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Location

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New Brunswick

Well I went to the local pumpkin weighoff on Saturday, and I took both first and second for my two 770 Vans. (Thanks to Bill VanIderstine for the winning seed!) One was a lovely rounded pumpkin and the other a wagonwheel. For some reason, my "How to grow world class giant pumpkins II" book said to cull these "blossem-end-up" pumpkins...but I didn't cull mine, thank goodness! I allowed my 770 Van to keep those two pumpkins on it. The normal shaped ones OTT was 269"...est weight 404 pounds. Its actual weight on the scale was 422 pounds. The "wagon wheel" OTT 265" ... est weight 388 actualy weighed just a half pound less then the other one... at 421 1/2 pounds. So both weighed heavier than the estimates. The only other competitor had several ranging from 91 pounds on down. So one of us had to get second and third. Of course, I am very glad it was me. (: So this one plant had 843 1/2 pounds of pumpkin on it! To say I was proud as a peacock and excited is an under statement! I was on cloud 9. (I am still a little light headed two days later! LOL. Although there was not a big crowd of people there, our local Federal and Provincial M.L.A.'s were there admiring the punkin's and congratulating me! I also had my picture taken by a reporter of the Woodstock newspaper, "The Bugle". If taking my picture did not break the camera, I should be in the next issue! Everyone wanted to know what I fed them. I mentioned the fertilizer I used but neglected to mention my secret ingredient...Norwegian Fjord horse poop, generously contributed by our two ponies!! *grin*. I worked my butt off (well not quite) this summer and it sure paid off....I soooooo happy.......

9/22/2003 11:08:32 PM

Grants Pass, Oregon

Congradulations desert storm. Job well done.

9/23/2003 12:33:28 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Congradulations desert storm!!!

9/23/2003 1:11:14 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Arent you glad you built up the courage to cull those extra plants now. Congratulations.. There is never a year as memorable as your 1st year. Shannon

9/23/2003 1:13:23 AM

Knopp, Germany

Great job. I can read your happiness and excitement. Enjoy!

9/23/2003 1:45:18 AM

Itzetown City

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to cull 'em ....you`d done it right. Congrats to you and an extra carrot to your ponies.

9/23/2003 3:46:55 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Great Job Storm!! Love to hear the excitement made it all worth it!

9/23/2003 7:44:25 AM

North Ga

Great way to start the Fall season Storm! Congratulations!

9/23/2003 7:50:32 AM

Nova Scotia

good to hear storm anything over 400lbs first year is very good. but now you have to beat it next year best of luck.

9/23/2003 8:50:06 AM

[email protected]

Nice job! Congratulations!

9/23/2003 9:08:40 AM

Farmington, Utah

Way to go storm!!!

9/23/2003 9:16:40 AM

Congratulations Sue, well done, now he will build you that
lifting strap for next season LOL Bill Van

9/23/2003 9:28:18 AM

Monrovia,CA

Congratulations!! All your hard work over the summer really paid off!
Michelle

9/23/2003 10:09:20 AM

Amherst, WI

Congratulations, storm. That's a very respectable rookie growing season. Sounds like you had a great time weighing them, good for you. Best of luck next season.

9/23/2003 8:43:52 PM

Syracuse, NY

congratulations! and as an afterthought, i think Don might have suggested culling weird, birdbath or upturned fruit to minimize a struggle with it later-on::::i've always wanted to try this: when a fruit that you obviously want to keep now starts to exhibit growth in the upside-down zone,
perhaps a several-inches thick layer of large, flat concrete blocks arranged so that the stem is untouched but the fruit will be growing on top of the layer of blocks could be put in place....
of course, boards could be used---you would just be raising the ground surface up far enough so that the fruit would grow on its stem-facing surface, but the stem would be straight down, but high enough off of the actual ground that it would not be a problem. something to try next year, i guess! anyone let me know if they try this.........'pal

9/24/2003 6:53:46 PM

New Brunswick

I couldn't even see the stem for the past few weeks. I guess I was lucky it did not snap....since I did nothing to it. But when hubby went to sever it, we found it very tough....it apparently had no intentions of breaking off itself. I have to keep seeds out of this one for sure! The "bugs" fertilized this one (when I wasn't looking) so its male parent was either a 945 Van, a 695.8 Van,a self (770 Van) or a 640.5 Gardner.
Thanks to those of you who sent me seeds and have helped me out the past few months. Thanks to you I have had a wonderful season! I couldn't have done it without you! Any ideas how to keep my "giants" from freezing their little butts off before halloween? I have one on mill felt and the other on rubber mill belting. They are on the front lawn. (I keep them well wrapped when it is cool....but we could get snow before halloween.)

9/24/2003 11:04:28 PM