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Dummer Twp - Ontario

Have any of you ever planted a seed without knowing what it was, Maybe a buddy said - hey plant this and I will tell you what it is later in the season. This might give the unkown seeds a fighting chance against the big guns. Having room to take such achance in necessary thats for sure. Just curious?

Thanks - Kirk

12/8/2007 1:14:16 PM

Pemberton, BC

Yep. The first plant I grew was a seed given to me by my brother in-law that he had picked up free at a fair in Alberta. It grew a 588 pound pumpkin and was my PB for 4 years. To this day I wish I knew the genetics of that pumpkin. It was nice and orange and went around 10% heavy. I only planted 1 seed from my 588 and it was also nice really orange just like it's mama and also was over 500 pounds.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=29730

My 588 is on the far left of this picture on the blanket. Kirk you've got me thinking now that I know a little more about growing and my soil is better I should give my 588 one more try.

Wouldn't that throw a screw into the AGGC if I popped a 1500 pounder with an absolutly unknown seed!

Chad

12/8/2007 2:39:12 PM

Rhode Island

not even in my infancy would i plant a seed without at least knowing what it came from. to much work to go in blind
pap

12/8/2007 3:27:06 PM

Hayward, CA

Yes,
It's what got us interested in this in the first place!

12/8/2007 5:08:28 PM

Pemberton, BC

Come on Pap where's your sense of adventure! I've still got 5 or 600 left, I'll send ya a big bag and you can just spread them around Rhode Island like a modern day Johnny Appleseed. Either that or you could just eat them!

Chad

12/8/2007 5:24:38 PM

Napa Valley, CA

In 1999, during the first 2 weeks of the growing season, Loren Vanderschoot of Napa lost one his plants because of high winds. It was too late to start a new one so he located one in Redwood City being grown by Doc Pumpkinstein (a California grower and urban legend from the 1980's and 90's). Loren and Pete Glasier drove 3 hours round trip to pick up the plant. Pumpkinstein refused to tell what the seed was until it was weighed, so Loren went through the entire growing season calling the plant "Madam X". Loren grew a real nice pumpkin on it, which split just before the weigh-off. The plant turned out to be the 1006 Greer, which at the time was one of the few 1000 pounders ever grown.
If you ever hear any wild stories about Pumpkinstein.....they're probably true.
Doc's real name is Rick Dickow. He no longer grows pumpkins. He is now growing giant watermelons.
Maybe we should start calling him Waterstein.

12/8/2007 5:53:45 PM

Minnesota

Sure have, walked into the local hardware store and bought 10 seeds for a couple of bucks, weekseeds, it looked like fun, try and grow a giant pumpkin, it was my first time.

12/8/2007 7:51:05 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

I guess I should have refined my criteria that it would be a seed from a reputable grower you might know and in patch space that was not meant for the next world record, sometimes we have to take chance and just have some fun with it. Thanks for all your comments

12/8/2007 8:30:52 PM