From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Atlanta, Georgia

I'm sure many of you great growers need to keep
annonymity but it sure is a pain in the butt
for us small growers here.

Small growers such as myself don't want advice from
the 70 percent or so beginners on this site but from
the heavy hitters.

I've grown for three years and my personal best
is 595lbs. I want to grow bigger but only want experienced
answers to my questions....

This is a great site but it's hard to weed thru the weeds
since everyone has to put in their two cents when it's not
necessary...

Can we make a thread on this list where only 1000 lb. +_ growers should post a reply?
Michel in Germany.
Michel

10/29/2003 4:55:33 PM

Ontario

I'll let you address this one Wayne. Yes there is a reason why most 1000 pound growers don't post here. And with the off season upon us once again a few more will go into hiding and will only read the posts instead of replying.

drew

10/29/2003 5:24:38 PM

Wisconsin

It other words, you want an exclusive club for 1000 lb growers but you want them to include you.

Please don't respond to any of my posts since you couldn't possibly know anything worthwhile.

10/29/2003 5:44:03 PM

I grew a 870uow pumpkin my first year out and most advice came from someone on this website(thanks chuck) who was kind enough to answer my boring questions and this person had had no luck at growing themselves but was good at passing along tips.."like read the old posts".this season i grew a 877.8 pounder and got 20th place at topsfield fair..although there is a secret post somewhere on this website that i can't seem to find..just a couple thousand to go.

10/29/2003 6:46:07 PM

Massillon, Ohio

i agree with those previous 2 guys...that comment did sound offensive to the mass majority of us. "weed through the weeds"??... excuse me while i go weed myself into oblivion

10/29/2003 8:26:06 PM

Commack, NY

Michel, just because a grower hasnt hit 1000 lbs doesnt mean they arent knowledgable. I know of plenty of growers that "know what they are doing" that have never hit 1000 lbs.
scott

10/29/2003 8:42:11 PM

as far as i see it, you are one of the "weeds" as well. i agree with jim. christy, i'll come weed with you.

10/29/2003 8:45:22 PM

Oz

its called buy a book.no charge............
or go to bigheaded wanabe.com

10/29/2003 9:40:39 PM

[email protected]

So you don't even want Howard and Danny Dill to respond, I guess Don Langevin can't either. What about Ken from this site. I'd have to say you had a case of your mouth or in this case your fingers working before the brain.

Eddy

10/29/2003 11:23:23 PM

Itzetown City

Michel, if you would write that in a usenet group you would earn a big PLONK.
As you know, i´m working on a german website of Big Pumpkin growing and i intend to integrate a message board. But who would write there in your opinion? WEED?
A disappointing Werner

10/30/2003 2:58:02 AM

Hobbiton New Zealand

personaly I take all the ideas that i can get be it from a 1000# grower or a 20# grower or someone who had all they plants die or pumpkins split if they can stop me from getting it compleatly wrong then I dont care what there best is

10/30/2003 3:07:45 AM

Knopp, Germany

Michel, Michel, Michel, put both feet in this time, eh?
I have thought hard about your post, and it don't sit right with me.
Use this winter to reconsider why you grow these giants. It its not for
the enjoyment of shoveling crap, endlessly weeding and pruning,
researching the wast amount of literature available, posting questions,
giving your best answers to others posts, celebrating others successes
as well as your own, understanding others disappointments, as well as your own,
visiting this website because we are a community, not just a resource.
If you are just doing this to grow a big one and be famous, then find a new hobby.
Advice from a newbie.

10/30/2003 3:31:14 AM

porterville, calif.

I can see why most of the heavy hitters stay away. With coments like yours michel they would never want to give any advice to you. I guess I would be a weeded out one in your book. But I don,t care. One day I will be in the 1000 lb class I guess then you would want my advice, but I would rather never grow one to that size if it meant it was helping you... Greg

10/30/2003 3:40:20 AM

Esneux / Li�ge / BELGIUM

Of course, everyone would be coached by a heavy hitter! ...
I just enjoy every response, every conversation and exchange with ALL other growers. Thanks once more to Ernie, Bill, Wayne, Peter, Owen, Martin, you Michel, my dearest JEAN-LOUIS!, and of course Carlos (who had a 1000 lbs +...)...
Everyone can teach something for having a good result, even the absolute beginners.

Sophie/the Belgian girl

10/30/2003 5:24:53 AM

Connecticut, USA

Personal attacks do not belong here. I had to delete one response in this thread already. If you disagree with this person email him directly.

10/30/2003 6:53:45 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I grow in an area of very few growers and if it wasn't for all the great help I recieved on BP.com and the people I have meet through this site I would not have grown my PB of 747#'s. Enjoy the sport and comradity of all the growers,heavy hitters and newbies alike. Just because someone has not broke 1000#'s, doesn't mean they don't know what they are taking about.

Phil

10/30/2003 6:54:20 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Ditto Owen...Thanks John...I always try to answer and help the new guys..the heavy hitters are tired of answereing all the mundane questions we have...If you see a post that you can answer for a newbie it's your duty as part of this board to pick up the slack from these guys....believe me if you answered it wrong or gave away some bad info they will chime in and correct it...sometimes it's not the bad answer but a misunderstanding and thats where all the posts are useful...yours truly....NJ Weed

10/30/2003 6:58:57 AM

North Ga

I'd be happy to get responses to my questions from anybody! Gives me more to think about and sift through.

10/30/2003 7:08:36 AM

canal winchester ohio

Go to the featured growers chat archives. There is a lot of info there.

10/30/2003 7:11:13 AM

[email protected]

An associate of mine has his Ph.D. in soil science. In my opinion, no one who has ever posted here is as capable as this man (we'll call him "C") at solving soil issues. He is one of 2 people I respect enough to consult when facing soil chemistry challenges. The other is "JB". Yet of the three of us, we sometimes still don't agree 100% on corrective actions. Why should we?

Don't get me wrong here. We always arrive at our destination. But we sometimes choose different vehicles and/or streets. Yet our clients never get stranded. And they know they won't. Knowledge & integrity get us where we're going. Not the emblem on the hood or it's horsepower.

Now "C" has never even grown an AG. And JB lives in the woods & thinks a 30 lb Prizewinner is something to cheer about. And my own tree man just blew me off again Tuesday. So our best fruit here this year was just shy of 300 lbs.

Two of the three of us are regularly consulted by people who either have grown or will grow 1000+ Lb fruit. JB doesn't know a single grower other than me. Yet he unknowingly contributes to this board & it's members whenever I consult him on new chemistries that become available.

And as bright as C is, he consults both JB & me whenever a pest problem arises.

Between the 3 of us we have nearly 100 years of experience in the field of agronomy. And we all 3 go to other fountains to drink too.

Now if S, C, & JB had a deep loamy soil in Goffstown with horizon to horizon sun & no competing tree roots & 4 hours a day to play in the patch, could we grow a 1400 pounder? Maybe. Could we still learn things from Bruce Whittier? Heck yeah! Would he learn a few things from us. More than likely!

Teamwork & networking folks. That's why the records end up where they are. And that's why they'll always return.

The strongest link in a chain needn't be large. The largest might not be strong.

Just my 3 cents.

Steve

10/30/2003 8:04:21 AM

Nova Scotia

hay michel white, you kind of put your foot in it, (all of us make mistakes eventually) i apoligize for the group of people who have attacked you because of your post. some growers are a little touchy to say the least. and like you everyone here would love personnal advise from a heavey hitter. but here you will still get the best advise on the web.

10/30/2003 8:51:43 AM

Webster, NY

I wouldn't take anything that Michel personally. He was probably just thinking out loud and typed before thinking. I'm sure he, as well as all of us, has gotten great advice from just about everyone on this site.

10/30/2003 8:55:00 AM

Md/ Usa

michel now that i think about it. Just go away till you have eaten several humble pies.

10/30/2003 10:33:54 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Steve: EXTREMELY WELL STATED. You have put this subject to bed for all of us.

10/30/2003 12:05:04 PM

Edmonton, Canada

OK everyone. I'm sure Michel now realizes he made an error. Let's not beat the guy up... Let's give him a chance to learn. Just because he wrote one post that he probably now regrets, let's not banish him, let's help him to see why he was wrong.

10/30/2003 3:00:16 PM

ontario

Yeah Drew we talked about this........

10/30/2003 5:20:44 PM

Sask, Canada

When did you turn into such a nice guy Smitty, I never thought I would see the day.

I guess you were right Ice-man about Smitty....(snicker)

Sorry to change the topic on this thread Mike but just had to throw in my two cents...

TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

Ps. Thanks Sophie(Thea) glad I could help...

10/30/2003 5:53:06 PM

porterville, calif.

Michel , Ken is right we shoudn,t attack you this way. If we disagree with you we should email you. I should of thought about this for a day or two before i put my Two cents worth in. I have learned something from almost everyone who has been on on this site. No need for you to leave, we all have put our foot in our mouths at one time or another.I did this time and im sorry.. Greg

10/31/2003 3:07:25 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Michel's a good guy, very generous with his seed and always polite e-mails.
Ever had a 15 second brain fart?
He's had enough, everyone should just lay-off and move on.
Heck, attack me, I'm used to it after last year :0)

10/31/2003 6:13:46 AM

Edmonton, Canada

LOL Ernie, I can be an a**hole when I want to. I just make sure I pick the right times!!!

10/31/2003 10:19:52 AM

Ontario

Guys after careful thought, I think what Michel meant to say was that anyone could post a question and if anyone wanted to post a answer or reply that a 1000 pound grower would be the only ones that could answer. Lets face it guys some of the replys on some of the posts are ridiculous and instead of having to sort thru them, Michel was looking for a forum were serious replys from the 1000 pound growers would speed up the process. He wasn't meaning to exclude anyone he just wanted access to serious replys in a speedy orderly forum. Some of the questions are meant to be fun and not very constructive, but Michel is a serious grower and just wanted useful information. I think he has been beat up enough and when I first read the post I didn't see it as a insult, just why there isn't more replys from the 1000 pound growers.

drew

10/31/2003 12:03:47 PM

Usa

I think information from someone that grows in the same climate and soil conditions would help as much as a heavy hitter's information.
I got a lot of GREAT information from those people on this site that have the same growing conditions as I do. Some are just really good pumpkin growers sharing their knowledge from their experience so that some people don't make the same mistakes. I appreciate everyones advice.
You just have to choose what advice will work for you.
Michel I think you need to give people a chance and not judge them by the size of the pumpkin they grew.
Because in some places it is harder to grow pumpkins than in other places. So a 500 pound pumpkin in one place is as good as a 1000 pound pumpkin someplace else.
People are just now getting the bigger pumpkins in the hotter climates. By them sharing their information with each other the pumpkins in the hotter climates are getting bigger.
You don't have to take anyones advice and just because someone grew a 1000 pound pumpkin doesn't mean that you would grow a 1000 lb pumpkin; even if you had all the information/knowledge that they have. Your soil is different and they may be more dedicated than you.
I thank all of you guys/gals for the information you shared with me. Next year I plan on growing an even bigger one.
Thanks,

11/4/2003 1:16:54 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Thanks Drew!
This thread is a prime example of what I was talking about
and anyone that knows me certainly knows that I like and respect anyone who grows pumpkins and help people with my money, seeds, fertilizer and weedy advice.

I simply meant that when a question is asked on this site there are often a ton of replies like
"yup", "I agree", "yea, you're not the only one who
wants a 845 Bobier" etc... etc... and it makes finding
the answer to a question very difficult.
Serious answers to questions is what I was talking about
but at the same time I guess everyone is entitled to put
in their two cents...

If I did have a chance to rewrite the original message
I would reword it certainly and I heartily apologize
if anyone took it as an insult. I don't consider
a heavy hitter someone who grew a pumpkin over 1000lbs.
To me it's anyone who has been seriously trying to grow
a big one for awhile.

I often find answers to my questions here from many
of you and hope it continues.

Best of luck to all of you in 2004!
I wish everyone a personal best.
Weedy Michel

1/7/2004 1:44:28 AM