From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I understand that wheel shaped fruit tend to weigh in heavy when compared to the OTT charts. My question is "why"?

Thanks/Glenn

8/21/2004 3:44:59 PM

Eugene, OR

I have been wondering the same thing. Maybe it's because the OTT regressions didn't include very many wheels? Or is it because they're all shoulders? Good question!

8/21/2004 4:01:39 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

The cavity in the wheel shaped ones is much smaller...
I found that sometimes the volume of the seed cavity of wheel shaped pumpkins is only a third of the normal shaped pumpkins.

Martin

8/21/2004 4:15:28 PM

Puyallup, WA

They are also more prone to split! :>(

8/21/2004 4:16:41 PM

Key West, FL

Also, it's hard to get a accurate measurement on some wheels.

8/21/2004 4:29:57 PM

Md/ Usa

the ott formula is designed to work best on spherical fruit not wheel shaped fruit.
wheel shaped fruits also tend to have thick walls which may account for some of the extra weight,but this is from heresay only.

8/21/2004 4:52:30 PM

Sequim, WA

Part of the problem is that you end up with concave instead of convex surfaces which most folks just stretch the tape over rather than following the contours of the fruit. I know that's what I do and I think that perhaps we would get a better meausurement following the contours of the fruit even if they are concavities. Heavier than estimated fruit are often just a matter of us measuring the fruit badly. Here is a what I dealt with in 2002 and had trouble getting an accurate measurement with. It went heavy and surprised me with a new PB. http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=6835

8/21/2004 9:03:35 PM

New Brunswick

I had a wagon wheel last year. It was a beauty and weighed in at 421 1/2 pounds. I loved it. A 10 year old girl wanted to sit in it as it looked just like a big basket chair. It had very thick walls and a small seed pocket. I hoped for one this year...but no such luck.
Happy growing, Sue

8/22/2004 8:21:34 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Chris are you making up new words? "Concavities" ???
My 231(801.5 stelts x self) from this year looks like a huge Cinderella Pumpkin still growing despite the cold. Hopefully she goes heavy.

8/22/2004 8:55:15 AM

Whidbey Island

Tiller, if you follow the concavity with the tape, that length would be longer than if you stretch it straight across, thus making the reading even less on target. My rule of thumb is run the tape straight and see what happens at the scales.
WPM

8/23/2004 9:05:38 AM