 582 pound fruit's seed grows a 1458 pound pumpkin, who knew a seed could throw a fruit 876 pounds to its betterment? They are out there folks, they just need to be proven.. And not just a few.. a shi'ite load worth..

2/12/2004 9:15:44 PM

Webster, NY

Didn't the 419 Pukos 02 grow the 1064 Martin 03? I think Rock is right. There are many good seeds out there and many surprises. I wouldn't worry about just 1 seed.

Dave

2/12/2004 10:20:18 PM

don't give up on that 1260 just yet rock. just sent one your way for the green jacket raffle.....buy a raffle ticket and you may get lucky!

2/12/2004 10:20:50 PM

Deer Park WA

Sweet Craig! Send them Sweds a New World Record "Greenie" next year, only get a better line on the seeds....rolflol... I think that means Rolling on floor, laughing out loud?

2/12/2004 11:30:19 PM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

Awesome donation Craig.. The raffle is well worth getting money in for with this lineup! I wish I could buy raffle tickets now!

2/12/2004 11:53:44 PM

Indiana

what kind of gettin lucky are we talking about Craig?

Tom

2/13/2004 12:56:23 AM

Cologne / Germany

The way this company from Switzerland is doing its "pumpkin business" is simple: if you go to the German/European weigh-off and win, they keep your pumpkin. If you make any agreements to get your seeds back later, maybe..but it takes a long time because they display the pumpkins for their own promotion as long as the fruit lasts. If you don´t like that kind of deal, you´re free not to enter their contest. Kinda hard, but there´s no other way to get a German/European official weight right now unless someone else will start a weigh-off on his own.

When I bought the seeds, it was around 4:00 in the morning and couldn´t even believe what I saw on this website. I heard nothing before about they were going to sell the seeds. Just look here:

http://www.juckerfarmart.ch/bestellung/bestellung_kk03.html

"Weltmeisterkürbis 2001" is just Craig´s 1260, and "ausverkauft" means sold out. End of the story.

That´s how we were able to get some of these seeds. Anybody would have done the same I believe. It was luck by accident. From my former posts here and my 2003 diary a lot of people already knew the story, it never was a secret, they contacted me and traded. Like anyone else does.

Just for the record, Ingo

2/13/2004 6:17:33 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Well said, Ingo...........

2/13/2004 6:42:49 AM