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Manitoba

Congrats to everyone who ended up with healthy, living pumpkins at this time of year, even if they didn't win prizes.

My question: My main kin is pear-shaped. So, where do I put the tape measure/string when measuring from left to right? Over the hump (close to the blossom end) or near the stem end? Thanks for your help. I use Andy Wolf's chart, if that matters, I don't know these things or what the various standards are.

9/24/2015 3:27:15 PM

Germany

OTT means Over The Top, and in case of your humpkin it means to measure over the highest hump. Measuring OTT is not about getting the OTT-derived weight as close as possible to the true weight, because usually the latter is unknown until the pumpkin hits the scales. Odd shaped pumpkins might produce the largest outliers with respect to the one or the other or all OTT chart(s), but that´s life.

Other explanation: What was first, weight or OT chart? The answer is weight was first and the the OTT chart had been developed. Taking this into account, the OTT chart can only be called OTT chart as long as it has been developed using weights and OTT-measured data from all sorts of pumpkins. Hence, odd shaped pumpkins must have contributed to the statistics contained in an OTT chart in the same manner as other pumpkins, hence they must have been measured Over The Top as well.

9/24/2015 3:43:19 PM

Germany

typo in line 3: "OT" must read "OTT"

9/24/2015 3:44:12 PM

Manitoba

Many thanks, P. King. Well, yes, I imagine that the man who developed his particular chart must've included some humpkins (tee hee!)for his mighty sample. My other kin is flattened in shape. Abnormally flat if you ask me; it looks funny.

I've tapped my humpkin all over and a lot of it seems pretty dense, i.e., not hollow sounding. My next challenge is rounding up folks to get this onto a scale without busting it up in any way when the sad day comes that I have to cut it from the vine. She is still growing; we are having nice weather here. I am starting to think that the primary factor is weather over anything else.

9/24/2015 9:21:54 PM

Central NY

Lol...humpkin....

9/24/2015 10:33:08 PM

Ukiah, Mendocino county, California

I also had a humpkin it was rather small but the ott estimate was around 100 -105 ( it lost some weight as it stopped growing) it weighed exactly 100lbs won me $120.

10/11/2015 1:32:30 PM

Ukiah, Mendocino county, California

I also had a humpkin it was rather small but the ott estimate was around 100 -105 ( it lost some weight as it stopped growing) it weighed exactly 100lbs won me $120.

10/11/2015 1:33:02 PM

Citrus Heights, CA

Porky, you thinking what I'm thinking. haha ;)

10/11/2015 11:58:35 PM

Manitoba

Jenambaus: let's get this straight - you won $120 for a 100-pounder??? Ho-leeee. That's not fair! LOL

10/12/2015 3:07:25 AM