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Joliet, IL

as the pumpkins get older, and more and more of us hope to have a long term grower, has anyone out there ever compiled numbers on late ott growers to see if it is a genetic trait or its just weather and plant health influenced. i know russ and joe have done great things with tracking ott from all 10 day intervals and have many records of growth from day 50 on. but on the 1200 lb growth chart you only see the record setters for the most ott or circ gained after day 50.
i know after doing some aggc research that the 1631 mckie grew 400 hundred estimate pounds after day 50 cuz the mckies posted it in the comment section. my 1147 didn't pack on anything near that after sept. last year, but my 1041 plant produced my pumpkin that still gained slowly all the way to 95 days when picking for the weigh off. some growers like joe jutras will comment on ones still going 3 pounds per day when picking. i would think this information to be critical when figuring out statistics of the chances of a seed producing longer term growth and more importantly, larger ott gains with long term growth like the 1631.

it would sound like a great winter project for a couple number crunchers out there if they can get there hands on some growers stats. if there is even a higher percentage rate for some seeds as opposed to others, this will become critical in the long term quest for a one ton pumpkin.

so here i go first. last year my longest grower of all time was my 1147 shenoha 2008 that grew 32.5" ott or an estimate of 239 lbs ott after day 50 and continued growing slowly until day 95. it was grown off the 1041.

love to hear from some other growers on the topic. only interested in the ott gains or estimated weight gained after day 50 and not the actual weight. this will hopefully lead to some info on seeds that grow long term, and also after looking at the crosses, maybe lead to male pollinators with tendencies to produce long term growing kins too.

8/29/2009 11:41:57 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

My 1041 Wallace 07 pumpkin grew an estimated 267 lbs. after day 50. It was grown off the 603.5 Muller seed. The pumpkin went about 10% heavy. It was cut off the vine at 96 days old.

8/29/2009 1:33:19 PM

Preston CT

My 1116 Traylor 2008 grew 261 lbs after day 50 and put on 34 inches OTT. It was harvested on day 94 and continued to grow slowly to that point. It was from the 1130 Jutras.

8/29/2009 3:14:24 PM

Joliet, IL

actually the 1631 mckie grew 400 lbs after sept. 1st which was day 60. that is sick!!!!!!! and was still doing over 5 lbs per day at 102 days... even sicker!!! it will be interesting to see how some of the seeds with the 1041 as the pollinator do this year to see if the trait is present on both sides.

8/29/2009 3:23:57 PM

Ohio

Shaz, on day 50 to day 69 my pumpkin has put on a est 336 lbs , I been getting a steady 1 inch to a rare 2 inch circumference gain a day in the month of August. I'm not getting the whopping 40 to 50 lb gain a day like the other growers are, mine is just steady and slow, never have I ever had one grow like this one. Just when you think it might be done growing it keeps on growing,,lol, I would have bet the house that this pumpkin would have stopped growing about 3 weeks ago. It sure has surprised me thats for sure. I hope the old saying is true,, slow and steady wins the race,,,lol

8/29/2009 4:57:54 PM

Joliet, IL

very cool boz, exactly what i am talking about. now share the seed you are growing it on to all the other boys and girls in class. i know the answer, but up to you to tell. i do not want to sound like a know-it-all. bahhhh!!!

8/29/2009 5:13:05 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I hope Brooks is right with the slow and steady.....our 919 fruit is at day 74 today and still gaining. Past 7 days have yielded 9.5 lbs per day with the last 2 days going up to 11.5 per day.

From day 60 to 70 it put on 100 lbs even though our weather had cooled off for about a week.

I was told by a wise local grower that he shoots for 800 lbs for the end of August to be able to have a pumpkin be able to hit 1200 lbs by the time October weigh-offs are happening...that is some good late growth into September and October.

8/29/2009 5:36:00 PM

Ohio

Its off a 45 Grimes, LIpumpkin gave me the seed,,,LOL

8/29/2009 6:35:51 PM

Personally I think plant health and weather going through Sept is the key more than the genetics(day 50 plus). I have had multiple fruit for 3 years gain 250-350lbs in Sept.

Then of course I get a FREEZE at some point so I have never had a late fruit that was still growing come October.

8/29/2009 7:37:43 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Brooks, you stumpless wonder....how do you keep them going?

8/29/2009 7:59:07 PM

Ohio

First time I have ever had one grow like this one Dan, and I am praying everynight she holds together,,lol.

I was lucky to see 75lbs in September. Maybe the reason why this one is growing so good is because of all the fungicde drenches and sprays I did to prevent Mr Foamy from appearing mid to late July,,lol. To bad my other plants didnt respond,,lol . As far as the plant is looking, it looks great , and really same for the others, only the other 5 dont have any stumps and are about 500lbs less also, ha!

8/29/2009 8:15:32 PM

Ontario, Canada.

We at the GVGO site have spent the past few days in discussion coming up with a treatment plan to extend growth into September. Most of the guys are trying a few different things. Please stop by and take a look at gvgo.ca

Jeff send me an email and I will bounce the benchmark file over to you. It contains the data your looking for.

I will post my email for a short time on the GVGO site under the new topic of OTT Gains after day 50, for those interested.

Pretty much all of the 14 and 15 and 16'ks keep growing right until the end. It is only a rare exception when a large fruit will shut down early.

Biggest gainers after day 50

1537 Stelts D50 353 to 416 = 677 pounds 2.2% H
1556 Werner D50 370 to 427 = 496 pounds 4.7% L

The average gain of all 15K fruit in the file is
28"CC and 48"OTT

8/29/2009 10:11:02 PM

Ontario, Canada.

The slowest gainer would still gain an impressive

17"CC and 37"OTT = 334 pounds by measurement

OR

Not too shabby considering it was the 1566 Rodonis at 9.6% heavy. It and could have gained from 374 to 409 = 331 pounds by measurement or 471 pounds by Day 50 OTT estimate to scale.

I think I would take that and be very happy come weigh off day.

8/29/2009 10:22:34 PM

Joliet, IL

thanks russ, awesome info. i will shoot you the email. this is all great info that many i am sure are thinking about at this stage of the game.

8/29/2009 11:52:58 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

If I remember right, Someone asked this same question at this time last year. If I'm correct, Dick wallace (Paps) said an average is any were between 200-250lbs. In September. I know my biggest one last year gained 221 pounds in September.

8/30/2009 12:12:16 AM

Eugene,OR

I think that most of it (assuming you have a good one going) is about having a healthy plant and good weather. I think that the "great" growers know how to keep their plants healthy...and they live in places where they have good weather.

8/30/2009 1:14:03 AM

Joliet, IL

i would have thought the same thing, but last year my 1446 was side by side with my 1041 plant and both were in the same health condition with no stump problems and both had the same amount of powdery mildew by the end of the year. the 1446 basically shut down completely by day 80, but pretty muched came to a halt on day 70 when the 1041 produced gains slowly til 100 days old. this was what really triggered the idea to see if any genetic traits at all that come into affect. if they do, long term concentration and crossing of these genes will lead to longer producers in the long run.

8/30/2009 8:21:15 AM

almost any fruit grown in the PNW is still gaining and growing when harvested

and they have for years

8/30/2009 8:41:02 AM

Santa Rosa, CA.

Last year the 991 Urena I grew gained 59" OTT from day 50 to scale. It went fron an estimated 703 pounds on August 26th to 1214.5 on October 2nd. Wow, thats over 500 pounds.

8/30/2009 12:52:35 PM

Joliet, IL

that is what i am taking about patchmaster. nice. any other 991s showing or have showed similar late gains out there?

8/30/2009 1:33:32 PM

Joliet, IL

dan, if that is the case about pnw growers, then what is their secret...warmer weather? and even if that is the case, some of their pumpkins even though being longer term growers might be longer term growers with larger gains after day 50 than some of other pumpkins they grow. that would make the pnw a great source of info on this subject, cuz if all things being equal out there, and some seeds produce more ott gains after day 50 than the others, those are the ones to concentrate on. i also agree that weather and plant health are the most critical factors involved...but all that being equal, i would think just like people and plants and animals, some genetics produce longer healthy life spans or in this case fruit maturity spans. that is the beauty of evolution.

8/30/2009 1:42:48 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/Quantitative-Genetics-Growing-Transgenic-Tomatoes-1123

a nice scientific read with similar but not exactly the same ideas i discussed above.

8/30/2009 1:52:08 PM

Midwest

I covered the patch with 2mil plastic and my pumpkin grew 250+ in Sept. That was off a 914 Janowiak I think.

9/1/2009 1:59:08 AM