SEED SIZE, PUMPKIN SIZE

BOB MARCELLUS MAKES THIS INTERESTING OBSERVATION WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH 
ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I NOTICED THIS YEAR:
"Ok I started 10-15 seeds from 261-1056 pound pumpkins this year. When I 
lined em up the 261 was the smallest seed (2.5cm end to tip) and the 1056 
was the largest (3.5cm). Every size in between was almost directly 
proportional to the mother's weight. I found this very interesting 
considering that all seeds grew inside their mother for the same amount of 
time. My conclusion here is that nutrients being consumed by the pumpkin 
skin/flesh and seed must therefore be directly proportional.
MY BIGGEST SEED WAS A 1010 MACKENZIE AND THE 1056, 1092, 940, 937 
ARE ALL VERY LARGE.  
NOW, WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF A SEED TO
PASS ON THE "LARGE FRUIT" TRAIT?  QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SAY THAT
YOU CAN'T JUDGE THE SIZE OF A PUMPKIN YOU'LL GET FROM A SEED BY THE 
SIZE OF THE SEED.  I THINK THAT WE SHOULD SAY THAT "IT DOESN'T ALWAYS 
WORK THAT WAY, BUT OFTEN DOES."  
I HAVE A 449 MARCELLUS SEED AND IT'S REALLY QUITE SMALL, BUT IT IS 
KNOW FOR PRODUCING LARGE OFFSPRING (897 AND OTHERS).
SO,  WHO KNOWS.  THE 690 SPROULE  THAT I GOT IS VERY LARGE AND 
HEALTHY LOOKING (THICK, SHINEY SEED CASE) AND IT PRODUCED THE 968.
THE 909.5, 876.5, AND 875 LLOYDS ARE ALL VERY LARGE.  THE 643 
CILIBERTO AND 506 SHAPIRO WERE GOOD SIZED.  SO, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE 
BIG SEEDS PRODUCE BIG PUMPKINS--IN GENERAL.  THE 449 MARCELLUS IS AN 
EXCEPTION AND THE 567.5 MOMBERT (FROM WHAT I HEAR) IS A SMALL SEED. 
IF I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT GREAT GROWERS MOMBERT AND MARCELLUS ARE I WOULD 
BE TEMPTED TO SAY THAT SOME OF THESE STRONG SMALLER SEEDS ARE FROM 
PUMPKINS THAT SHOULD HAVE GROWN LARGER (GREAT GENETIC POTENTIAL BUT 
POOR GROWING).  AS IT IS, THOUGH, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE THAT LARGE 
SEEDS PRODUCE LARGE PUMPKINS.  I'M HOPING THAT MY 428# OFFSPRING OF A 
779.5 BOBIER IS SMALL BECAUSE OF GROWING CONDITIONS (THE SEEDS ARE 
JUST AS LARGE AS MOST 900 POUNDERS I HAVE).
AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON I'VE ALREADY MADE MY SEED CHOICES AND SO 
THE BIG QUESTION FOR ME IS PLANT SIZE.
THE MARCELLUS 449 PLANT IS VERY LARGE, FOR EXAMPLE (8" ACROSS 
BOTH COTYLEDONS).  THE MOMBERT 940 IS THE BIGGEST AT 9 1/4"  AND THE 
876.5 LLOYD IS SECOND AT 8 1/2 (ITS FIRST TRUE LEAF IS OVER 7" 
ACROSS, THOUGH, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST).
SO, CAN YOU TELL HOW BIG A PUMPKIN YOU'LL GET FROM THE SIZE AND VIGOR 
OF THE PLANT, OR IS THAT ABOUT AS ACCURATE AS JUDGING FROM SEED 
SIZE--THAT IS, FAIRLY ACCURATE BUT BY NO MEANS A SURE THING?

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index