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Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

I may plant 5000 sq ft of field pumpkins next year for fall sales as a father/son project on running a small business. Looking for a good, hardy, big field pumpkin variety or maybe something like Big Max. Any ideas on what's easy to raise and what's most marketable/profitable for roadside sales?

Frank

10/19/2005 8:53:39 AM

Deer Park, WI

I have a similar operation and i use a variety of Howden obtained from Nic Welty. I've used these seeds for two years and consistently obtain 25-85lb fruit without any care.

10/19/2005 9:10:49 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Gold Rush from Rupp....Charisma from Johnny's Select Seeds. Both of these pumpkins yield beatiful Powdery Mildew Resistant pumpkins. Which means you will have excellent thick green stems. We find if the average adult can not pick them up they do not sell.

10/19/2005 10:11:36 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

p.s. Big Max is a C. Maxima

10/19/2005 10:12:07 AM

Oz

Sugar pumpkins,small,hardy,cooks in its own shell.
They only get about 8inches in diameter.
look to see if you have a grower near you that has a,,,
ummm,ugh,,Walmart vendor permit.
Wholesale can sting compared to on spot retail,,,
but,,the big $check$ is good.

10/19/2005 10:42:47 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

I'm open to smaller maxima varieties like BMax or whatever, but wasn't sure how they sell v. pepos. I also presume that any maxima are less resistant to PM, etc than the pepos? I was just thinking that most large pepos sell around here for no more than $5 to $7, and that if I had 100 lb BMax, maybe I could get $10+ a piece.
Shannon, what would you say is a good weight for selling roadside? Maybe 100 lb BMax would be too big and sales would go down? I know I have seen very few maxima roadside here in West Michigan so maybe that would be a market niche.

10/19/2005 10:44:06 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

That is the wonderful thing about pumpkins...Each and every person has their own favorites. We used to leave the Ugly Frankenstien looking fruit in the field. Then people started saying all your pumpkins are to perfect. Variety is the key I think. Last year we could not sell white "cotton candy" this year people are requesting them.

10/19/2005 11:24:46 AM

Berlin,mi.([email protected])

frank: take a look in my diary towards the begining. i have comfirmed that the pumpkin that i saved seeds from was a prize winner. they were from 100 to 200 lbs.and like shannon stated the bigger ones were a little harder to get rid of. i still have seeds from them if you want to try some. just shoot me an email. i like to grow howdens for a good field pumpkin.

10/19/2005 11:39:20 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

Howden are great! We got them from Howard Dill at Howard Dill Enterprises, RR1, Nova Scotia, Canada BON 2TO. We grew County Fair winners with this variety. Ours had beautiful green stems. The judge went "gaga" over them. -Good Luck

10/19/2005 12:01:30 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

P.S. I will have some seeds for our Howden if you would like to try some. E-mail me and when we cut open our pumpkins I will send you some. A bubbler with postage would be appreciated- Thanks

10/19/2005 12:05:13 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

Gold Rush & Gold Medal for large "improved" Howden type Pepos.
Magic Lantern & Merlin for mid size carvers.
Prizewinners for 75 - 200 pounders(this is a Hybrid, seeds saved from one will not consistently throw large, orange, flat bottomed fruit)
For the small ones(there are so many good ones), I like Hybrid Pam. Perfect, consistant shape.
Obviously, we all have our own opinions on this, but if I had to pick and live with my selection year after year, this would be it. Good luck, BF
PS. Though I have to admit, I'm more than a little interested in that "Welty Howden"...

10/19/2005 7:14:23 PM

Montoursville, PA

I have been selling something all my life! If I have learned anything it is that a wide spread, of price and emotional appearance, is the win win package. Shoot for the majority to be, in the average most sold size and selling price. Dress up both ends with larger, different or smaller.
I feel this is the win win package, for any display, of any product. The second year you tweak your offering based, on your area discovery. You can compete with the mass merchandisers because they only offer a ho hum pumpkin, for usually one price. Don't forget the mass merchandiser has nothing but a cardboard box selling their product. You as an interesting individual do make the difference. There is something special about being able, to meet and know your grower. That is still a salable...goes with.

Good luck on your project. Let us know how well you and the family have done.

10/19/2005 11:21:58 PM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Joe: Are the Welty Howdens the "Jumpin Jack" variety?

10/20/2005 6:48:54 AM

Tipp City, Ohio

We Grew two acres of assorted (70+ varieties) field pumpkins, squash and gourds. People who buy from me like the "different" varieties that we sell, but most buy the regular field pumpkins. Miniture gourds and pumpkins are hot sellers but we have kept our prices low on those to attract customers by word of mouth. Those we sell at 6 for $1.00 and use them as a loss leader. We only sell a few giants a year so I always plant about 25 - 30 of the 100+ lb varieties. People generally will not buy if they can not pick it up!

We also planted 450 linear feet of assorted large gourds. I will never plant that many again. I still have about 95% left of what we picked and my kids want to make birdhouses out of all of them. I do not have enough tree branches for them all. Good luck with your venture!....Tom

10/20/2005 9:57:03 AM

Indiana

Bantam
Make bird houses this winter and sell them next year.

10/20/2005 10:03:59 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Tom...Dry them gourds and Ebay them... They go for an outrageous amount of cash. plus they pay shipping.

10/20/2005 10:59:22 AM