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Bethlehem CT

We are with in a couple weeks of finishing up the season and as the results start compiling, I feel like I am seeing more light pumpkins than normal across the USA. Perhaps its just me and the numbers are right on track.
I have observed over the years, that in Northern Europe the pumpkins seem to typically go lighter to the chart where as perhaps in Sunny Southern Europe along the mediterannean they tend to be heavier to the chart. I am wondering if anyone has noticed this phenomenon or perhaps even taken the time to crunch the numbers. What role does geography and weather play in percent heavy? I think we can correctly assume that %heavy is a factor of more than just genetics. Environmental and cultural conditions must play a part too. THis would make for an interesting discussion, while the season is still fresh in our minds. What are your thoughts on this?

10/6/2026 7:49:12 AM

Grittyville, WA

I agree from what I've seen there seem to be a lot of light pumpkins, more so in the middle weight range?! I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing that caused so many splits is also causing light-to-chart pumpkins. Even the ones that have heavy genetics and spent a lot of time on the vine don't seem to be going as heavy this year. Some of these pumpkins that normally might go heavy are only going to chart. I'm open to theories even conspiracy theories. I do wonder if there is a natural & global ebb and flow to, say, the soil biology or charged particles in the atmosphere or something. Maybe there is some non traditional factor that affects plants (and maybe us too.)

[Last edit: 10/06/26 11:02:02 AM]

10/6/2026 10:39:33 AM

Grittyville, WA

Scanning the results nothing seems off. As far as the math goes, it looks like the current chart doing great. But like you said some places really struggled to grow heavy pumpkins, while other places had "normal" results. Was there anywhere where all the pumpkins went heavy? A few percentage points could depend on the person reading the tape measure even when making a good faith effort. There are other factors, no doubt.

10/6/2026 11:00:52 AM

Nova Scotia

Over the years we always thought the cream colored ones usually weighed heavier and that was the "knock" on orange back then because they tended to go light, but recently great to see some HD, orange ones weighing well! Also those AGs with the big large front ends (stem) usually thicker rinds as well. And one more thing if they are ribbed underneath sign of heavy. My experience.

10/6/2026 12:43:03 PM

Colorado

Hopefully the growers that have grown on scales can chime in on what we think were seeing and what is happening with inches/weight as the fruit develops. Genetics represent potential but its a complicated process reaching that potential.Very complicated.

10/6/2026 1:13:02 PM

Australia [email protected]

Would be interested to see if there is any difference between growing in controlled greenhouse as to outside growers if could be worked out I have had my soil dialed in pretty good the last number of years and I generally go over chart wonder sometimes we get morning's after pollinating and it's still a bit cold and then quite hot in the day you end up with sometimes a big temperature variation over the 24hours or a cold spell and the numbers drop off taping the vine doesn't seem to be affected but the fruit does sous it growing inside more than externally during weather variations as apposed to a controlled environment patons generally go pretty close to chart Matt d had one very heavy to chart grown inside which goes against my thoughts but a comparison would be interesting

10/6/2026 5:08:23 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Maybe the smog this year?

10/6/2026 6:18:06 PM

Cheshire Ma USA

Many times it depends on the people measuring them at a weigh off.

10/6/2026 9:31:02 PM

C N Y

...or in the patch, lol. If a fruit is big on one end and narrow on the other, it most-likely, IMHO, had a less-than-perfect drink of nutrients at some point and a ramping-up is needed to full-fill that fruit. (Please transfer that thought to ANY fruit.) Lacking growth might not be visible - measuring the 'SHELL' will elevate one's perceived estimated weight and the mass within might also be showing any deficit - butt only at the scale(!). Case in-point >>> I had two fruits in like 2023 I think that each grew fat on one...well, as above, and once I got my act together and started making lo.., err, it up to them, they each started filling out and although neither was of reputable weight, (434 and 306) they still kept growing and went on to be sold and the seeds were gotten back from them. In summation, a nutrients increase up to the end and not holding off due to multiple rainy days is key, IMHO. Oh, no worries - *I failed at that advice this year, myself, lol, (Darn that fertilizer $hipping $ uptrend!) although I could frequently be seen right after a rain, overhead-Whizzering away!.
All the best---eg

GOOD thought, Maurice - Sunlight is vital and days on-end with it partly snuffed out is certainly suspect---eg

[Last edit: 10/07/26 2:36:03 AM]

10/7/2026 2:21:43 AM

Bethlehem CT

Very true little ketchup and Dkrus. The person measuring could skew the numbers significantly.

10/7/2026 7:49:49 AM

Stanwood, Washington

I popped the data into EXcel and sorted it. There have been 556 Pumpkins Light to the Chart, 496 Heavy and 48 right on chart.

45% are between -5% and +5%

10/7/2026 12:12:30 PM

Grittyville, WA

These final weigh offs this weekend and next weekend might be the heaviest %-wise as they have been on the vine awhile. We'll have to see if anything heavy shows up at half moon bay or elsewhere! I am hopeful that we'll see a 500 inch pumpkin go 20 % heavy... But maybe we giant pumpkin dreamers haven't been sincere enough.

10/7/2026 2:48:06 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Hey Captain97, where did you get all the numbers\data from? Thanks

10/7/2026 9:29:23 PM

Netherlands

I wrote an article last year about this for the GPC newsletter after cracking some numbers, but it didn't get placed. Here it is.

Back in 2013 growers from northern European countries noticed that the then new OTT charts definitely didn’t favour their pumpkins. There is not much worse for a grower than to have a pumpkin going ten percent light year after year and yet that is exactly what was happening. Was it because many of us were growing in polytunnels and greenhouses? Possibly the higher daytime temperatures was a cause, or was it a lack of water? An answer has yet to be found. The question now is what is going to be the emotional damage caused to our fragile growers by the new 2025 charts? Reason to investigate. The choice was made to crack some numbers on a mix of large and small weigh-offs in Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, France and Russia...

[Last edit: 10/08/26 3:36:10 AM]

10/8/2026 3:23:33 AM

Netherlands

...In total the stats on 222 pumpkins and an odd squash from 19 weigh-offs were reviewed. The good news is that 12 of those were right on the mark, going neither light or heavy. The bad news is that 168 went light (75%) and only 42 went heavy (19%). At nine of the ten selected weigh-offs the pumpkins averaged between 6.0% and 10.3% light. That is adding up all the percentages, including the ones that went heavy, and dividing that by the number of pumpkins. The interesting thing is that when the old 2013 charts were used instead, the results were almost spot on. Clearly pumpkins have been packing on more lbs to the inches over the past decade, but apparently we’re lagging way behind here on the continent. So a tip for all northern European growers feeling lightheaded, use the 2013 charts for your own mental wellbeing.

[Last edit: 10/08/26 3:27:12 AM]

10/8/2026 3:24:03 AM

Netherlands

WEIGHOFF COUNTRY LIGHT HEAVY TOTAAL (incl. 0%)
Lower Austria    Austria    29    4    34
Brussels    Belgium    6    2    8
Denmark     Denmark    3    0    3
Bavaria     Germany    7    3    10
Hessen     Germany    7    1    8
Westphalia    Germany    9    1    12
Thuringia    Germany    11    1    12
Baden     Germany    9    1    10
Berlin     Germany    31    12    45
Saxony     Germany    7    3    12
France     France    10    1    12
Netherlands    Netherl    17    8    26
Moscow     Russia 15    4    20
Slovenia    Slovena    7    2    10

[Last edit: 10/08/26 3:32:41 AM]

10/8/2026 3:31:37 AM

Bethlehem CT

Nice write up Brad, I like that you used a sense of humor too. I think having a sense of humor is sometimes the best way to survive in this hobby!

10/8/2026 6:40:47 AM

Grittyville, WA

So, why are some places getting a 10:1 ratio of light to hvy, but other areas are getting about a 1:1 ratio? The age-when-picked and watering seem like the biggest issues. Myself, I have grown both light and heavy pumpkins, and normally I would say its just the genetics. But in thinking about it further, and in hindsight, a third important factor might be the health of the roots. With the right shaped pumpkin, healthy roots, and a long time on the vine (they need 90+ days to get really heavy to chart?), maybe those are some of the ways to get a Debacco level result. I know Jim Ford made some changes that he thinks are getting him heavier pumpkins but at the same time I think we are all subject to the whim of genetic luck, still, too.

10/8/2026 11:22:10 AM

Grittyville, WA

I think the changes Jim made mostly have to do with healthy soil.

10/8/2026 11:23:19 AM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

I think it’s the shape and time on the vine because I saw this pumpkin grown on a scale and between dap 0-30 it was 5 percent heavy with the peak (30-50) it got lighter then it gradually got heavier and heavier even after ott said it stopped growing it was picked on dap 120 still growing. I believe that the thicker walls are by the stem end so higher stem side means it goes heavier and the shape I think is partially defined by genetics. Certain lines (example 1931 turner) have smaller stem ends. Lastly it’s of course genetics partly determining the wall thickness and density. But of course there are exceptions

10/8/2026 12:57:11 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Maybe if someone has a warm greenhouse to do a test with 10-20 150 sqft plants where some have say 90 days on the vine and some have let’s say 130 and see what happens

[Last edit: 10/08/26 12:59:40 PM]

10/8/2026 12:59:29 PM

Bethlehem CT

I have been wondering if soil biology plays a big factor two years ago I used companion nearly every week as a drench this year I didn’t use any and my pumpkins and melons were light to the chart. Two years ago when I went heavy on the biologicals, they were heavy to the chart. That being said, there were a lot of other differences between the two years in terms of sunlight and weather.

10/8/2026 2:04:10 PM

Stanwood, Washington

I just copied the numbers off the results page on this site. Highlighted everything and pasted it all in Excell and sorted for the column that showed percent heavy. Several had to be thrown out because there was no OTT data or there were obvious errors where something was obviously fat fingered.

10/8/2026 2:23:25 PM

Stanwood, Washington

The way they are measured is a huge variable. I know for my self I can measure my pumpkins 5 diferent times and get 5 diferent circumferences based on where the tape is placed and how it meanders through all the ribs and bumps. I learn exactly where that tape needs to be to get me the max measurement but then I almost always end up with a smaller official OTT than I was getting in the patch.

If you have an official who is not putting much effort into finding the exact location of that maximum circumference parallel to the ground you are likely to end up with heavier to the chart pumpkins. For instance the Wyoming weighoff had 23 out of 24 pumpkins go heavy including 13 that were 10% or more heavy while the Anoka Weighoff had 16 out of 19 go light including 9 that were at least 9% light. It could be an environmental thing but I tend to think that's a function of how the circumference measurements were taken.

10/8/2026 2:39:06 PM