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Key West, FL

Well as some of you know I decided to weigh my pumpkin today. Here are the results for those who are interested.

The 695 had only grown 2" in 8 days and it had gone from 26 lbs in 2 days to none in too days so I decided something had to be wrong. I measured this morning and still no growth (only 2" in 10 days) so Steve Handy came over and the plan was to pick the pumpkin up while still on the vine incase nothing was wrong we could save it till the weigh off. The final measurements were 149" CC, 90" SS, 95" EE for a final OTT of 334" for an estimated weight of 763 lbs. So we picked it up and I peeked underneath and sure enough the bottom was VERY concave and at the peak of the dish was a split! We set it back down and hooked up the scale and picked it back up, the scale settled on 880 lbs which is almost 16% heavy!! I'm not sure what to call this because it wasn't weighed on a certified scale but was damaged. OUW is for sound pumpkins and DMG is for pumpkin that were split and weighed on a certified scale.

I cut a hole in the top and the wall was about 9 inches thick. I haven't cut open the stem end yet. I'll let you guys know how thick that is. Right across the middle on the inside of the pumpkin there is a split that runs from side to side and in the middle is the hole. Next year I am going to have to grow the pumpkin on less restrictive surface. I think this pumpkin could have easily made 1000 without splitting if I had it on a better surface. I'll cut it up all the way later, and collect the seeds, I have some friends and neighbors that want to see it first. Pictures to come soon. Well thats it for this year.

Just wait till next year! lol
Ben

PB 880 Bortner 2003 UOWDMG

9/14/2003 12:28:17 PM

Sequim, WA

Sorry to hear that Ben. That is a tremendous accomplishment. I fear something similar with one of mine. Next season I will get a pickup load of sand and drop it next to the patch to put under the fruit as they grow. Losing some is part of growing them. I expect you'll take what you have learned this year and do even better next year. Congratulations and condolances at the same time.

9/14/2003 12:40:46 PM

Long Island,New York

Awesome job Ben...congratz is due to you !.....G

9/14/2003 1:49:11 PM

Saegertown Pa.

nice job Ben glad it went heavy

Quinn

9/14/2003 1:57:24 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Great Job Ben!!! Know you worked hard and long to get the patch ready...Congrats on that new PB! Chuck

9/14/2003 2:01:19 PM

porterville, calif.

Ben you really have done a great job with that pumpkin, too bad that it went down. I was looking forward to seeing it at Canby.Looks like you did what was best. Sorry to see this happen.At least you now you did your best. You will know more what to do next year to help prevent this. Also this will help alot of the other inexperiance growers here to be on the watch for this and how to prevent it. Now im worried about how mine looks underneath...Greg

9/14/2003 2:39:50 PM

Sparta, NC

Great job Ben ! Sorry you had to take it early.

9/14/2003 3:15:41 PM

Mastic Beach, New York

alright ben..next heavy hitter in the makings..lol

9/14/2003 3:18:08 PM

Ann Arbor, Mi

Great job Ben.....Bob

9/14/2003 3:34:06 PM

Grants Pass, Oregon

Good Job Ben...Carrie

9/14/2003 3:39:19 PM

Itzetown City

Congratulations Ben, but no wunder by the coldframes you´ve build. ;-)

Would you please send me a blueprint of that coldframe?
Werner Boehnke

9/14/2003 3:44:38 PM

Bristol, ME ([email protected])

You done good pal, what a great surprise for such an unfortunate circumstance...be proud bud, we're proud of ya.

9/14/2003 4:17:16 PM

Forestville, NY

Ben ---great JOB!!!!!
CRAIG LEMBKE

9/14/2003 4:22:08 PM

colorado

Congrats Ben, well done, 16% heavy, man!!!!!!!!!!! Steve

9/14/2003 4:29:55 PM

derry n.h u.s.a.

Great job Ben,Theres nothing like a heavy pumpkin:).John

9/14/2003 4:31:09 PM

Key West, FL

Thanks guys, the cross is 695 x sibb with the other 695 plant being Steve Handys 695 and he has a nice pumpkin on his! I got tons of seeds out of it. The 695 is a white seed and the seeds out of my pumpkin are tan, not sure why that is. It was just starting to rot inside so I picked it at the right time. Thanks again, Ben

9/14/2003 4:58:26 PM

Midwest

Nice job Ben.Clarence

9/14/2003 5:00:03 PM

[email protected]

Great job Ben. Congratulations!!!!

16%!! What did you feed that thing?

That's got to be heart breaking all the same. A bitter sweet endeavor we have chosen as sport eh?

So is this pumpkin correctly called "880 Bortner 2003 UOWDMG" as indicated? That sounds correct. Is it?

Steve

9/14/2003 5:05:18 PM

Key West, FL

No I talked to Mike, he said it will be the
880 Bortner 2003 OUW

9/14/2003 5:23:33 PM

North Ga

Good going Ben! Kinda shattered your PB didn't you!!! Congrats.

9/14/2003 5:46:17 PM

New Hampshire

Good job Ben.

9/14/2003 6:00:38 PM

ontario

Great job Ben......16% heavy is awesome......now get the patch ready for next years 1000 lber..........

9/14/2003 6:01:31 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

I know how you feel. I found a spilt on my biggest one this morning. It was only about 300lbs. 109 cir.

9/14/2003 7:16:32 PM

Liverpool , England

Yooo Ben,
Well done man..real proud of ya....hey guys and gals, Ben is only a teenager and has listened to the growers on this site and has come a long way in the last 12 months..a point that a few others could with learning.

Alun

9/14/2003 7:33:12 PM

Liverpool , England

sorry that should say "could do with learning"

9/14/2003 7:33:58 PM

Choctaw, OK

Good job ben! congrats....i bet it feels good since it was really heavy! Just only it would have made it....next year is another chance!
Case

9/14/2003 8:15:34 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

Great Job Ben!

9/14/2003 8:58:16 PM

New Brunswick

Congrats!!! What a bummer....losing it. Mine have quit growing at between 300 and 400 pounds est. Sure hope it WAS the cold weather and the fact that fall is coming and that mine does not have the same prob as yours. Wonder what the heck made yours split? The ground could not be that hard .....could it?

9/14/2003 9:34:08 PM

Puyallup, WA

I am sorry to hear that your best ever "went down" to a split. That is nothing to be ashmed of. Congratulations on a job "well done"! BTW....they split no matter what surface they are on!!

9/14/2003 10:19:31 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

A great achievement indeed! We look forward to some seeds.

9/14/2003 11:19:27 PM

Utah ([email protected])

Way to go Ben!!!

9/14/2003 11:32:32 PM

Key West, FL

Thanks again guys, by the way, the pics are up now.

9/15/2003 12:42:23 AM

Knopp, Germany

Way to go Ben, an awesome job.

9/15/2003 1:13:56 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Great pumpkin Ben! 880 Bortner WOWDMG! and 16% over. What a nice surprise to found it so heavy. You did a fantastic job selecting a very good seed, and growing a great plant this season. We are now in years of some pumpkins over 1000, but a 880 pounder still being an enormeous pumpkin, an incredible fruit indeed, bigger than the very Joel Holland's 92 World Record
For me is very glad to know that its bottom was very concave, because my 950.4 is also concave in the bottom, so that is a hope for me to expect her to be heavy as well.
Congratulations once more, fellow grower!

Carlos

9/15/2003 6:36:28 AM

[email protected]

Ben,
Sorry to hear of the big one going down, but then again, awesomejob with your efforts this year. I can't remember a time going into the pumpkin chat and not finding you in there, meaning you wanted to learn everything you could to get the job done! Next year, 1000 pounder!

9/15/2003 6:53:46 AM

Cologne / Germany

Congrats Ben! It becomes more and more evident that a well maintained patch pays off. You did a very good job there from the beginning.

9/15/2003 7:29:01 AM

Commack, NY

nice work Ben, i knew you could do it!......by the way, what type of surface did you grow the pumpkin on?

Scott

9/15/2003 8:03:16 AM

Commack, NY

nice work Ben, i knew you could do it!......by the way, what type of surface did you grow the pumpkin on?

Scott

9/15/2003 8:03:17 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Way to go Ben. 16% heavy, that's great.

Phil

9/15/2003 8:30:57 AM

Farmington, Utah

Way to go Ben!!!!!!
Kenny B

9/15/2003 9:28:15 AM

Edmonton, Canada

Well done!

9/15/2003 11:08:50 AM

canal winchester ohio

Congrats Ben, It shows that hard work does pay off........Paul

9/15/2003 11:27:21 AM

Applegate, Oregon

Sorry to hear about your loss, but happy about your success. I had the sameproblem with two of mine :( Am going to weigh one in the next couple of days that went down with a blossom end split. See you in Canby! Dale

9/15/2003 12:43:34 PM

Sancoins / Cher / FRANCE

Congratulations Ben, you have well work to obtain it and as one says at home any work deserve a réconpense and your is it beautiful fruit 880Lbs.
Jean louis

9/15/2003 1:29:27 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Nice Job Ben. That is a great accomplishment for your second year.

Sorry that it didn't make it to Canby.

I'm sure that you still learned lots and can't wait til '04.

Cheers

9/15/2003 1:47:30 PM

Sydney, Australia

Well done Ben!!! Awesome fruit and heavy too!!! Congratulations! ....Ben

9/16/2003 6:44:20 AM

Connecticut, USA

Congrats Ben! You should be proud of your effort this year.

9/16/2003 7:02:39 AM