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Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I just heard on the WHO farm news that Don Young's pumpkin was carved and there were no seeds in it. This has to be devastating to everyone who had hopes of getting a seed from that huge pumpkin. Our condolences to Don and Julie.

10/31/2007 2:31:44 PM

Santa Rosa California

holy carp
that sucks

10/31/2007 3:17:59 PM

Pataskala,OH

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

10/31/2007 3:22:58 PM

Minnesota

Ya think the New Yorkers snuck them out under the cover of darkness?

10/31/2007 4:00:03 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Confirmed.....No seeds...

10/31/2007 4:16:55 PM

Team Munson

I was there to help Don retrieve his seeds and can confirm that there were no seeds mature enough to even remotely consider keeping. Don was devastated by this and I have never seen a pumpkin that didn't have at least a few keepers. We searched for an hour or so using scrapers and high output flash lights. Please try and comfort Don on this extreme tragedy, all he wanted were a few so he could plant them.

10/31/2007 4:34:05 PM

maine USA

what a bummer

10/31/2007 5:04:48 PM

Pataskala,OH

I have a theory maybe the pumpkin flesh used up so much of the plants energy that the pumpkin couldint get any more energy for its seeds to grow.

10/31/2007 6:12:54 PM

Pataskala,OH

spelling correction couldn't not couldint

10/31/2007 6:13:50 PM

Somerset,Ky

So Sorry Don.

10/31/2007 7:08:48 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Well there go my big plans for next year, and Dons too. Well Don all I can say is I feel your pain.

10/31/2007 7:11:16 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Don,

Very sorry for that bit of news. If it makes you feel ANY better, I intended to grow it if I could finagle a couple of seeds.

I know it's almost as much a thrill cutting these things for their seeds as it is growing them.

Congrats on that beauty anyway!

10/31/2007 7:27:35 PM

No Place Special

holly crap that is sad. darn. 1207 young is the way to go anyhow (just my hunch).... 1370 x 1068 that grew the big one. Sorry to hear that Don.

10/31/2007 7:31:39 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

So Sorry to hear this.
I can only imagine how bad the poor guy must feel.

I don't think not having those seeds is gonna matter for him.
He's done it once and will be able to do it again.

Best of luck getting a new personal best next year Don!!!!
May it be even heavier and Full of seeds.

10/31/2007 7:36:03 PM

southwest MO

I'd be willing to bet somebody fixes him up with another 1068... In fact maybe another 1068 and put it back into his 1207! Ill have to wait till next year to beg him for some seeds!!

10/31/2007 7:56:54 PM

Sophia WV

Sorry to hear Don congrats on a great year!!!!!!!!

10/31/2007 8:29:49 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

What are possible causes of this?

10/31/2007 9:00:10 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Don,

I'm STILL gonna try to hit you up........LOL

10/31/2007 10:33:05 PM

[email protected]

Sorry to here Don
Possible causes!!!!!
My theory is, the 1068 is very, very close to a hybred, Very few seeds if any are consistent with the 1068, so this leads me to believe, and understanding, green house operations. Many growers have developed the hybreds in cukes, etc, these don't produce seeds, they produce fruit.
If you read Joe A's hybred vigor theory and combine that with the no seed synario, I believe the 1068 is almost pure Hybred Vigor.
Now that being said, it doesn't mean this is the ceiling, The 1068 can be part of the next generation, preferably as a pollinator(my thoughts only) to develop the next strain. The 998 pukos could very well be that next strain, or possibly a gereration away, as I understand the 998 fruit have had quite good numbers of seeds. So I would suspect a 998 X 1068 cross could be scary, as the 2 lines could be far enough apart to create this.
I know it suck's getting no seeds, but I like the idea of advancing to the next level.
Possible disadvantage is, When the 2000 pound pumpkins are produced, the seeds counts could and should be next to nill. making the seed that produced it worth even more than we could imagine.
Input please
Eddy

10/31/2007 10:52:22 PM

Parker, Co

sorry to hear this don! i have been thinking about what causes high (or low) seed counts....last season (2006) we had poor seed counts and my PB 1147 was like the Young 1662 with no mature seeds inside. i was heartbroken. i would have been really SICK if it had been a 1662!! we thought our poor seed counts were caused by high temps right about pollination time? maybe genetics? i think we are going to have to start keeping track of pumpkin seed counts to see if it is genetic...what do you all think? again, sorry to hear this news don!!!! cindi

10/31/2007 11:15:26 PM

Mt Vernon Ky

Sorry to hear Don congrats on a great year you still look good on tv

10/31/2007 11:21:01 PM

Netherlands

Sorry to hear that, Don. Look on the bright side, less bubbles to fill.

11/1/2007 3:24:00 AM

Ohio

Don, sorry about the no seeds, that's a shame or truly is.

You just might be onto something Eddy, I noticed that the 604(1068 Wallace x 1469 Checkon) that I crossed back into its mother the 1068 Wallace that grew my 1019 this year had less then 80 seeds, could this low seed count be from what your talking about? its possable.

I had a 903 Dill that I crossed with the 1068 this year. It ended up with 0 seeds inside, reason? I'm not sure but it don't look like this pumpkin could be in that Hybrid Vigor category. Its tough to tell.

Now I have heard from Jack Larue that he has grown the 1180 Daletas roughly 3 or 4 times already threw out the years, each pumpkin he grew had a really low seed count, and the last pumpkin he grew ended up with 0 seeds that was from his 1180. Whats every ones theory on this pumpkin?

11/1/2007 4:55:21 AM

Berlin,mi.([email protected])

sorry to hear the news Don. thats a real bummer. I'm with Mike the 1207 looks great on paper. I hope it had some seeds in it. Brooks my 830 zuhlke (1180 Daletas X 810 Dill) last year only had 5 seeds in it.I grew one this year and it was at 1078 est. when i cut it up due to ribb splits. it had lots of seeds in it. i crossed it with my 1302.

11/1/2007 6:04:48 AM

Farmington, Utah

Don, sorry to hear about it having no seeds.

11/1/2007 6:33:15 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

The same thing happened here in 1999 with the 1131. A lack of any stress and possibly high levels of N in the soil can contribute to the fruit remaining in the growth phase for a longer period resulting in a delay of seed maturation. Maybe the the mechanism that controls the growth hormones is broken due to a genetic defect in some cases resulting in extended growth periods which also result in very large fruits. We have seen a myriad of strange happenings in the plants due to defects, maybe this is another. If it is, we will not be easily able to make selective crosses for this trait since the end result is no seeds. Just my 2 cents.

11/1/2007 8:34:32 AM

[email protected]

Don & Dave got back to the warehoujse before I did but they alreadt knew. When they told me "no seeds" there was an awkward moment of silence. Regardless what I said next wouldn't have been right & I'm sure whatever it was must have been stupid.

I repeated the usual & moronic "not even one?" more times than I needed to.

As Larry mentions, parthenocarpic fruit like the 1131 often go on to grow much larger than the genetic record would suggest is the true potential. Seeds in growth are powerful triggers.

11/1/2007 9:51:19 AM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

What's parthenocarpic mean?

11/1/2007 10:15:44 AM

Grants Pass, Oregon

Sorry to hear that it had no seeds Don

11/1/2007 10:30:34 AM

Liberal Ks.

Don sorry about no seeds if i could of got one i had big big big plains for it again sorry

11/1/2007 10:38:29 AM

[email protected]

Parthenocarpic basicly means seedless. Its a genetic mutation that occurs in nature sometimes. Most parthenocarpic fruits are created my man however, through many different routes.

11/1/2007 11:26:47 AM

Ohio

How about Jo' Jutras' world record pumpkin, does anyone know if he opened his pumpkin up yet?

Brooks

11/1/2007 11:33:27 AM

[email protected]

The 1207 will get a better run now. I agree with Mike Frantz and Steve Z that the 1207 is the one I would've planted if I had the choice of planting one of those two anyway.

Tremor, or whoever knows, did the other 1600 lbers have a good seed count?

11/1/2007 11:37:13 AM

Somers, CT

Sorry Don.

11/1/2007 12:52:03 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

A lot of pumpkins have had no seeds so it is not just the big ones that this occurs on. It has to be something with the pollen used. False fertilization, yet the pumpkin continues to grow instead of abort.

11/1/2007 1:17:23 PM

Ohio

Ya know, I been sitting here thinking about this all day, and if you think deep into Dons situtation this is way worse then droping a pumpkin before weigh off or even have one split on you before weigh off. If you think about it this is the main thing we all strive for, is to get the seeds, the seeds are our final goal that we planned for all winter long that we all look foward to trading with each other.
Don, I feel for ya Bro, I really do, sorry it ended for ya that way, Ill be pulling for you more then anyone next year now ,your gonna get another chance at a big one, no doubt in my mind.

11/1/2007 1:41:12 PM

Minnesota

Still an awesome pumpkin and a great guy!!! I'm sure the lack of seeds won't slow Don down at all. I wonder if he had any fun this year?

11/1/2007 1:45:51 PM

Waquoit Mass

i feel dons pain igot one good seed from my est 1340 - 1068x801 stelts.

11/1/2007 2:47:59 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

same here......10 not so decent seeds in my 1107 (998 Pukos x 1446 Werner)

11/1/2007 3:16:09 PM

hi all-its good to be back home after a long trip-been real busy working on patch geting it all preped before winter hits-thanks for all the kind words ya no seeds darn it -but hey it happens-and could happen to any seed anyone etc.

11/1/2007 7:33:17 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Amen buddy!

11/1/2007 8:04:00 PM

Frankfort Oh

I second that AMEN

11/1/2007 10:22:26 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Good attitude Don. You can't change it, so why fret over it. Sometimes I need to look at things this way;-)

11/1/2007 10:56:57 PM

Mt Vernon Ky

good things will come your way don with a attitude like that you cant lose just think you can say i grow the second biggest pumpkin in the world great guy anyway you look at it

11/1/2007 11:51:07 PM

Austria

Sorry to hear Don, but hey great attitude there. Congrats on a great season.

11/2/2007 4:52:59 AM

Austria

Very sorry Don.......

11/2/2007 5:00:46 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Don, I'm sorry to hear your pumpkin was seedless. Congrats on a terrific season. On to plan B now.

Phil

11/2/2007 10:59:19 AM

addison Il

I'm really sorry to hear you did not get any seeds but still a big pat on the back for that huge beast.

11/3/2007 12:05:37 PM

Colorado

sorry about the no seeds don.However 1662 is 1662-they cant take that away from you.

11/3/2007 12:12:01 PM

Addison IL.

Sorry to hear that.

11/4/2007 12:17:59 AM