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Knopp, Germany

i have finally had a couple to pollinate over the last 2 days, so I was interested in how well others have done that did not pollinate till the middle of July. I performed a query using the data on the AGGC. I wanted to know all pumpkins over 700 pounds that had been pollinated on 15 July or later. Here are the results:

1000 pounds and heavier - 17
900 pounds to 999 pounds - 33
800 pounds to 899 pounds - 66
700 pounds to 799 - to many to count

So this hope for those of us that haven't gotten such a great start.

I hope everyone sets a new personal best.

7/15/2005 1:46:17 AM

Austria

Still hope then, if even for me. Have done 4 pollinations right now, half of them on females with deformed lobes ... Tomorrow will show, what f N° 5 will look like, another one of my planned keepers ... fingers crossed.

7/15/2005 6:00:05 AM

Austria

Nice statistical research by the way ...

7/15/2005 6:01:07 AM

Cologne / Germany

Thank you Owen! Now with these results and the warm sunny weather we got, there´s still hope :-) Look what Bjoere has at day 35...incredible.
Started pollinating 1 week ago (most of them 5 lobers), some look they took. Due the lost of my mains, it will be the year of the secondary pumpkins.
Last year my latest pollination was on July 20, it was 610 lbs on Oct. 2nd.

7/15/2005 8:14:23 AM

Knopp, Germany

I am glad you added your data from last year Ingo. Having something from Europe to compare to always helps.

Last year I had one pollinated on 21 Jul that I had to remove on 10 Sep due to a stem split. It weighed 599.5 pounds.

Would be nice if other European growers could post some numbers as well.

7/15/2005 8:25:35 AM

Belgium Europe

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=23509
The little one one the sand is what became my 917.Since it was my first year,i didn't make notes of pollination times , but it must have been a couple of days before july 15.

7/15/2005 9:04:38 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I'm sure it's not too late yet. I pollinated another three females yesterday and today.
Pumpkins can grow to 280kg in only 35 days in Europe, we still have time!
It only looks like Hilpoltstein doesn't belong to Europe! lol
Börje, what am I doing wrong?!?!

7/15/2005 10:03:28 AM

Southern Sweden

Martin, one of the biggest problem is your soil, I think it isn't loos and deep enough. And I also think that it lacks organic nutrients.

7/15/2005 5:14:00 PM

Cologne / Germany

I don´t think this is Martin´s problem, Bjoere. It´s your advantage you started pretty early and kept the main and the fruit inside your greenhouse.
Concerning the weather conditions from May/June over here, it was almost impossible to get anything growing without a greenhouse this year, so we are all pretty much behind schedule right now.

7/15/2005 5:49:26 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I think I have to agree with Ingo here... My soil is pretty loose, I tilled it several times down to 12" in spring. Maybe this is not quite deep enough but I don't know.
But as I said earlier, nothing is lost yet. If we get good weather until the end of August now then the just pollinated fruits should really take off.
I tend to think that Börje's early start really helped him. But of course, we can't start that early without a greenhouse and I just don't have the money to build one. I also think my parents wouldn't be too happy with a plastic thing of that size in our garden! lol
I guess we have to hope for good weather and do everything else as good as we can. In 2003 we saw that 300 kg is well possible in Germany and that's my goal.
Think positive! Good luck to all!

7/15/2005 6:08:28 PM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

Starting too early is not a great think at all. You could have a great pumpkin, but will you still have this great pumpkin till october?
I Belgium, you can enter a split one at the weighoff but if your pumpkin splits at the end of july, I don't think that you would have a chance to keep it solid enough to go to a show.

7/18/2005 11:54:04 AM

Belgium

when you enter a split one in Duisburg you are disklalified...

7/19/2005 2:56:07 AM

Belgium

i mean diskwalified..

7/19/2005 2:56:43 AM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

Jantje, I have seen pictures from Duisburg with splitted pumpkins. Do they really have any rule prohibitting slipped ones? If you have the Duisburg rules, could you post it or send it me privalty. If you have any information, I could give you my fax number. Thank you in advance.

Sophie

7/19/2005 5:21:46 AM

Cologne / Germany

Maybe exposition pumpkins with splits. If they allow splitters to be entered to the contest, it´s time to change the rules. We don´t have much standards here right now, but this one is for sure whatever European weigh-off you might go.

7/19/2005 7:17:35 AM

Cologne / Germany

Just checked Jantje´s website with the Duisburg rules:
http://home.tiscali.be/pompoenclubgrasheide/teksten/WEDSTRIJDREGLEMENT.doc
So splitters are not allowed to entered. That´s what I thought.

7/19/2005 7:22:48 AM

Belgium

I can assure you that no spitted or rotted pumpkin is weighed at the weigh-off in Duisburg. A split or rot one can not even enter (the weighoff is inside), because the fruit is inspected before entering. Even with the slightest doubt the stem will be removed, this was once the case with my brothers pumpkin.
Floh is right, you can reed the rules on our website, i typed right and exactly from a form that i've got on the weigh-off.

7/19/2005 4:12:58 PM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

Thank you very much for those precious informations. Sorry about my confusion. I will check the exact reglement on your website.

7/20/2005 2:53:42 AM

Southern Sweden

Sophie, I don't grow for any weigh-offs, the only reason why I grow is to see how heavy I can grow a pumpkin.

7/21/2005 4:07:26 PM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

You know, me too. Exhibition or weighoff is an extra, but the principal thing to me is to bring a very large pumpkin to the halloween fest of my son's school.
I would be happy with a 1000+, an with or without a spli my PB would be my PB. But those things count for the other people.
My cousin leave in Sweden. Would you accept to send him seeds if he will send you SASBP next year. He visited me this year and would like to try...

Sophie

7/22/2005 7:40:05 AM

Southern Sweden

Yes Sophie, I will send him seeds. But your cousin can also visit me if he want and take a look at my pumpkin and maybe I can give him some tips on how to grow'em big.

Börje

7/23/2005 5:02:26 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

man, what an offer! I wish I lived near you, Börje.

7/23/2005 5:40:22 AM

Southern Sweden

Martin, you´re so welcome to visit to.

7/23/2005 7:30:45 AM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

My cousin live in Stockholm, I will talk him about your offer, thank you very much.

Sophie

7/23/2005 2:47:57 PM

Austria

A patch tour in Sweden? I`m a Gustavsson fan too ...

7/25/2005 4:03:01 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Lars is not doing too shabby at all, too!

7/25/2005 4:27:39 AM