From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Has anyone tried any off these seeds like 940 Mombert offspring,845 Bobier offspring, 846 Calia offspring and so forth.Are these seeds open polinated or could there be something there to try? These are offprings with not much more info.I have some new growers in the area, maybe these would be a good seed for them to try out.Thanks Marty.

12/13/2004 6:10:19 PM

Montoursville, PA

New growers..........how many? Lots of us including me would provide a few seed of good quality absolutely free.
Tell us or E me with your real needs.

12/13/2004 9:11:30 PM

South Western Pa

Another option for seeds is to join the Pacific Giant Vegetables Growers, PGVG.ORG. Join for their annual seed plan, it costs $20. They say you will get a least 5 seeds and the quarterly newsletter. You don’t have to live in the Northwest to be a member.

I joined last year and received 28 packs of seeds. Many were from pumpkins of heavy hitters in the Northwest.

I just finished boxing up my own seeds that I donating to the PGVG seed giveaway this year. They included many from my 796 2003. It’s a Beachy 1097 x Self, if P + P, had it they would probably list it as a Beachy 1097 offspring and sell it for $25 each.

I’m not trying to bad mouth P+P here. My point is the same as Dwaine’s; there are many options for acquiring quality seeds at little or no cost.

I also heard a rumor that a few years ago the Hester 582 was part of the PGVG giveaway. Remember tomorrow’s hot seeds all start out as unproven.

Mark

12/13/2004 9:53:02 PM

Deer Park WA

Yup, I have recieved 582 Hester, 1230, and 1016 Daletas seeds along with LaRue, Handy, and Sherwood seeds to name a few in the PGVG seed give away. Cant beat the price or the benefits!

12/13/2004 11:08:33 PM

[email protected]

PGPGA is acceting members at the cost of 15 dollars, and you will be eligible for our annual seed distribution if you become a member by December 31, 2004. Also included is a nice certificate of membership and membership card. A quarterly newsletter is very helpful as it not only updates you on the internal PGPGA business, but lends many helping hints and hands inside the patch as well by such authors as Larry Checkon, Doc Meisner, Marv Hicks, Tony CIliberto, and myself.

Past seeds in our distribution include the 805 Pukos, 815 Checkon, and just about every seed from a fruit that has ever been weighed in at the Altoona site. This year there was quite a few monsters, so dont hesitate for a low price of 15 bucks!

For membership information, and a look at the fruits from 2004 you may recieve a seed from, check out PGPGA.com.

Happy Holidays to each grower and thier family! May you all recieve a silver bullet seed!

12/14/2004 6:32:52 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Marty,
In any event do NOT waste 20 or 25 bucks on a seed, especially for new growers!
(No offense Ray W. but there are many of us sitting on better seeds than you have...)

I bought a few 714 and 838 Bobier seeds from Ray which may be the same cross as the 845Bobier00 but they didn't produce like the 845 at all and I've now given those away....

I don't know how many or what ball-park seeds you require but I can send you up to maybe 50 proven over 900 if you really really need them and they'll be grown.

Email me privately.
Michel

12/14/2004 1:31:29 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

I hope nobody is getting me wrong here at bp! I have simply sent out hundreds and hundreds of seeds and swapped with growers everywhere and there is no way I can plant everything in my seed box. I would like to think that the growers who sent them would be happy to see them planted by somebody somewhere instead of myself who can't seem to grow anything big anyway.

I must say that for the few times I promised I'd grow someone's seed I have at least tried to grow them and have lost tons to lack of germination and frost in this frost pocket I live in so I offer no apologies.

Anyone who wants to have tons of seeds needs to invest a few hundred bucks in bubble packs and postage and make an interesting cross. My 513.7 White was 845Bobier00 x Self and only David Garrell made the same cross that year with his 821 I believe so many good growers traded with me.

This year it seems that many growers here are treating their fellow growers with respect and that makes it all the more fun to visit bp.

Happy Holidays to all of you!
Michel

12/14/2004 1:39:10 PM

Indiana

either the 714 or 838 did grow 1000 I heard this year who can say exactly on this?

12/14/2004 4:17:23 PM

Rockford,il

I bought and grew the 846 Calai offspring.It got off to a slow start but had the most leaves of the 4 plants I grew.The main vine split at about 10 feet out so I used a side vine that grew a 310 #er.The main vine split healed itself and grew a pumpkin at about 520#'s.Because of the plant getting a late start I let it grow my halloween pumpkins.It ended up growing 4 pumpkins on the one plant at weights of 520,310,280,and 120 #'s.I was going to grow it again but I sent out sasbe to about 5 growers and got some incredible seeds back.I dont believe how generous people are.Hopefully I can grow a huge pumpkin and return the favor.Oh, the pumpkins were nice and round with a good orange coloration and for the 5 bucks it was worthwhile.
Phil

12/14/2004 8:19:16 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Tom,
Both the 714 and 838 have grown some pretty big ones but not 1000 + to my knowlege at least and my point is that they are not equal nor superior so far to the 845...and that at least is a fact.

12/15/2004 1:56:26 AM

Cologne / Germany

Mike:
"In any event do NOT waste 20 or 25 bucks on a seed, especially for new growers!"
Anyone here is free to swap good seeds for free as well as to spend his bucks on what he wants to.
The 838 as a pollinator for the 1178 Wentzel produced a 1027.5 in France this year. If Fabrice bought that seed from Ray it was a good return of investment for the 25 bucks he paid. Just MHO.

12/15/2004 6:00:22 AM

Cologne / Germany

Forgot the 838 produced a 940 in Wisconsin in 2003. Not too shabby either.

12/15/2004 6:10:10 AM

Indiana

893.5 produced a monster at the indiana state fair I believe it was 1138#

12/15/2004 9:08:56 AM

Seedy one. In answer to your original question... According to Ray Waterman those seeds were open pollinated amongst only that group of seeds... so decent potential.

Most of these seeds are 2 for $5. The only one I know of that has been of any size is the 846 Calai offspring that grew the 1047 Peters that seed is $15.

Tom B. The CT GS&PGA auction listed the 714 as having grown over 1000 but not details.

12/15/2004 3:09:46 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

The 801.5 Stelts 97 offspring (243 Beachy 02) produced the 1047 (1033) Peters 03 and is now sold for 15$ - not the 846 Calai 99 offspring.

Martin

12/15/2004 5:15:03 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Thanks guys!The reason I ask is because I have the 712 Kuhn offspring,846 Calai offspring,845 Bobier offspring and the 940 Mombert offspring.I just don,t have the space for them and thought maybe a new grower that lives close could grow it for me to see how they would do.So far I have 4 new growers and one is a retired couple that enjoy growing things and thought it would be fun to try.Most except one do not have much room to grow so probably one or two plants only.I also have plenty of my seeds from two pumpkins they could use to. Thanks for all the info.:>) Marty

12/15/2004 5:32:46 PM

Montoursville, PA

Marty..........Last year at this time I could say almost the same thing you just said. I will apply to the newbees who looked to me for some leadership.

What they saw was a dream. It was a simple thing. The act of growing a big pumpkin. They had no competitive interest initally. Only one developed into competitive interest. All the rest still just want a nice big pumpkin.

I approached the situation with the KISMIF philosophy. Keep it simple and make it fun. I quickly discovered they just wanted a little guidance. One guy took off and raised a dandy 845. All the rest raised pumpkins and were most pleased with anything they got. No one looked down on three or four who got literally nothing. All but one has made an effort to improve their soil. This year I expect more than one to find a bigger fruit according to their efforts.

With this in mind I suggest that you guide them gently. Enjoy their efforts and help a little too. They will learn if they really want to. They will see in you a person who cares and helps. That is a little different these days. You will be appreciated. All will grow who want to...personally as well as what they grow. I suggest that you will grow personally ten feet tall helping others. This can be your major appreciation for the activity. One might fool you and really blossom with your encouragement. That is always fun for the teacher.

I got decent seed from members or associates of this board. My own seed were decent. Now we use their seed as grown by our local growers. The one really into it has made a few friends and is enjoying the guesswork leading to his grow this summer.

KISMIF is not a bad philosophy for starting newbees. No matter what your experience or past success they will consider you the local expert. Good luck. I really like what you are doing there!

12/15/2004 6:41:56 PM

Thanks for the correction Martin. I wrote it down wrong.

12/15/2004 7:16:26 PM

C N Y

KUERBIS MIKE>>>>YOU MAY MEAN NO DISRESPECT TO ANYONE BUT WHEN YOU DOWNRIGHT TELL HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE BY TELLING JUST ONE TO NOT SPEND MONEY ON SEEDS FROM A RESPECTABLE SITE LIKE P AND P SEED COMPANY AND EVEN BRING UP THE NAME OF THE PROPRIETOR AND TELL HIM YOU MEAN NO DISRESPECT, THAT IS MORE DISRESPECTFUL THAN EVER! DID YOU GET A NEW COMPUTER OR SOMETHING, MORE FUN TO TYPE ON, OR ARE YOU JUST MORE OPINIONATED LATELY FOR SOME REASON? >>>I<<< MEAN NO DISRESPECT, BUT EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A POST LATELY, IT SEEMS TO BE CONDESCENDING AND YOU ARE OVERLY PROUD OF YOUR SEED-SENDING POLICIES. IF I HAD LISTENED TO YOUR KIND OF ADVICE IN 2001, I NEVER WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A BUNCH OF GENUINE 845s THAT I HAVE GROWN NUMEROUS DECENT-SIZED PUMPKINS WITH, AND I WOULD NOT STILL HAVE A SHOT AT A 1,000-PLUS-POUNDER FOR A LITTLE LONGER FROM THEM, HAD I SENT THEM OUT TO OTHER NEW GROWERS.
PLEASE DO NOT SUGGEST SO STRONGLY TO NOT BUY SEEDS FROM RAY, OR ANYBODY---THERE ARE A LOT OF GROWERS WHOSE SEEDS ARE AVAILABLE ONLY FROM P AND P, LIKE MINE, FOR INSTANCE. AARRGGHHH, SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT I'M NOT RE-TYPING IT.......

12/16/2004 1:19:18 AM

C N Y

i meant that there are a couple of my seeds on the site
for sale for a very reasonable sum of 2 for $5. all of my
other seeds are completely free to those that i swap with on a yearly basis. i did not mean to get so BENT!
(hiding now)...

12/16/2004 1:26:29 AM

Deer Park WA

pal can I start swapping with you?

12/16/2004 1:56:59 PM

C N Y

yyyyyyeaaahhhhhh.........
i have some 410 Gadberrys i got from BP.com
like two years ago, and you recently said they
make some very dark orange fruit, so i am thinking of planting one or two....that's why i got 'em, lol.

feel free to email me about your swap-thoughts, lol! eric

12/16/2004 2:07:14 PM

Indiana

Many of the offspring seeds came from my patch. They were intended to be for the less serious grower who is not on BP.com. Many,many farmers order bulk seeds from Ray(once again some from my field) simply for sale of the pumpkin that are produced. The offspring seeds I knew would have superior parent traits to the general bulk seeds so Ray and I decided to seperate them out, and put a little higher price tag on them. They are not intended for the people on this site, but they are good seeds, which was proven when Wayne Peters grew his 1047 off of the 801.5 Stelts offspring (243). Everyone that saw that fruit can attest to the quality......

Tom

enough bickering over this stuff already....LOL

12/16/2004 3:51:35 PM

Cologne / Germany

Tom, if good, why not intended for the people on this site? Great to hear noone needs to pay for any sort of store bought no name stuff because it was you and other great growers producing it.
For that reason I can´t see anything wrong about about earning a few bucks for the hard work behind it. I´m sure all that money will go back into the patches to improve experience and results which is at least a benefit for the whole community.

12/16/2004 6:16:35 PM