Re: 300 pound stock
Gang,
I think if the parents were large there is a good possibility that a small
offspring could come out of the gate fast the next year. Sometimes cultural
practices or environmental conditions limit the size of an offspring, but the
genetics are still there. I have watched a pattern for years, where two big
parents produce a smaller child and then the seeds from the smaller child
rebound to a big one. Remember the seeds from the big ones get all the play
and few try the smaller ones with good genetics. Mark woodward popped two in
the 800 pound range back to back from the Henderson 250 pounder. I have a 250
in the ground right now. The Mombert 567 wasn't exactly a monster. I believe
there are many small killer seeds out there that are never tried. Take a look
at the % of big pumpkin seeds that repeat.....it is pitiful. Al has done much
more work on this than I. Lets say you have a 900 pound pumpkin and 200 good
growers try it. The following year (3 )...900 plus pounders are grown.
That's a 70 to 1 shot............pretty bad if you ask me. 3 good ones and
197 duds. You can have my 900 pound seed. Now these figures are made up to
show a point. 20 of the henderson 250 seeds are tried..........(2) 800
pounders are produced . 10 to one shot on a big one. Now before you get
psyched up on the 250.....its an old seed and I believe they are virtually
all gone. My point is that if you have 3 or 4 plants in the ground, it
doesn't hurt to try one smaller seed with good genetics. You may discover the
next Mombert 567. If you plant one seed each year that has a 70 to 1 shot at
producing, chances are that you will never grow a killer pumpkin in your
lifetime. I put growing a 1,000 pounder right out of my mind ( and believe me
I have been trying hard for 17 years). Try to beat your personal best each
year and try to grow the biggest pumpkin in your area ( weather and growing
environment is a giant factor). Take a grower that pops a 600 pounder down in
the intense heat of the South. Now there is a pumpkin King or Queen.
pumkinguy
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