I think I'm thinking what you're thinking...

Hi List
 
I keep accidentally erasing this message.  This is actually my third attempt!  :-)
 
I, too, have been pondering the northern explosion of 1000+ pounders.  I have two theories based on several hours of searching the weigh-off lists and looking at temperature averages on the internet.
 
First, the further north you are, the longer your days will be.  this gives your plant longer growing time over its lifespan.  This makes sense to me, to I would assume (since I live further south in the Sacramento, CA area) that stringing a couple lights out over my plants, and have them automatically turn on 2AM-6AM would add to my chances of breaking into the 1000 club.
 
Second, (and this one I'm not so sure of) the average daily temperature swing can affect the growth of your plant.  I always thought that a nice, hot place was a good palce to grow a big pumpkin.  However, a lot of monsters were grown in Ontario this year where the highs averaged in the low 70s and lows in the mid 50s, about a 16 degree shift.  In Malibu, Ca, the temps reached the same highs (70s), but the lows indicated only a 7 degree shift.  Where I live, the highs usually range in the high 90s with almost a daily drop of 27 degrees.  My thinking is that too much daily temperature swing can cause stress on the vine (expansion/contraction) and inhibit growth by forcing teh plant to expend energy on healing.  Too small a temperature swing can inhibit growth by not exercising the vascular developement of the vine enough, keeping the nutrient passageways narrow.   
 
These are off-the-top-of-my-head ideas that I did a small amount of research for.  Anybody out there know if this is out in left field or not?
 
Toby Atencio
Wumpkin Man

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