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Northern Cambria, Pa.

It is interesting that of the top twenty pumpkins listed on
AGGC, ten or 50% were 4 lobe, six had 5 lobes and only one had 6. Three are not listed. Finding four lobes on a newly opened blossum used to be somewhat diappointing. Maybe four is becoming the optimum number, but probably there no correlation.

1/25/2010 3:36:06 PM

Rudolph

Imao, I dont think there is a diffrents between a 4,5,or 6 lobes, I think the chance of getting a 4 lobe fruit is greater than getting a 5 lobe fruit, and getting 6 lobes is rarer than a 5 lobe, but as long as I get a 4,5, or 6 lobe pumpkin it'll have a chance to be my keeper.

1/25/2010 5:37:27 PM

Mocksville, NC

Well Larry best so far for us was a 4 lober at 921 a 06 state record. So somtimes i wonder! Maybe in 2010 we'll have more data. Better yet just a new personal best for me would work. Best of luck to you both.
Roger.

1/25/2010 7:57:30 PM

Ohio

I have culled many perfect placed 4 lobers in hopes for a 5 or 6 lober instead , and think maybe that wasnt the better choice seeing your stats.

1/25/2010 9:16:37 PM

Ohio

How many lobes did the past 3 or 4 world records have, anyone know?

1/25/2010 9:19:07 PM

Marion,IN

1725-4 lobes
1689-4 lobes
1677-5 lobes
1662-6 lobes (Stelts)
1662-5 lobes (Young)
1636-4 lobes
1631-4 lobes
1622-5 lobes
1611-4 lobes
1596-4 lobes
1579-5 lobes
1568-4 lobes
1566-4 lobes
1556-4 lobes
1549-5 lobes
1544-5 lobes (Revier)
1544-4 lobes (McMullen)
1543-4 lobes
1537-5 lobes
1536-5 lobes
1535-4 lobes
1528-5 lobes
1527-5 lobes
1524-5 lobes (Liggett)
1524-5 lobes (Starr)
1521-4 lobes
1507-4 lobes
1505-5 lobes
1502-5 lobes
1500-4 lobes

Brooks, hope this info helps. There were 3 or 4 other pumpkins over 1500 that did not have # of lobes listed.

1/25/2010 9:53:20 PM

1658 wasnt on your list 1658=4lobes

1/25/2010 10:29:52 PM

Denver, CO

From research I did two years ago, I found out that a 4 lobe pumpkin and a 5 lobe pumpkin are EQUALLY likely to produce a monster pumpkin in excess of 1200 pounds.

However, a 4 lobe pumpkin needs to have a bigger plant size with it to get to the 1200 pound or bigger size, then does a 5 lobe pumpkin.

At the time I did the research, a 4-lobed pumpkin needed 11% more plant size in order to get to 1200 pounds or greater then did its 5-lobe counterpart.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=240782

I have not updated this for two years, and need to do so to see if new seeds and new gorwing techniques have changes this or not.

1/25/2010 10:46:34 PM

Ohio

Great thread Larry, and thanks for that info Mark.

Ghop, if your research is pretty close, just makes a person wonder how big Doc Liggetts pumpkins would be if he grew in roughly 800 sq ft instead of the 400 sq that he grows in.

1/26/2010 4:54:34 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Thanks Don. That makes 11 out of the top 20 with 4 lobes.

1/26/2010 8:11:54 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Very interesting indeed. It could be very helpful to also know what percentage each of these 3 were first, second or third sinks. There is some documented & published work on sink source relationship in combination with seed formation. One study suggests that first sinks usually become the strongest grower. I don't know if this work took into account canopy size...

1/26/2010 7:12:11 PM

Connecticut

Let me add my opinion in here, because I do not think the number of lobes has any baring on potential final size of the pumpkin. Simple put the odds of the flower being a 4, or 5 lobe are higher then a 6 lobe from my experience for sure.

However, with all the focus on the 4+ lobes, what about the lonely 3 lobe flowers that are typically considered culls by most. They should also have the potential to grow a 1,200lb+ pumpkin but the odds of a grower getting a 3 lobe flower are small so this must be taken into account. (Not to mention the non-warranted bad rap 3-lobe flowers seem to have gotten, which increases their odds of being culled instead of grown.)

There are three pumpkins that I know were 3-lobe flowers and were 1,200+ which I listed here...

1208.5 Checkon
1287 Gansert
1353 DeBacco

Having grown one of the ‘exclusive’ 1200+lb 3-lobe flowers I feel I can offer some facts on the side that lobe number does not matter. So, take it for what it is, but if you have a flower in the prime location in the golden zone write down the number of lobes but do not use this as a reason to cull or keep.

Three lobe flowers can be just as competitive if you give them a chance, because there are other factors that determine size potential and lobe # is not a factor in size potential in my opinion.

1/26/2010 9:37:29 PM

Denver, CO

I would agree with Matt D above.

I should have noted above, that the data on 3 lobe and 6 lobe pumpkins was insufficent to reach any conclusions. Just 3, 3-lobe pumpkins and maybe a dozen or so 6-lobe pumpkins exist over 1200 pounds. Until these get around 100 or so pumpkins, nothing can be said either positive or negative about them.

However, I do think the trend of needing a bigger sized plant for a 3-lobe pumpkin versus a 5 lobe and even versus a 4-lobed pumpkin would continue to show. Just a wild ass guess on my part. 2 of the 3 listed above support this guess and the other goes completley contradictory to it. LOL

1/26/2010 11:47:33 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

It seems to be just a genetic trait. Many of the parents of the top twenty were 4 lobe including:
998 Pukos
1385 Jutras
1207 Young
1566 Rodonis
1231 Pukos
The trait was merely passed on but does not seem to relate to weight.

1/27/2010 8:20:04 AM