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Joliet, IL

what was the largest pumpkin grown from the smallest
pumpkin mother? has anyone ever grown a 900 pounder
from anything less then 250 pound mother?

just curious...i am considering growing 2 plants next
year from my seeds from a 256 pounder and a 225 pounder.
both have good genetics, but i don't want to waste my time
if the odds are they won't produce over 700 pounds.
thanx
shazzy

9/26/2003 7:53:24 PM

Stouffville

why did the pumpkins only get into the 200's if they have good genetics? Small plants, late pollination dates, etc?

9/26/2003 8:58:05 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

252 Sawtelle threw a 600+# this year already
310 Eisenhaur threw a 926 last year

9/26/2003 9:41:27 PM

Sydney, Australia

Casey grew a 572 pounder from a 40 pound seed! That speaks for itself. I think any seed with decent genetics can grow a huge pumpkin if treated well. Other end example: 1121 pounder from the 1058 Houghton..... Ben

9/26/2003 10:16:29 PM

Joliet, IL

the plant was the 950.4 boyton(845 bobier x self).
the plant was grown in only a 3' doctored planting site
and the rest grew across the grass. i was using the plant
primarily as a male pollinator and i grew 2 pumpkins
on separate vines, the 256 and the 225. the 256 was
selfed meaning it has the 845 bobier genetics uncrossed.
this is why i am curious.

9/26/2003 10:31:17 PM

northern indiana

Don't let the size of the parent fool you. Tom Beachy has a number of seeds with fantastic genetics that he only lists as Beachy cross with the year and parent seed genetics. This is because he and others like him gave little or no care other than pollenation to the plants, and many of them didn't reach respectable size to warrent weighing. This in no way reduces the potential of the seeds if the plant is cared for. I grew an 801 stelts x 876 lloyd 02 Beachy cross that was gaining a pound an hour for four days till powdery mildew set in and ended the potential of the fruit. The fruit still measured 330# by the 2nd week of august. This fruit was well on its way to 600-800 or more. I was too sparing with the daconil when I should have been spraying much more. The best seed out there needs the best care in order to maximize its potential. The only way to find out your seeds potential is for them to be grown and cared for. If you put alot of care into your 950 plant

9/27/2003 12:25:40 AM

northern indiana

oops if you put alot of care into that 950 plant you might want to recondider the genetics potential may not be there.. but if you didn't then you may have a good chance.

9/27/2003 12:27:02 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

One of the most beautiful things to see in this sport of ours is a grower growing a big one from his own seed. Actually the seed selection I made last winter gave more credit to those seeds. One of those seeds is the 600.5 Gregory which first grew Chris Gregory's personal best and this year my personal best as well.
Some heavy hitters with wide room have a second patch to test interesting unproven seeds, from themselves and from others, and reserve the main patch for the hot seeds. Sometimes they got nice surprises in the second patch, and those seeds go up next season.
In my opinion, any AGP seed without big problems out there is capable to grow 700+ in good patch conditions, but if you want to go further than 1000 lbs, you need a great seed. However, a great seed is not always a hot seed, it could perfectly be an unknown seed you are not going to find even in the AGGC. Recent Ohio Record has definitely showed it.

Carlos

9/27/2003 2:07:23 AM

Chippewa Falls, WI

Now take my pumpkin which is an 801.5 stelts clone x self. The cuttings for this plant were taken from the 801.5 that grew the 1049.5 Koch 02. This plant had powdery mildew from the beginning, and was fought all season. The plant did not want to set secondary vines. The pumpkin that came off it only weighed 231lbs. Not impressive, but I know this seed will be going in my patch next year. Potential is everything.

9/27/2003 5:00:44 AM

Sydney, Australia

Shazzy,
I would like to try your 256 seed this season. I will have room for it! Ben

9/27/2003 5:29:37 AM

Stouffville

hey what are the genetics of the 310 Eisenhaur and are there any reasons why it 'only' reached 310 lbs. Like for instance, was it grown in Whitehorse, in which case 310lbs would be quite an achievement?

9/27/2003 10:29:43 AM

Joliet, IL

boily, i will send you some after they test germinate.

i am just curious about small making big. it would be
interesting to have a friendly competition here with
other bigpumpkin.com growers. it could be called
"The Little Big Pumpkin Award" and the yearly winner
would have the title of "Little Big Man" or
"Little Big Woman". the competition would be yearly
to include the southern hemisphere growers.

since most smaller pumpkins are uow, the mothers would
be able to be uow pumpkins, but the progeny would have to
be officially weighed to win. and the award could just
be a trophy and bragging rights to keep it honest and friendly. ratios with % margin could be used.
a 500 pounder grown from a 100 pounder would beat
the 1000 pounder grown from a 300 pounder. this levels the
playing field and encourages the grower to grow his smaller
pumpkin seeds with good genetics.

just an idea.

9/27/2003 3:09:29 PM

Stouffville

hypothetical situation...think about if bill bobier limited the plant that grew his 845 to just 10 leaves but he still pollinated it with the same 865 plant and he got a 55lber. I would wager that this 55lber could grow a bunch of 1000lbers and even a 1337.6!!! But if the 845 had been the 55lber that I suggest in this hypothetical situation, then unfortunately the seeds would simply have been dumped into the garbage and the genetic improvement Mr. Bobier achieved would simply help feed some bacteria.

Just a thought from my unusual brain

Mike

9/27/2003 3:38:48 PM

White Plains, NY

My Boyton 950 produced a 550 fruit and I lost the main vine around day 45. My growing conditions need to be greatly enhanced. The genetics are there.

9/27/2003 8:52:32 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

This sounds like contest material for next season. Largest fruit from the smallest weight seed.

9/27/2003 9:07:41 PM