62 to 75 square feet per pumpkin; area limits size uniformity?

http://bowtiesupply.freeyellow.com/img/__2003Pumpkins.jpg

Please forgive me for doing an injustice to these seeds; last year, I grew 3
plants in the same area but fertilized more often than this year, which
rarely got fertilized other than growing in straight compost and 15-15-18
water soluble thru drip irrigation. My best last year was around 340lbs, and
ended up with about 550 lbs total in the same area. This year, I spent more
time chasing a groundhog and tending to 60 tomato plants than I did spend on
my pumpkins. I didn't even check 10-20-30-60 day measurements this year. I
also wanted to see the results of not using hi-K, calcium nitrate, etc and
see what the municipal compost can do. Living in the city, truckloads of cow
manure was not really an option, though I did use about a half dozen or so
midsize-pickup-truck loads of the municipal compost wheelbarrowed in &
dumped over about 100 square feet of turned over ground and the rest lawn.
Four pumpkins in less than 300 square feet? It's tough when that's all the
room you have (and some of that room includes part of a blacktop driveway)
and you don't know which seed to plant, so I planted 3. I always feared
planting just one & "putting all my eggs in one basket." 

All 4 fruits were measured while still on the vine about 3 weeks ago, didn't
measure them recently and 1 is still on the vine; others were cut from the
vines Tuesday & will be measured when everything gets on a level surface.
Also, please report any incorrect info in the family trees below if you see
something wrong. Maybe someone can convert the most recent chart OTT's to
pounds for me? I think the 3 biggest are around 275 each.

200+EST Korney 02 PLANT= 
594 SMITH 01 (791 GLASIER (567.5 Mombert self and sibbed) X 723 BOBIER)  x
1062 RIVARD 01 (914 WENTZELL x Self) ; 
Plant produced Pumpkin A & Pumpkin D. 
A=103c--61ee--63ss = 227"OTT. 200+EST Korney 02 x 430 Bhaskaran 02.
Pollinated 7/12.
D=67c--50ee--50ss = 167"OTT. 200+EST Korney 02 x 430 Bhaskaran 02.
Pollinated 7/18.

430 Bhaskaran 02 PLANT= 
1230 DALETAS 01 (705 Stelts x 846 Calai)  x  760 PATRICK 99 (801 Stelts x
Self);
Plant produced Pumpkin B. Pollinated 7/16.
B=101c--69ee--66ss = 236"OTT. 430 Bhaskaran 02 x 200+ESTKorney 02. 

332 Warren 02 PLANT= 
831 ZUNINO 01 (846 Calai 99 (801 Stelts 97 x 876 Lloyd 96) x 789 Zunino 00
(937 Mombert x 947 Patrick))  x  995 CARTER 01 (846 Calai 99 x 859 Mombert);
Plant produced Pumpkin C. Pollinated 7/22.
C=99c--62ee--70ss = 231"OTT. 332 Warren 02 x 430 Bhaskaran 02. 


Surprisingly (or maybe space limitations caused it), all except for the 2nd
on the one vine (D) taped out within 9", or 5" (or less) apart.
(227--231--236.)  Next year, I'll try to cut back to 1 or 2 plants; who
knows, maybe I'll knock the garage down for more room, or go back to raised
beds further from it to give me more square feet. Are the size similarities
caused by the space limitations? In all, I did 15 pollinations and settled
on 4 fruits.

Mark K.
Buffalo, NY

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