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Cooks Creek, Manitoba, Canada

After following a number of growers on this site I occassionally wunder why certain growers, who like to tell us how things are going, end up with-holding information on their biggest pumpkins. Are they superstitious? or are they so competitive that they figure they will have an advantage by do this - to me it doesn't make any sense.

Personally I couldn't care less who knows what I am growing and what size it is. If your going to have a grower diary why not tell everything???? The fun part is following other growers over the season is to compare what you are doing with others, if people with-hold info this makes thing seem cheap - if they want to do this they should just keep there mouths/keyboards shut. Just my two cents.

9/27/2002 10:42:08 PM

Western Pa.

thebez,

This is a very "touchy" period of time, for anyone whom has a giant pumpkin, with only a week left to go. If you brag about what you have, it's a lot harder to take, if the pumpkin goes down. I have noticed that come August, a lot of the heavy hitters "clam up" about their pumpkins. If you have a really big pumpkin, you are bound to worry if it will ever last. (Kinda like counting your chickens before they hatch!) I, personally am very free with information on my pumpkins, but in addition to AGs, I work full time in construction, am a husband and father of 3 kids, maintain a 20 acre "gentleman's farm", must harvest, and possibly sell or preserve all the pumpkins, vegetables, fruits, etc. I produce, and try to live a "normal" life where I don't go completely nuts!. I personally would love to spend more time talking giant pumpkins with you, but with fairs, competitions, weigh-offs,upkeep, and trying to prepare for the upcoming Winter,and everything else, this is a very busy time for some of us!
2 cents back at ya!

kilr

9/28/2002 12:41:24 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Its like playing out a hand of cards you try and do the best you can with what you have,show someone else your cards and it puts you at a disadvantage.
For instance I've said in my diary that I'm taking my pumpkin to a certain weigh off,this weekend there is another weigh off not that far away on the same day some people have entered both putting the right pumpkin in the right place could make all the difference to them.
Yeah Yeah I know its not all about winning and thats why I said where I'm taking mine but I wouldn't be so keen to drive nearly 1000 miles this weekend if I knew what the result was going to be before I got there.

9/28/2002 5:48:40 AM

Liverpool , England

Yooo Mark (AXC),
Well you won with your 580lber at the weigh-off....beating me to 2nd with my little 409lber..was'nt that worth the 1000 miles? AND I know they spread a rumour that I had a 600lber..but thats what happens man. Nice to meet you face to face as well..hope you enjoyed the ride home.

Alun

9/29/2002 7:32:54 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Alun,
I was smiling all the way home and it was worth the drive,to meet you and the other guys there.

9/30/2002 1:07:06 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

I've been reflecting on this and the reason why I was smiling so much was because I didn't think I was going to win but did.
Talking to Alun he said afterwards that he knew I had him beat because I said in my diary that my pumpkin reached 400lbs a while ago.
Someone else there had been told not to bother going because there was a big one coming up from Cornwall!
I hope I didn't spoil things for for anyone else by putting size info in my diary.You can always update it later on.
Mark.

10/1/2002 5:07:28 AM

Liverpool , England

Yo Mark,
Its not the winning..its showing them to the public..thats what they come to the shows for.At the Malvern show I have won more times than most for the heaviest pumpkin and I'll be there again next year.Of all the things at the show the most photographed thing is always the biggest pumpkin. 5 years ago I was told not to bother going down to the Greyhound weigh-off as a grower had a big one that was going to win him the holiday to San Francisco...he had even told the IPA who sponsored the event that he was going to win... TV cameras..Newspapers etc all went round to his patch and done a media bit on him. Nobody bothered to ask how I was doing, so I never told them...I just turned up on the day with the second biggest one ever grown in Europe. Ruined his day and made mine....but they all ask me now.See you next year man..both with bigger ones? I never held back in my diary and neither did you and thats the way it should be.

Alun

10/1/2002 7:25:36 PM