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San Diego

the correct percentage. I got a pumpkin on my 980 Kuhn polinator plant I let grow for genetic purposes. She was estimated at 80 lbs and selfed, weighed her at 120 lbs. I was shocked she was so heavy, she had very thick walls. How do you figure out the percent she is over the charts? I see one of two ways, but need help. First, an 80 lb pumpkin goes 40 lbs heavy. 40 is 50% of 80 so it's 50% over the charts. Second, the 80 lb pumpkin weighs 120, so 80 is 2/3 of 120. so the pumpkin is 1/3 or 33.3 percent heavy. I'm guessing 33.3 is the right one, but hope someone can confirm this:) Thanks, Jimmy. I asked on the seed page but no one asnwered.

8/24/2004 5:47:45 PM

Eugene, OR

Jimmy, I'm new at this pumpkin stuff but I believe the math is the same for any % change situation.

% change = (120-80)/(80) x 100 = 50% OTC

Someone confirm the math for pumpkins??

8/24/2004 6:09:11 PM

South Hill, Virginia

Yes, I believe the laws of mathematics and physics still hold true in the world of giant pumpkins:)

I don't think there is a pile of data for pumpkins that small so that weight probably says more about the inaccuracy of the chart at that level than some kind of super heavy pumpkin gene.

8/24/2004 6:21:44 PM

San Diego

I have weighed 2 pumpkin in past years this size out of curiousity compared to the ott chart, both pumpkins weighed right on to the ott chart even when small. So makes me wonder:) Jimmy

8/24/2004 7:47:48 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Jimmy,
Small pumpkins are always heavy, they have little air cavity and are basically all flesh. Cut open almost any pumpkin 100-200# and you'll find they are mostly solid, so yes, they weigh heavy to the tape.
Personally, I don't put much stock in heavy OTC % for any pumpkin under 400#. Heavy OTC % means more the bigger the pumpkin because of the larger size to which have thicker flesh. A pumpkin 800-1000# or better that's heavy OTC, now that's impressive! *Those* are the seed I want to grow.
Don't mean to sound like a bummer, just my observations and opinion.

8/25/2004 9:12:36 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

BTW, consider this thought.....how can those charts apply to something so small when they were statistically developed from info that were from pumpkins *all* over 500#? Not possible nor feasible.

8/25/2004 9:28:10 PM

Cologne / Germany

Thanks for clearing it up Kyle. I never opened a cull before like I did a few days ago and wondered it had no cavitity, now I know that means nothing at that point.

8/26/2004 6:33:45 AM

San Diego

all good points Kyle:) I think what you say is valid. So that being said, I would still rather weigh weigh heavy young than normal to the scale. So if the charts don't compare to small pumpkins, when does a fruit start weighing heavy or have thick walls? I would guess it wouldn't just happen all at once, but consistantly over the life of the pumpkin.

Take my 2002 361. She grew slow her whole life even when she was young, until she was old. Very consistant, she weighed 361 9 days after being off the vine, so there was weight loss, and she was 315 ott estimated. The slower growth on daily measurements seemed to coincide with thicker walls, so the weight gains were more than what could be seen. I know she was under 500, but just wondering how, when, and what size counts for thickness? My little 80 lber, did the same thing, really slow growth consistantly, seemed very similar. She was actually growing much more than we thought. I guess I still find it hard to believe that young pumpkins show "no" traits at all, and then all of a sudden at sometime larger time, they do. But I also understand your logic Kyle. Anyway, maybe I'll grow my 120 fredricks and she if she produces heavy offspring hehehe. Jimmy

ps, does this mean any pumpkin under 500 can't accurately be followed on the ott chart for weight?

8/26/2004 2:11:13 PM

San Diego

I forgot to mention something interesting kyle, kind of an interesting subject. Both of the other two pumpkins I weighed that were small, each were from different seeds, and there walls were very thick too with very little cavity inside, except they weighed on to the chart, or much less than this 120 lber. So, can there be a gene where some pumpkins just carry more water wait in their cells? Anyway, my friend is weighing his big pumpkin on sarturday, he has 2 small 60 to 100 lb pumpkins on different plants, we'll weigh them also and compare them to the ott chart. see what happens.

8/26/2004 5:07:38 PM

San Diego

weight I mean:)

8/26/2004 5:09:49 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

hmmmmm.....

8/27/2004 7:05:52 AM