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Ohio

I mean, sure, it's great on weigh off day to have your fruit go heavy, but isn't this likely a result of the pumpkin having an odd shape that doesn't tape well?

Obviously, there are some seed lines that produce fruit that have thicker walls etc. and go heavy. I guess, one could start to compare similarly shaped fruit and make separate weight charts.

Maybe, this has already been done? Just thinkin' to myself.

9/26/2007 7:20:44 AM

Wood River, IL ([email protected])

Some growers don't like growing seeds from pumpkins that go light to the chart. You are right, if you have two pumpkins similar shape & color, one was 10% light to the chart, the other was 7% heavy to the chart. I would grow the one that was 7% heavy.

Good Luck,

Kenny

9/26/2007 7:50:33 AM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

There is no question that variations in shape and in measureing methods can effect whether a pumpkin goes heavy or not. However there has been a lot of work done over the years by a lot of very intelligent people developing these tables and on the most part, dispite shape most pumpkins will fall very close to the chart. In almost all cases if a pumpkin goes "Heavy", it will have thick walls and vice versa. Wait until you loose a few monsters to rib splits or blossom end splits before you decide how important this factor is in AG genetics.

It is widly excepted that in order to continue to increase the average weights and the world record weight of AG pumpkins we have to breed thicker walls....sooo...Heavy is good.

It is also very satisfying to drop a pumpkin on the scale and it goes 100 lbs heavy, and more so, earth shattering when a pumpkin goes 200 lbs light...I know!

9/26/2007 8:09:08 AM

Rhode Island

the big key is consistency

if one or two of the same seed stocks out of many planted weigh over the charts its not significant except to the person who grew it.
however, when a seed stock gets a history of always or almost always weighing over chart, especially when you consider all the various soil types we grow in ? thats a seed to continue planting or to use as your pollinator for the next years breed

9/26/2007 1:51:53 PM