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Chester Co., PA

My thoughts on the question; while staring at my ‘wagon wheel’ pumpkin one day and anticipating how much it would end-up weighing, I thought about the question of ‘wheels’ weighing heavy compared to the charts. In a brief moment of mental clarity an answer appeared. A ‘wheel’ pumpkin is very tall in the SS and SB directions compared to the circumference. This means that there is a greater ratio of shoulder on a ‘wheel’ pumpkin compared to longer models. Since the shoulder is the thickest part of the pumpkin wall it goes to figure that ‘wheels’ would weigh above the charts because they have a greater proportion of heavy shoulder meat in their volume then a longer pumpkin with the same OTT total. Does these make sense?

Just my rambling thoughts on the subject. As you can tell, the moment of mental clarity is long gone. In the words of Forrest Gump “That’s all I have to say about that”.

9/16/2003 3:37:32 PM

[email protected]

I understand I think. In other words the tape measure fails to "capture" the area of the pumpkin that contains the greatest mass?...or something lie that.....???

9/16/2003 7:00:32 PM

Monrovia,CA

Does that mean that a 'birdbath' might weigh heavy as well if a large portion of it is growing beyond its own stem? Would this be considered "large-shouldered"?

9/16/2003 8:20:36 PM

Chester Co., PA

What have I written here, very confusing? I guess it boils down to; these pumpkins have more of the thick walled parts and a smaller interior cavity then standard shaped ones.

The scale will settle this debate in October.

9/16/2003 8:50:38 PM

Rexburg, Idaho ([email protected] )

Do they really weigh heavy? I've had two and both have wieghed light!

9/16/2003 8:53:25 PM

Sequim, WA

My experience with this shape is you have big shoulders, meaning more of the thickest part of the fruit, and an inverted blossom end. I wonder if perhaps you layed the tape over the surface of the fruit, rather than spanning air on the inverted blossom end of the fruit you would get a more accurate estimate. My 583 last year was 22% above the charted weight for the OTT measurements. I wonder how close it would have been if I had measured it in this way, getting a more accurate number of inches for the surface area. The fruit had very little cavity and the blossom end on the inside was actually in contact with the bottom inside creating a ring shaped cavity. I posted photo's in my diary last year. They may still be around.

9/17/2003 12:30:40 AM

Belgium

Wes I agree with you completely. I think because the pumpkin has less room to expand in the lenght, the shoulders will be in proportion thicker than normal shaped pumpkins. Which results in very small cavety

9/17/2003 2:32:03 AM