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Long Beach, CA

I was wondering, do you think that's a possibility in the future? Pumpkin weights have been steadily increasing over the last 20+ years, but surely that can't go on forever. Even if genetics and improved growing methods allow for reaching greater weights, aren't there some physical limitations to how heavy a pumpkin can get? Wouldn't a 2,000 pound monster collapse under its own weight?

3/28/2005 2:56:12 PM

Roanoke Il

If you take the average gain of 41 lbs a year over the past 24 years it will take roughly 14 more years before we reach 2000 lbs. There seams to be no limits to the size in which these monsters can get. But if we a stretch of 3 or 4 years where there is no or very limited gain we may some gentic restrictions. But if you look at the past 5 years gains of 70.8 a year it will only take 8 years to reach 2000 lbs.

3/28/2005 4:05:39 PM

Utah

aren't there some physical limitations to how heavy a pumpkin can get?

--- the only limitation I can see to increased size is wall thickness. but I think wall thickness is increasing ... and that it directly correlates with % heavy. (which keeps going up)

Wouldn't a 2,000 pound monster collapse under its own weight?
--- No ... I don't think so - you just need a thicker walled fruit to support it. I think the wall thickness that we have now are capable of supporting a 2,000 lb fruit.

but surely that can't go on forever
--- why not ? :) --- there are lots of human comparisons where you'd think we would have reached a limit by now but we have not ...
look at track and field and swimming ... world records continue to fall.
Ice skating ... a few year ago quad jumps were thought to be unreachable ... years before that is was triple jumps that were unobtainable... I know it's not a perfect comparison ... but I think it is valid none the less.
theoretically one would think that there is an upper limit for everything... personally for pumpkins I think we have quite a ways to go.
just my thoughts
gordon

3/28/2005 4:36:54 PM

Utah

hummm maybe i'll have to change my mine ! (that was quick lol ) ... the other limits that I can think of are:
the length of the growing season...
the number of days a fruit grows before reaching maturity...
the maximum lbs/day a fruit can grow and not split...

with that said I still think 2,000 lb. is reachable.

3/28/2005 4:44:11 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I think that the athletic comparisson is a good one. But, I also think that there are probably plateaus. That is, there would be times, some short, some long, in which the upper limit would not budge. It would be rare, once a record gets to a certain point, that it would be beaten dramatically.

Having said that, surely scientific methods will arise, and already exist, to stretch some of the limits that you mention.

I'm sure there is a limit. But, surely 2000 lbs ain't it.

3/28/2005 8:19:58 PM

[email protected]

It'll happen.

3/28/2005 9:00:47 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

On average the record weight over the last 25 years has increased by about 4.5% each year. This rate is showing no sign of decreasing. In the spring of 2002 we did an article on this in the PGPGA newsletter. In the article we took the average weight from 1979 to 2001 and added 4.5% per year for the next 10 years. These are the predicted record weights that we came up with for the 10 year period from 2002.
2002 = 1318 Actual 1337
2003 = 1378 Actual 1385
2004 = 1440 Actual 1446
2005 = 1505
2006 = 1572
2007 = 1643
2008 = 1717
2009 = 1795
2010 = 1885
2011 = 1959
2012 = 2047

So far, pretty close. When the numbers start to fall we will know the curve is starting to flatten out. So far they have not.

3/28/2005 9:58:46 PM

Puyallup, WA

Besides being forever famous, what is the prize for hitting 1500 lb.?

3/28/2005 10:16:00 PM

[email protected]

Lots of bubble packs in the mail.

3/28/2005 10:59:09 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

LOL, Steve!

3/29/2005 6:38:29 AM

Md/ Usa

tremor free bubble packs yahoo

3/29/2005 7:16:48 AM

Rhode Island

can you immagine the effort it would take just to get a 2,000 lb pumpkin out of your patch ?, much less finding a safe way to transport her ?

id be real happy just to increase my pb to the 1100 or 1200 lb range

is it possible for someone to grow a 2,000 lb pumpkin someday ? i doubt it, because every living thing including us human beings has its limitations

but, id love to see it happen and with the edcuation and research of plant and fruit biology out there someone will possibly find a way to engineer and alter the cell structure while at the same time maximizing the growing conditions to accomplish this
it will not happen in the patch but rather in a greenhouse fully automated and computerized to tend to every need as they arise

i just dont think the average everyday grunt ag grower like me will be able to do it ( and thats not a knock on me or anyone else as ive seen an awfull lot in the past 16 plus years of growing )

dick

3/29/2005 7:20:16 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Dick I was thinking the same thing..I would have to rent a large Skid Steer and a way bigger truck. The dealership would say you want to haul what? Then the would show me the padded white room.

3/29/2005 9:03:38 AM

No Place Special

We will see 2000 lbs someday.... sooner than most of us think I believe. 1500 will fall this year, id put money on it. I also believe there is no limit to the size of these things. Maybe in 5 - 10 yrs from now the % increase will slow way down, but records will continue to fall forever.

3/29/2005 9:17:44 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

I'm guessing(I stress guessing) that the growth curve will flatten out well before the 2000 lb. mark. My guess is that the 1500 mark will fall in the next 3 yrs., but only a select few will break into the 1500 lb. club in the next 10 yrs.
My theory is, that the relatively consistant increase in the world record weights, is due in part to better growing techniques, better genetics, and more people growing A.G.s competitively. These will continue to help drive up weights, but like I said, I think the curve will flatten out quite soon.
If genetic engineering comes into play, throw out what I said. I hope it never does become a part of this hobby.
Last year was my first serious try at A.G.s, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Doug

3/29/2005 1:02:52 PM

Greencastle, PA

Nic Welty made some possible growth curves for an 1800lb fruit... I'll see if i can get him to post something about it. I think he said that during the maximum growth period the pumpkin would have to put on abour 300lbs in a week... wall thickness and split resistance are the key. Anybody get at look at the 1027 Beachy?
Tom

3/29/2005 8:58:05 PM

Connecticut

Great post. 2000 has been broken

9/30/2012 7:55:16 PM