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Sweden eastcoast

This is my thoughts about this what do you think.
1. Genetics
2. Days from stop growing till harvest and wheiging.
3. Less shade, grown in direct sunlight under only a white sheet
4. Not enough moist in soil, should have gived it more water.
5. Windloss have used a fan to keep it dry in steemend under a long time.

10/1/2006 5:43:30 PM

San Diego

I think genetics plays the most significant role in going light or heavy. How long the pumpkin sits before weighing does affect the weight as well. Another factor seems to be weather, estreme high heat usually affects the weight too.

10/2/2006 1:00:59 AM

Southern Sweden

Just like the shape and colour of the pumkin is genetic, and also such a thing as dill’s ring, I think that the tickness of the wall is also conducted mostly by genetics.

10/2/2006 3:32:45 AM

how it is measured has a lot to with it to.

10/2/2006 4:23:16 PM

Montoursville, PA

Using a rubber tape will do it every time. :)

10/2/2006 10:11:41 PM

Ft. Branch, IN ([email protected])

wouldn't the calcium level in the soil affect it as well?

10/2/2006 11:18:29 PM

Long Island,New York

wouldnt a rubber tape make it go heavy????

10/3/2006 7:13:36 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I used only a thin white blanket on mine for shade. We had drought most of the summer. I watered overhead, but by most people's standards, I underwatered, I would guess.
Hot temps. most of the summer. I would have guessed that under these conditions my pumpkin would have gone light. It went 25.7% heavy. Is it the 1233.5 Reiss genetics? I don't know. No viable seeds were produced in the pumpkin.

10/3/2006 8:02:54 PM

Ontario, Canada.

The number one component of light weights IMHO

WEATHER > Low humidity causes high transpiration rates out of the leaves and directs more mass flow to the leaves and away from the sink. The leaves become the plants radiator. The energy is directed to the elephants ears for cooling. This is also one of the primary causes of Dill rings. Combine this with speedy growth and dry soil just before such an event. Your fruit is now left starving for calcium. Deep rib splits, sag lines and blossom end splits are usually not good friends of heavy fruit.

Example..... In Ontario this season we had a period of nearly no growth for several days in early August right after the passage of a severe cold front. Numerous growers reported slow to no growth at all during this low humidity period. A lot of major problems sprang up at this time.

When compared with hot humid days the low humidity day plays uncertain havoc with your plants. This is especially true if the plant is not accustomed to the sudden change a new weather front brings with it. The severe dry cold front I mentioned was preceded by one of hottest humid string of days in Ontario history.

10/5/2006 5:48:43 PM