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Minnesota([email protected])

Many of us have, or will have these measurements soon, for this year.
Do large measurements at 10 or 20 days translate into a large pumpkin, if all goes well(and vice versa)? Or are these milestones not as important as some think?
Also what are your largest measurements at 10 and 20 days, in years past, and what was the final weight?

I've only got one A.G. under my belt:
10 day- 16.5 circumference
20 day- 50.5 circumference
final weight- 615 lbs.

7/16/2005 11:09:28 PM

Rhode Island

doug

while its always nice to have an agressive fruit that is on the ground in a couple days, then gives you two hundred plus pounds by day 25 is not a guarentee of anything other than you have a great prospect

the race is won in the latter part of the season not the start

last year steve sperrys 1253 grew very slow the first 20 plus days then decided it was time to take off

we have had slow starts the last couple years because of the high nitrogen amts in our soil but, once the salad stops growing and /or we force the issue by dead heading a bit quicker than usual our fruit will take hold

the main thing is to keep the plant as healthy and disease free as possible

if you do this and get the most out of the second thirty days of growth, then the plant will give you everything its capable of

you cant ask for more than that

dick

7/16/2005 11:28:24 PM

San Diego

I totally agree with pap, what the pumpkin does in the middle and last half of the season is most important. We want a pumpkin that has big gains and then slows down very slowly over time, not quickly. Jimmy

7/16/2005 11:34:28 PM

Indiana

I think day 20 measurements are very important, but thats just here. I know Joze and I have talked about it in detail how day 20 you know where your going, even if you have a slow fruit at day 10 and day 15.

Tom

7/17/2005 2:13:28 AM

Puyallup, WA

A key element to sustained growth in the Fall is nightime temperatures. When the temps dip into the 40's at night growth slow dramatically.

7/17/2005 2:16:36 AM

Deer Park, WI

I agree with Tom. I think there is some predictive value in day 20 measurments, and to some degree day 10 as well. Im basing my opinion off my own experience, as there is a fairly good correlation between Day 20 measurments and fruit size in my patch. Simply stated, the largest fruit had the largest measurement at that point.

7/17/2005 8:46:42 AM

Commack, NY

im not sure. i really like comparing data from year to year. a couple of interesting things i noted. my 882 from last year was almost 4" bigger at day 20 than my 1030 was. In 2002 i had a fruit 34.75" on day 10......it weighed 379.5 pounds in october. Perfectly healthy plant, no fruit issues.

the only monkey wrench in the works is weather, and plant/fruit health. last year i got pounded with powdery mildew early, which didnt happen the year i grew the 1030, so obviously that was a factor to some degree.

i think its a nice guide, but you just never know. Dans 1432 was either 26 or 27" at day 10, certainly not above average by any means.

7/17/2005 9:33:18 AM

Nashville, TN

Thanks for all the info... I currently have 8 that I'm tracking. I have some that are very slow and steady (1 - 1.5 inch gains per day..) then some that are double/triple that rate...

Most of these are at 14-21 days. We generally have good temps for tomato production past halloween. Since I'm not taking any to competion (our fairs are early August-early Sept.. won't have anything ready for the kids to use....) how long should I leave these pumpkins on the vine for maximum size? I'm just going to take them one by one to the truck stop scales for my final weights...

Oh, and I found a wonderful new product made by Bayer - systemic pesticide+fungicide+fertilizer all in one liquid concetrate!

7/17/2005 10:55:40 AM

addison Il

i read slow and steady wins the race cracks, splits and a whole lot of tears can come from a lot of growth at one time not saying that i dont envy the pros and there pumpkin growth lol but i like my growth just the same slow and sure but then again im a newbie so listen up to all the pros and have fun

7/17/2005 3:44:41 PM

Rhode Island

curvy

during the course of a season growing pumpkins is a lot like driving the interstate during rush hour

one minute your crusing along, radio blairing, wind in you hair without a care in the world
next thing you know you either in the breakdown lane or stuck in the wrong lane after a traffic accident
thats when all those cars ( growers) you thought you were ahead of go crusing by

my son and i have had both slow and steady pumpkins and the studs that look larger every time you walk by ( and they are )
ill take the studs early on and hope for a big finish

good luck

dick

7/17/2005 7:10:07 PM

ontario

best to compare your best 10 day from your own patch and that will give you some idea of where your headed.......but I think after 20 days you have a much better idea

7/17/2005 9:50:53 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Unless you have a very early fruit I would strongly suggest that the 20 measurements are indeed extremely handy tool. The rate of fruit, inch gains just prior to 20 days is also an important indicator of prodigious growth.

10-20 Daily Gain minimums 4.34"/day
20-30 Daily Gain minimums 3.98
30-40 Daily Gain minimums 2.60

A small fruit that is set very early on in cooler temps. with slow growth can quickly be overcome by growth surge's in excess of 5"/ day closer to D20. The Benchmark is not only a measure of overall CC. It is also a rate of growth calculator....

7/17/2005 10:22:45 PM