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San Diego

My pumpkin is tricky to measure circumference. The stem end is pointing up slightly and the blossom end going closer to the ground. The stem end is huge, and kind of slanting at an angle with the bottom front sticking way out and the top leaning back. The front bottom of the pumpkin is huge and growing forward a lot. It would be the largest circumference if I used it and went low to the ground around the pumpkin. I have been going stem to blossom at the same angle as the pumpkin, not parallel to the ground. What is the best you think? The lower measurement is about 4 inches bigger.

8/5/2003 10:24:52 PM

New Brunswick

I have the same problem Duster. I have one odd shaped pendlum (almost pear shaped)...more long than round pumpkin and I have no idea how to measure him. I have been keeping track of his growth by measuring one side only...from stem to blossem. I then double that measurement and add how ever much space the actual blossem and stem ends take up. This measurement is not exactly the same as the circumference but it is fairly close, and a heck of a lot easier to do. I have measured the others this way as well. It means I am doing the circumference round through the stem and blossem area rather than measuring the way it is pictured in my how to grow book. At least I can tell how fast they are growing (:

8/6/2003 9:49:18 AM

Utah

you want your circ to be the largest circ that you can find on you pumpkin... even if that is not parallel to the ground. (typically, but not i your case, it is near parallel) Same with f-b and s-s. I'd do them where you get your largest #'s.
the numbers from mesuring just give an estimate, so it is not super critical to get them exactly right. if you want bigger estimates then take the measurements where you get the largest #'s.
or take the smallest #'s and which give smaller estimates but the your more likely to have it weigh heavy at the end of the season.
the difference between the biggest #'s you can get and the smallest #'s you can get probably isn't that great.
just do the best you can. try to do them consistantly to get the most acurate growth #'s.

8/6/2003 10:16:38 AM

San Luis Obispo Ca

I also have the same problem. One of the pumpkins is very odd shaped. So I go with the biggest Circumfrence I can find. I had questions about the odd shaped girl, I thought she might be a lemmon? But she is growing very well and picking up speed. Like one great pumpkin grower said. "it's not about looks it's about weight" so true.

8/6/2003 8:14:36 PM