From

Location

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Date Posted

Follansbee, Wv

Cut the 905 Ailts off today due to twin blossom end splits. I cut the fruit into 36 pieces and weighed each one by holding it and standing on a brand new set of bathroom scales. I then subtracted my weight (taken on the same scales) from the totals. Here is the problem. Final OTT was 319 for 684 pounds. Actual weight on the scales (well, as close as bathroom scales can be) was 951 pounds. My wife verified each weight as I read it off the scales to make sure I was right. The 905 was a funky shaped bird bath and was hard to measure, so maybe that accounts for some of the difference. Also birdbaths are thought to go heavy, so that may account for more. The problem is, what do I call it? I would like a consensus of growers to assist me.

8/11/2005 8:24:54 PM

Eugene, OR

I don't know what to call it but if it really was 39% heavy, save me a seed or two! :-) Congrats on a nice fruit.

8/11/2005 8:32:07 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

I would load the pieces in the truck andc take to a certified scale....then you will know for sure! Otherwise EST is the way to go.
Sorry to here about your loss.
John

8/11/2005 9:18:05 PM

San Jose [email protected]

Congrats on having such a big one going, Im sorry it didn't finish... Here is a simple way to see if it is close, get on it with a 5lb sack of flower, or even better would be like a 25 lb barbell wieght. EVEN if its off 10% you still have an 861 pound frigin punkin, good job, and next year you will keep it together.

Gary

8/11/2005 10:34:08 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Monty
My thought would be to go by the ott. Weighing it in pieces with a bathroom scale just doesn't seen right to me. I've never heard of anything going 39% heavy, so I'm thinking theres something wrong with the scales. If you want it weighed, take it somewhere that has certified scales or go with the ott weight. Just my 2 cents. Great first season your having though.

Phil

8/12/2005 6:35:39 AM

Follansbee, Wv

I'm going to try to take it to the county landfill today. Their scales are certified, then I will at least have a better idea. I plan to leave it there. I really don't want that much pumpkin rotting in the compost piles that close to the house anyway.

8/12/2005 7:43:55 AM

Montoursville, PA

If it were covered in the compost pile with three inches of leaves or such there would be no odor. Pumpkin breaks down very quickly. There are a lot of your goodies in that flesh!

8/12/2005 8:16:02 AM

Linwood, NC

it should be called 951 wallace, 28% heavy. on some of the seeds i have recieved to grow next year, that is how they are labeled.

8/12/2005 12:28:36 PM

Follansbee, Wv

OK, I took it to the landfill. The receipt should be posting in my diary sometime today. State certified scales put it at 800.0 pounds. I forgot to take the guts with me, but what the heck. I'm calling it the 800 M.Wallace 2005 UOW. That still comes out to 17% heavy correct?

8/12/2005 12:51:15 PM

Lexington, Ky

Excellent photos of the "damage" in your diary Monty, thanks for sharing.

WOW, over $12 bucks to weight a pumpkin?!

8/12/2005 1:11:01 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Hey, at least she didn't charge me the 30 dollar minimum :) You should have seen the guy directing the fill. He saw me tossing it out and asked me if it was a bunch of pumpkins. I said no, just one. I don't think he believed me until I took out a huge piece of the back side. I think he tripped over his chin! The look on his face alone was worth the money.

8/12/2005 1:16:08 PM

Cincinnati,OH

The 905 Ailts is 1260 Weir x 898 Knauss. I can believe that it would go way heavy. I hope some other people growing that seed this year get a pumpkin to a weigh-off.

8/12/2005 3:34:12 PM

Nashville, TN

Congratulations!! If it likes hot weather - I would love to try one next year!

8/13/2005 1:26:16 PM

Follansbee, Wv

I hope one makes it to a weigh-off somewhere myself Ron. It would be a shame if people didn't grow this seed because a newb like me split one. I have another 905 seed, and a good spot for it next year ;)

I can't say whether the progeny will be heat tolerant or not. The 905 plant has tolerated the 90 degree heat pretty well. I was disappointed with the seed count though. Most were still white and undeveloped. I have maybe a hundred or so that look OK drying right now. I'll test greminate a few this fall and make them available once the seeds from the 1367.5 and 658 fruits are ready.

8/13/2005 4:01:13 PM

Hayes, Virginia

My 905 just set fruit August 2nd.
905xself.
wish me luck guys.
Great Job Monty wish she would held together for you.
anyone have a 905 they wanna get rid of please email me thanks.
Ed

8/13/2005 5:28:41 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

905 Ailts was a (898 x 1260) and went light to the charts. The 1260 pollinator had some mutation problems and could never set a fruit. Surprises me that it's offspring went heavy, but glad that it might.

8/14/2005 6:01:29 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Monty...I really am not wanting to bust your bubble or be a trouble to you here but have some info to pass along about the dump in my county.
Every time I take a load of trash/debris to haul to our county dump, it seems their scales always seem to say the load weighs much, much more than the scales at the local coop say, that I get the trailer checked at *before* I actually get to the dump. County dumps typically charge per weight, so it's to their advantage to "add" a little weight to each truckload that comes through. Creates a bit more revenue for the county when it's all calculated out at the end of the year.
Even if the scales are somewhat accurate, there are so many variables that being off 50+ pounds wouldn't be uncommon since they measure large gross weights.
Maybe it's not that way in Colliersville, but seems to be a pretty common scenario wherever I've lived. I just wouldn't trust the scales at a county dump.

8/14/2005 6:32:47 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Actually Kyle, the scales are certified by the state. The scale operator told me the scales are certified accurate to within the 20 pound increment they measure in. Which means the pumpkin weighed between 780 and 820. A simple test will be to have my truck weighed at a DOT weigh station and compare the weight with the tare from the landfill. But then, of course, we would be trying to calculate how much gas was in the truck etc.
The point is, it's UOW. It didn't set any records, it's unofficial, it just doesn't matter.
It seems a lot of growers weigh their fruit in various ways. Many don't even say how they weighed it, they just tack on the UOW. I don't see any of them catching any grief. At least I ran it over a set of scales and posted the weight ticket.
You're not busting my bubble. I have another fruit that will make it to the weigh off in Canfield. I can promise you that it will weigh more than 800 pounds. That one will be my personal best, and the one to which I compare my future fruit.

8/14/2005 7:16:16 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Here is an update: Don Chambers aka Perriman was here today and assisted me in measuring the 1367.5, he also verified the numbers: 153, 93.5, 90.5 OTT 337 for 804 pounds on day 44.

8/14/2005 3:44:15 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

So what we have summed up is that the dump at kyles place are crooks....
Anyway ya look at it Kyle, Monty did an amazing Job with the 905, always a ray of sunshine.....

8/14/2005 5:45:41 PM