ARTICLES |
When trying to grow that huge Atlantic Giant pumpkin, there are two subjects that ultimately determine how big that pumpkin is going to be: environmental factors and genetics. Environmental factors include watering, fertilizing, temperature, sunlight, etc. These are all aspects of gardening that the grower has some control over. Genetics on the other hand is a little trickier, often times unpredictable and far less understood. This article will shed some light on the basics of genetics as it relates to Atlantic Giant pumpkins. A pumpkin plant produces female flowers, which contain hundreds of ovules (eggs). It also produces male flowers, which produce pollen (sperm). Reproduction in plants, like animals, involves the uniting of an egg and a sperm to produce offspring. In the case of pumpkins, they produce seeds. One pollen grain + one ovule = one seed. Each pumpkin will produce many hundreds of seeds. Each seed contains it's own unique code which dictates all aspects of the future pumpkin's growth. This code is called DNA. DNA is organized into genes. A gene controls one specific aspect of the pumpkin's growth. One or more genes work together to form a trait. Color, size, and shape are considered traits. Confused yet? Hopefully not because it gets thicker yet. There are many variations to a gene, which are termed alleles. Alleles are what make us, and pumpkins, all unique. For example, green, orange, red and yellow are all separate alleles for the "color" gene in pumpkins. When the sperm and the egg unite, they combine their DNA to form a complete seed. The sperm and the egg each contain one allele for every gene (there are thousands) in the pumpkin's genome. When the two alleles combine, the plant has a way of deciding which of the two alleles will be used or "expressed". This is termed dominance and recessiveness. A sperm or an egg can contain either a dominant or a recessive allele for any gene, depending on what the parent plant originally gave it. A dominant allele will in effect shut off the recessive allele, thereby allowing the dominant allele to be expressed. In pumpkins, orange color is a dominant allele, and green color is a recessive allele. If the egg contains the orange allele and the sperm contains the green allele, the orange color will be expressed, because it has dominance over the recessive green allele. The only way to produce a green pumpkin is if both the egg and sperm contain the recessive green allele. One final point to keep in mind is that the pollen fertilizing the female flower has no effect on the growing pumpkin. The DNA contained within the pollen is passed on to the seed of the pumpkin. Therefore, the traits exhibited by a growing pumpkin are the direct result of the female's parents. When making a cross, you are actually preparing the genetics of the next generation of pumpkins! If you have ingested and understood the previous paragraphs, congratulate yourself. Some of the concepts are hard to grasp, but in the end will pay off. Hopefully this will be the jumpstart you needed to dive into more complex issues concerning AG genetics and it does get much more complex than this!! |
Starting your seeds at the beginning of the season is a very exciting time indeed. Getting those seeds to jump out of the pots or ground as quick as possible is the goal of many growers. In an effort to do just that, I experimented with a modified version of the indirect starting method and discovered a way to have seeds up lickity split!! Explanation of terms: Embryo: Very small piece of tissue inside seed coat at very tip of the seed. Forms the radicle. Endosperm: Majority of tissue inside seed coat that provides energy for developing roots. Eventually forms the cotyledons of the emerging plant. Radicle: Little white growth that forms at the tip of the seed; essentially the first root. Nature designed seed coats to protect the embryo inside. Therefore, they are almost 100% closed off to the outside world. It takes a long time for the water to penetrate the coat, and activate the process of cell division. That is why many growers will file their seeds. The basic premise of this method is to maximize exposure of the embryo and endosperm to moisture and heat, and jumpstart the cell division process as quickly as possible. This is accomplished by completely peeling off the seed coat. STEP 1. Grab a seed. CAREFULLY begin chipping off tiny pieces of the coat from the tip of the seed. Use your fingernail. STEP 2. Continue chipping away small pieces until the tip of the embryo is exposed. Do not damage the tip of the embryo. This will prevent any chances of the seed germinating. STEP 3. When you have cleared the area around the embryo tip, you may choose to use a tweezers or fingernail clipper to finish removal of the seed coat. Be careful not to damage the endosperm, as these will form the cotyledons of the plant. STEP 4. Place naked seeds on wet paper towel inside a Ziploc bag. Make an effort to ensure contact between the wet towel and embryo tip. STEP 5. Store Ziploc bag in a warm spot, such as a computer monitor or refrigerator top for 24 hours. STEP 6. If you sandwich the seeds between two towels, remove the top one slowly. The radicles are very fragile. Transfer seeds with radicles to potting medium, and watch'em grow! This method works great for those who suffer from tragic disasters early on in the season. Using this method, I had radicle formation in less than 24 hours inside the bag. After planting, the seedlings were out of the soil in 3 days. Another benefit to this method is that the plants suffer no cotyledon damage. None. No mangled leaves, no seed coat to carefully remove after emergence. |
Advanced Seed Starting Method t |
ARTICLE INDEX |
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Ever wonder what happens when you brush the pollen onto the pistil? Where does it go? What does it do? Here is a quick lesson on the process of pollination and fertilization as it applies to pumpkins. Some terms you will need to be familiar with: 8-nucleate embryo sac-small area deep within female flower where fertilization takes place, contains 8 different nuclear cells. Pistil-female flower part that receives pollen PMMD- Post meiotic mitotic division, a cell division that results in two nucleii Pollinator- vector by which pollen was transferred (wind, bees, you) Pollinizer-the male flower that donates the pollen The process of fertilization begins when you or a bee brushes pollen against a receptive pistil. Each pistil has many hundreds of receptor sites that provide the pollen grains with the opportunity to carry out their cycle. When a pollen grain lands on a receptor, a series of reactions begin. Most notably is the PMMD, where the pollen grain divides into two separate cells: a tube nucleus and a generative nucleus. The goal of fertilization is for a pollen grain to reach the embryo sac. In order to get there, the tube nucleus is responsible for "digging the cave". It essentially forms a path from the tip of the pistil to the base of the embryo sac called a pollen tube. This serves as a road for the generative nucleus. The generative nucleus is responsible for "delivering the goods". It contains the genetic material donated from the male. The generative nucleus will undergo an additional PMMD while traveling down the pollen tube, thus producing 2 sperm cells that contain the necessary products for fertilization. Each embryo sac contains 8 nuclear cells that are involved in the fertilization process. Of these 8, the egg and 2 polar nuclei will become the seed. The other 5 cells assist in the fertilization process. When the 2 sperm cells reach the embryo sac, one combines with the egg, and the other combines with the polar nuclei. That is fertilization. The egg and sperm will form the seed embryo, while the polar nuclei and other sperm will form the endosperm. These are the two components of a seed. Keep in mind that each female flower contains hundreds of embryo sacs. Each sac goes on to form one seed, barring any complications. That is why it is suggested that you use multiple male flowers during pollination. In a perfect world, each embryo sac is successfully fertilized with one pollen grain. However, such is rarely the case. There are many factors that influence the outcome of a pollination/fertilization: *pollen viability *temperature *moisture *female receptivity/time of day *sufficient pollen coverage of stigma In the end, optimization of each one of these factors will provide the best possible outcome. |
Plant Science 101: The Process of Pollination and Fertilization |
Pruning is a key factor in growing the big one. Maintaining an organized plant serves many purposes. A little planning in your growing area will go a long way. Begin by choosing a square footage that best suits your growing ability, space, and number of desired fruit per plant. Before you plant your seedling in the ground, stake off the four corners of your growing area. I suggest tying a piece of twine to each stake, essentially making a "fence" for your plant. This will serve as a boundry. When a vine tip reaches the perimeter of the allotted growing area, it can be snipped. You want to plant your seedling in a position that maximizes the amount of growing area you have. Therefore, you want to place the seedling along one edge of the perimeter, so the main vine grows to the opposite side. Make sure to plant the seeding half way down the edge of the perimeter, so that the secondary vines each have equal growing room out to the side. Base of Main Vine Plant This growing style requires the seedling to flop over and vine in a specific direction. This means the grower must use whatever means possible to coerce the seedling along its proper path. Some believe the mine vine will grow opposite of the first true leaf, others train the vine in the right direction over time. Watch for tertiaries as soon as the first secondary shoots off the main. advantages to pruning your plant- *directs plant's energy to pumpkin(s) of choice *pruned plants are much easier to manage (watering, fertilizing, pest control) *pruned plants allows for greater air flow, decreasing possibility of molds and fungi growth *allows for easier access to fruit, vines, etc. *healthy, mature leaves are not crowded by newer, less productive growth Pruning Strategies- *remove all tertiary vines before first leaf develops *remove all unwanted females before they open (unopened flowers do not attract bugs) *pinch tips of secondaries when they reach 8-12 feet *pinch main vine tips at 25-30 feet *remove dead or dying material *remove unnecessary male flowers *remove tendrils- if left to grow, they may wrap around leaves and stalks, choking them |
PRUNING |
Each article was written by Joe Ailts, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004t. |
More to follow in the future! |
If you are like most growers in this hobby, once the pumpkin bug bites you, you in for good. Each of us has a common goal in mind -don't stop till you reach the top. As each year passes, you gain more knowledge about all aspects of growing- genetics, weather, nutrition, growing practices, etc. Having this added knowledge sets you up for a potentially more successful year than the previous season. In my opinion, this should be your primary goal- do better than what you have done in the past. The goal of a breeding program should be to develop the best possible seed. I feel that incorporating good seed selection, in combination with a well thought out breeding program, is integral to reaching that primary goal. These are factors you can control, therefore its desirable to maximize them. Unfortunately, most grower's breeding programs are developed only to satisfy the current year's pollinations or next year's seed stock. Why is this a bad thing? Historically, short-term plans, no matter the subject, don't produce the long term, desired results one may be looking for. The stock market is a good analogy. Its been shown beyond a doubt that long term investors reap much higher gains than short term investors. I think the concept is applicable to pumpkin growers- the more time you put into something, the greater the reward. You may agree to the concept as it relates to pumpkin growing in general, but why is it so important when considering a breeding program? Long term breeding programs have many benefits. The first benefit is somewhat controversial, but deserves recognition none-the-less. Developing a long term breeding program implies that you will be using your own seed for multiple generations. If you believe in climatization of seeds, then you understand the benefit here. There is some evidence that suggests planting locally grown seed has an advantage over seeds from distant locale. The concept is simple and valid- over time, an organism will adapt to its environment and perform best when allowed to develop within that environment. Of course, the process of evolution and adaption takes millions of years, however that is when nature is control. Consider the fact that growers selectively choose seeds that perform best in their patches, and suddenly you have dramatically accelerated this process. Keep in mind that this is just theory, nothing is set in stone. Secondly, development of a long term breeding program forces the grower to make educated decisions regarding specific trait selection, imbreeding and out-crossing, and quality seed selection. When setting up a breeding program, it's a no-brainer that one would want to start with the seed that best fits their ideal pumpkin, whether it be size, color, or shape. Selecting these types of seeds works to benefit the genetics of seeds as a whole. Imbreeding and out-crossing are very important aspects to consider as well. Many growers make crosses based on short-term thought processes. For example, taking the two best seeds in your patch and crossing them. Sounds good right? I do not believe so. Here's why- Atlantic Giant genetics have become a giant melting pot of cross-bred genetics. Look into the recent history of most seeds and you will find multiple common ancestors on both sides of the tree. Seeds begin to lose the individuality that makes them unique. Part of perpetuating the advancement of maximal weights is preserving the genetics that allow that to happen. How are specific genetic traits preserved? Cloning, selfing, and sibbing are the current methods available to us. While on the subject of selfing, I'd like to address some points. Some growers are reluctant to self their fruit because they believe that recessive traits may be brought out in the cross. This is a viable argurment. However, to my knowledge, there is no evidence of this occurring. In fact, the opposite is just as likely to happen, where selfing brings out favorable traits. One final point to remember- it has been scientifically shown in literature that imbreeding Cucurbita maxima does not decrease vigor. What does this mean? A grower can self an AG for multiple generations without NEGATIVELY affecting the genetic potential for that seed to produce. If you are interested in developing your own breeding program, the following may be of some assistance. This plan is currently the method I am using in my patch. First, set a goal. What is the purpose of your breeding program? For me, its to produce the best pumpkin seed there is. With a goal in mind, next you want to select two seeds that significantly differ genetically. This means they have no common ancestors at least 3-4 generations back. Of course, you want these seeds to have the desirable characteristics you are looking for in a pumpkin (or squash). These seeds are now known as the paternal generation of your program. Grow these seeds and self-pollinate the fruit they produce. Harvest the seeds from these fruit and prepare them for next year. These seeds are the first generation of offspring, known as the F1 generation. Continue repeating this process for many years. With each successive generation, the genes become more "pure". The more generations of selfing, the more "pure" the genetics are. As stated earlier, pure genetics are becoming somewhat of a rarity in the seed collecting world. So long as your seeds exhibit desirable characteristics, other growers will be interested in your seed. If you have the room for more than 2 plants, you may want to consider crossing your imbred lines somewhere down the road. If you believe that AG's exhibit hybrid vigor, then this provides an excellent opportunity to produce a vigorous seed. Crossing imbred lines also provides an opportunity to introduce more desireable traits into your line. This practice is part of keeping your goal in mind. For instance, if you chose a line of fruit that were typically heavy to the charts, good shape, but a cream color, you could eventually introduce genetics containing orange color. Keep in mind that if such a choice is made, color is not the only characteristic passed on. You may lose the desired shape, or weight to charts. In conclusion, pumpkin breeding is more than rubbing a stamen onto a pistil. It involves thought, planning, and research. In the end, these three processes will serve you well. |
Breeding |
Pumpkin Gentics 101 |
You don't have to pay anything more than postage to get your hands on some good seed. You also need to have good weather. Simply stated, good weather means you don't get a frost in July. The ideal climate for growing pumpkins lies 4-5 degrees north and south of the 45th parallel. Climates in these areas have sunny warm summers, with an appreciable amount of rain from May through September. The ideal temperature for a pumpkin is 85 degrees during the day, with no more than a 20-degree drop in nighttime temps. A relative humidity of 60% (+/- 20%) is optimal as well. Finally, a good soil consists of well-drained sandy loam. Soils with a pH of 6.8 and an organic matter content of 10% are desirable. Soil tests will tell you this information and are highly recommended on a yearly basis. It is a must for the beginner. Depending on the degree of involvement, giant pumpkin growing is a yearlong process. There are many things that can be done all months of the year that will ensure success in the years to come. During the off-season months of Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, and Apr, many growers spend their time collecting seeds, reading informative material, and preparing their patches. The fall is a great time to add compost, manure, leaves, and other organic materials to the patch. Till the garden in before the frost sets in, so the organics have the opportunity to decompose into nutrient-rich pumpkin food. Even after the ground freezes, you can add organic materials to the garden. The growing season usually begins around the last week in April. By this time, you will want to have your garden prepared for seeding. I suggest preparing at least 500 sq feet of area per pumpkin plant. Make sure the soil within this area is well tilled. Pumpkins do best in 100% sunlight. Try to remove any obstacles that may prevent this. Try to choose an area where water drains well. Pumpkins do not like wet feet! You want to set your seedlings into the garden after the danger of frost has passed. Pumpkins will NOT survive even a light frost. Therefore, I start all my seeds indoors during the last week in April. Begin by soaking the seeds in a warm, wet paper towel for an hour. Transfer the seed to a 4" peat pot filled with potting soil. Keep soil moist but not soaked. Keep container in a warm area. Within a couple days, a sprout will appear. After a week or two (depending on the outdoor temperature), plant the seedling into the prepared garden space and water thoroughly. You may want to cover the seedling during the night until nighttime temperatures have climbed into the 40's-50's. The pumpkin plant should receive at least 1" of water per week, whether its from rain or hand-watering throughout the whole season. I suggest fertilizing once per week with Miracle Grow 15-30-15 or a similar mixture. By June the plant should be vining in many directions. This is a very important time for the plant, as it is establishing a large root and leaf system necessary for large fruit growth. You can train the vines to go in any direction you like. I suggest preventing the vines from crossing each other, as this helps to prevent disease and maximizes plant area. Many growers like to bury vines with soil. At each leaf node, the vine will grow a root straight down. This greatly enhances the root system of the plant. This is good, because more roots=more food for the pumpkin. During the first week of July, you should see flowers appearing on the vines. When you see flowers appear, discontinue fertilization. Pumpkins have two types of flowers, male and female. Males have long stems, and grow upright. Females have a baby sphere-shaped fruit at their base and have short stems. Pumpkins are pollinated by bees, bugs, and people. Successful pollinations are necessary for the fruit to develop, and sometimes there are not enough bees around to do the job. Therefore, it's suggested that you become the "pollinator". This is done by pulling the pollen-loaded anthers from the male flower and rubbing them on a freshly opened female stigma (its that thing in the middle of the flower). Female pumpkin flowers are only receptive for a couple hours in the morning they open (6-10am). So it's a good idea to keep an eye on what flowers are opening. Try to pollinate as many flowers as you can. This provides a greater opportunity for more fruit to grow. You will know a pollination is successful if the fruit reaches volleyball size and is still growing (in most cases). Once the fruit are set and growing, you then want to thin them out to 2-4 per plant. Fewer fruit per plant means more energy for each pumpkin. Wait until the fruit reach beach ball size to cull them. Simply cutting them off at the stem will do. Make sure to keep the fastest growing, best looking fruit. After you have culled your fruit, slowly reincorporate your fertilizing program. During the months of July and August, pumpkin will be packing on big weight. In order to maximize this, maintain a consistent watering and fertilizing schedule. Plants do not like stress, anything that can be done to decrease the amount of stress in a pumpkin's life will benefit it (just like people, aren't they?) When the fruit reaches basketball size, align your fruit so that the stem makes a 90-degree angle to the vine. Move slowly, less than an inch per day until the right angle is achieved. This relieves stress and gives the fruit more room to grow. Don't allow summer heat to wilt the leaves, this is very stressful to the plant. Protect your pumpkin from the sun's scorching heat by building a small sun shelter. Prune back vine growth by mid-August so that the plant forces energy into the pumpkin. This is done by pinching off the tips of the vines, a couple per day, until all vines have been pruned. By September, the nights will become cooler and the fruit growth will slow considerably. Some growers cover the fruit at night with a blanket. This keeps moisture/frost from deteriorating the soft skin. Begin decreasing the amount of fertilizer towards the end of September. This decreases the likelihood of a split, due to quick growth spurts. The final step in the season is to harvest the pumpkin. Most weigh-offs occur the first weekend in October, so check around for information on exact dates. Finally, make sure to sit back and enjoy all the hard work you put into the season, and think about how you are going to beat your record next year. |
When it comes to seed selection for next spring, all growers want the "best" genetics. But what does that mean? And how do you go about deciding which seeds are the best? Often selections are made based on what a particular seed has produced in the past. Growers want "proven" seed. Seeds that "consistently" produce big fruit. But why do some seeds seemingly produce larger fruit than others? There has to be an explanation, and I propose one theory in the following text. Hybrid vigor occurs when two genetically different sources of DNA combine to form progeny that exhibit non-typical results. A horse and donkey cross produces a mule. It has the endurance of the horse, and strength of the Donkey, but cannot reproduce. The same type of results are found in the plant world. Typical characteristics of hybrid vigor as it may apply to pumpkins include: consistent, marked increase in size of fruit and plant mass, increased growth rate, and lack of seeds or sterile seeds. Looking back through the archives, there appear to be a few distinct groups of seeds that appear in most backgrounds. Some of these seed lines differ enough genetically that I believe some degree of hybrid vigor is expressed. As an example I will use the following seed lines- those based on "Lloyd" genetics, and those based on "holland" genetics of the early 90's. When a "Lloyd-Holland" cross is made, pure Lloyd genetics are combined with pure Holland genetics. The resulting seeds typically produce above average vigorous pumpkins. The 723, 846, and 815 are good examples of what I have termed a "vigor cross". Many of the 1000+ lb pumpkins grown to date are the result of a vigor cross. Lets take the 815 Checkon as an example. This fruit was grown on the 977 Andersen plant, and was pollinated by the 935 Lloyd. The 977 was grown on the 1006 Greer, which has a significant amount of Holland genetics in its background. This sets the stage for a vigor cross. The 977 seed is unique, because it is the result of a "selfed" cross. When you self-pollinate a flower, this serves to "purify" its genetics by not allowing "foreign" genetics enter the cross. By performing the self-pollination, this cut a possible 8 different grandparents on the female side to four, which, like I said, "purified" the Holland genetics. The 935 is also very unique situation where its parents both came from the same selfed pumpkin. This cut a possible 8 grandparents down to 2, producing very "pure" genetics. So what you are left with is the Neilly-Craven cross on the Lloyd side, and the 792 Holland, 722 Holland, 500 Dill, and 502 Ciliberto on the Andersen (holland) side. The result of all this is an extremely vigorous seed, the 815 Checkon. Here are some statistics that I believe to be both interesting and significant. Check it out: Based on data obtained from the AGGC, the average size pumpkin grown and officially weighed between 1999 and 2000 is 601lbs. The average size pumpkin as the result of a "vigor cross" in the same time period is 634lbs. That's a 5% difference. Not necessarily an eye opener, but something to think about none-the-less. Here's the kicker though- the average size of a pumpkin grown where the FEMALE is the 935 and the male is some other genetically different seed is 692lbs. That is a 13% difference. I consider that to be quite significant. Another interesting statistic- 9 of the 15 largest fruit ever grown are what I consider vigor crosses. I believe that the genetics in many of the Lloyd fruit (935, 876.5) differ enough from others to produce some degree of hybrid vigor. Keep this in mind though- hybrid vigor is not a day and night situation. There are varying degrees. The interesting part is I believe that we as growers can manipulate the genetics of our seeds to maximize the degree of vigor introduced into a seed. The more "purified" a seed's background is, the better chance it has for vigor. It makes sense- if a seed has many of the same ancestors at least 4 generations back, this significantly reduces the possibility of that seed sharing common genes with another seed of a different background. The 815 Checkon is a perfect example. Decrease the number of different ancestors, increase the possibility of hybrid vigor. Of course I must say the evidence provided here is by no means conclusive. This is just another theory like many others out there. However, I feel that this theory holds a significant amount of merit, which can be backed up scientifically. Here is a statement found in a chapter on squash breeding, from a book titled Breeding Vegetable Crops: "investigators have found support for the idea that inbreeding in Cucurbita does not decrease vigor... absence of inbreeding depression does not signify that hybrid vigor in Cucurbita is lacking. A number of investigators have found significant evidence for hybrid vigor." Atlantic Giants were not mentioned specifically in the book, the preceding text was in reference to all species of Cucurbita, which certainly includes the big pumpkins. Ever-improving grower knowledge and growing practices are likely the major cause of recent advances in giant fruit size. But having an education in the biology field exposed me to the importance of genetics in an organism. My idea is that by adopting theories from both aspects of growing, ie, environment and genetics, you will be well on your way to maximizing the potential of fruit in your garden. |
AG Hybrid Vigor Theory |
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updated on: October
8, 2004
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Pumpkin Growing Basics Growing a giant pumpkin can be very easy. It can also be very complicated. The neat thing about growing is that its up to the grower as to how complicated it becomes. Beginners usually just want to know the basics. Usually after one year though, many become hooked, and even obsessed with growing the big one. But we all have to start somewhere, which is the point of this writing. This article provides the most basic guidelines for growing big pumpkins. There are three aspects of growing that one needs to have in order to produce consistently large fruit. These are good seed, good weather, and good soil. The only way you are going to grow a fruit larger than 300 lbs is with the Dill's Atlantic Giant variety. Contact giant pumpkin growers and ask them for seed. It's that simple. |
The Top 10 Pests Associated with Growing Atlantic Giant Pumpkins (as determined by the members of BigPumpkins.com and the Mallorn mailing list) |
This is the first release in a series of top 10 lists regarding all things relating to giant pumpkins. I asked growers to list all the pests they encounter in their patches, ranking from most annoying/destructive/threatening to the least. The list was very diverse, as there were 26 different categories to tally when the results were calculated. I had predicted that the squash vine borer would be the winner, and the voters backed me up. A total of 26 growers contributed to the survey. Even though more data is always better, I feel there were enough contributors to develop a list that is fairly representative of the growing community as whole. The scoring system was simple- each pest on a submission was ranked 1-10. The top pest on each list was granted 10 points, the second 9 points, and so on. The total points for each category were calculated, and the top 10 was formed, based on this total point value. I have also included a "% points captured" column. I totaled the number of points for all 26 categories (775 points) and divided each top 10 pest by this total number to give a percentage. This represents what percentage of the total points each pest captured. Pest Points % points captured 1. SVB 99 12.8 2. Cucumber Beetles 80 10.3 3. Temperature Extremes 77 9.9 4. Other Animals (deer, moose 61 7.9 gophers, squirrels, skunks, etc.) 5. Powdery Mildew 55 7.1 6. Woodchucks 55 7.1 7. Rain extremes (hail, no rain) 52 6.7 8. Other people in the patch 37 4.8 9. Dogs 36 4.6 10. Squash bugs 32 4.1 ------ 75.3% Even though SVB topped the list, it only captured 12.8% of the total points. This shows that there are indeed a large number of problems that we as growers have to put up with on a daily basis, and that there is no single pest that really blows the others out of the water. The top 10 represents 75.3% of the total points attributed, meaning about one-quarter of the points are found in the 16 other categories. It may have been more beneficial to do a top 20, since there were that many categories to choose from. Growing the big one is a never-ending battle. You already know that, because as soon as one pest is under control, the next one rears its ugly head. At this point I have to assign an "Honorable Mention" to a category that I feel deserves to be listed. Coming in at just under the bar, the "me, myself, and I" category scored 31 points. If the scoring system had been based on number of votes rather than a point system, this category would have been ranked #5! However, it was towards the bottom of most people's lists, therefore did not receive a ranking in the top 10. Message to growers: Be careful out there! Quick description of pests- Our #1 contender begins as an egg, laid by a female borer moth, on the under side of a leaf or a vine. The egg hatches and the larvae makes it's way down to the vine. It then proceeds to drill a hole into the vine, leaving a sawdust trail in its tracks. The larvae chew their way through the vine, cutting off water and nutrient supply to your fruit. #2 Cucumber beetles are characterized by their yellow and black stripes. They appear by the hundreds in the middle of May, munching and mating on precious new growth. Also known to be a vector for a pumpkin bacterial disease. #3 Temperature extremes are tough to deal with. Frosts in May, June, and September are tough to deal with as they usually result in plant death. Extreme heat in July makes fruit setting tough and plants wilt. #4 Animals such as deer, gophers, and squirrels can be big pests. Why is it that they need to take just one bite out of your contest fruit? Why not munch on that cull you tossed into the compost heap? Seems like there is no trap smart enough to catch these animals. Mother nature always wins in the end. #5 Powdery Mildew is a fungus that shows up in mid-September. It thrives in humid, cool conditions. If infected, leaves will turn a dull-white color. The fungus blocks the ability to photosynthesize, thus choking the plant. #6 Woodchucks could have been lumped in with the other animals, but received enough votes to warrant a class of their own. These guys are smart, real smart. They are quite skittish, and usually do their damage at night. For some reason, an AG plant is the equivalent of a woodchuck buffet. They nibble vine tips, your biggest fruit, scratch the soil, and create problems all around. #7 Not enough rain will usually slow fruit growth, and on the other extreme, 1 inch hail will bring it to a screeching halt. Hail can deal a serious amount of damage in a very short time. However, even the Swiss-cheese shredded plants can recover and produce. #8 Other people in the patch can create some unique problems. It's the one pest on the list that you may feel guilty for removing. People just do not understand how fragile a grower's patch is. They stomp on vines, break leaf stalks, cull prize fruit and then proceed to call YOU crazy? The nerve! #9 They call him man's best friend, that is until he enters the patch. Dogs innocently run around the patches, doing much the same damage that people do. Whether they are chasing butterflies, the cat, or the owner, they always manage to create some sort of havoc. Rounding out the list is squash bugs. These bugs are brown in color and pretty good sized. They hang out around the stump of the plant, often times you will find their eggs in small groups on leaves. If there is a good thing about these about these pests, it's that all can be controlled some degree by the grower. Bugs can be sprayed, animals can be trapped, plants can be watered, and kids can be scolded. Of course, its hard to turn down mother nature's thermostat when its 104 in southern Georgia, but growers can cope with these problems by putting their heads together, letting creativity flow, and sharing great ideas on pest control. Keep the pest control ideas flowing, and thank you to those who contributed to my over-analysis of the top 10 pests. |
Hybrid Theory 2 This is a long overdue update to a previous article I wrote concerning hybrid vigor. In the two years since I wrote the first article, I have had plenty of time to toss around the possibility of hybrid vigor in Atlantic Giants. But before I dive into the gory details of what I've found, I'd suggest reading or re-reading the first version of this article. (It can be found on my website and at the AGGC.) There you will find the basic idea behind hybrid vigor and my initial analysis as it applies to AG's. In this update, I will once again offer data that supports the possibility of hybrid vigor in AG's. I will also use the same data to possibly disprove hybrid vigor. Sounds contradictory, eh? Frustratingly so, this is true. Read on Scientific literature states that C. maxima can and does experience hybrid vigor, but this was found to be true in other varieties of C. maxima, not Atlantic Giants specifically. The million-dollar question then becomes: is there enough genetic variation within particular lines of AG seeds, that when crossed, will exhibit a measurable degree of hybrid vigor? By looking at the family trees of specific lines, it is too hard to tell. Most trees become empty when tracing 5 or more generations back. Without knowing the ancestry of the particular seeds, there is no way of determining if they are related. Remember, in order to observe hybrid vigor, you would need to cross two significantly different sources of genetics within the same species. When the family trees led me to a dead end, I began compiling some numbers, based on data collected from the AGGC. I investigated a number of different AG seed histories, and one still stands out heads and tails above the rest- the Lloyd lineage. I reported on the significance of this line in the first article, and am standing by it in this one as well. Only this time, I have included the 876.5 Lloyd in my calculations, rather than singling out the 935 Lloyd. Onto the numbers What I did was calculate the average weight of fruit where the matriarchal grandma or grandpa was the 935 Lloyd or 876.5 Lloyd, and the opposite grandparent was not either of these fruit. This is the basic "vigor cross", where one grandparent is the 935 or 876.5, and the other grandparent is any other seed that does not have Lloyd genetics in its background. Common "vigor crosses" just "happen" to be the 723 & 845 Bobier, 846 Calai, and 712 Kuhn. After doing the math, I was left with 362 fruit resulting from a "vigor cross", with an average weight of 721.5 lbs. I then took the average weight of all non-vigor cross fruit registered at the AGGC between 1999 and the present. (I chose 1999 because that was the first year a "vigor cross" seed was planted.) This average was calculated at 634.9 lbs. Dividing this number by 721.5 gave a difference of 12.0%. That's right, 12%. To me that's big! The most basic interpretation of this data is simple, "vigor crosses" yield fruit that are an average of 12% heavier than other seeds. Initially, this sounds great. Who wouldn't plant a seed that offered an extra 12%? But unfortunately, we cannot conclusively interpret the data in this manner. Here's where the data begins to contradict itself, and the possibility of the theory goes down the toilet. The reason the "vigor cross" average is so high is because it contains fruit from seeds like the 723, 845 and 846, which have performed very well recently. Have they performed well because it's in their genetics, or because they receive favor from the growers who plant them, due to seed reputation? If an unknown seed grows a 1000lber, growers will jump on the bandwagon and grow the heck out of it the next year, often giving it favored attention in their patches based on its past. This may boost the average weight of fruit this seed produces, regardless of its genetics. Another problem I encountered was the fact that heavy hitters have greater access to seeds with excellent track records than average growers. Typically, a seed will do better in an experienced grower's patch than a grower with less experience. Its possible that a no-name seed could produce great results in the patch of a heavy hitter, and a 723 or 846 could be a dud in the hand of a newbie. Situations like these really skew the data, and makes it almost impossible to solidify hybrid vigor. However, I would like to offer some additional data that helps give hybrid vigor theory a boost. I did similar a similar analysis for other proven seeds, such as the 801 Stelts and 567 Mombert. In each case, not one of them came close the average shown by the "vigor crosses". This suggests that increased weights may be due to something special in the seeds, and not just gardener favoritism. In order to conclusively prove or disprove hybrid vigor, we would need to have all types of growers plant "vigor crosses" and non-vigor crosses side by side, treat them exactly the same, and record the results. Until that day comes, we have to work with what we got, and hybrid vigor will remain just a loosely put together theory. And here is where I make my disclaimer: what I offer in this article is simply an organized presentation of data. I myself am not convinced that current AG seeds can express hybrid vigor, however the data is significant enough to warrant consideration. The take home message is this: when pondering your seed selections for next year, don't overlook the potential of the "vigor cross", if hybrid vigor indeed is present in these crosses, that 12% might mean the difference between a personal best or just another big pumpkin. Constructive criticism is always welcome. |
Clockwise from top left: 798, 705, 1056, 657 |
Fast-forward a few months to March of 2003. I had set a goal of growing a 1000lb pumpkin, and I needed to find a few good seeds that could do it. Fellow Indiana grower Tom Beachy asked me to try a new cross he had made. He wouldn't tell me the genetics of this seed (and still hasn't, by the way), but convinced me this seed was worth a shot. I said "what the heck" and the 501 Beachy had earned the #2 spot in my lineup. As the end of April approached, I was becoming very excited about the upcoming season. However, I was a little skeptical about growing pumpkins at a brand new site. In preparation, I added many truckloads of composted manure to each of the 4-750sq foot growing areas I was focusing on. A subsequent soil analysis showed that I had a perfect pH, at 6.9. The N-P-K analysis showed everything was excessive! No need for granular fertilizers here. The organic matter came in at 11%. A little lower than what I like, but it was new soil, so that was to be expected. And having previously been an alfalfa field, I knew there was some potential in that soil. The months of May and June passed as normally as one could expect. The plants were growing well, the weather was favorable, and it was shaping up to be a good year. I train my plants in the typical x-mas tree pattern used by most growers. I also experimented with the every-other secondary pruning style, which proved successful for fellow grower and previous WI record holder, Clarence Koch. This process is summed up in its name-every other secondary is pinched off at the main vine. Pruning every other secondary essentially cuts the number of secondary vines in half, but increases leaf size due to the extra space available. During this period, I was watering with Neptune's Harvest fish/seaweed emulsion once per week. Every couple of weeks I added Miracle Grow 15-30-15 to the mix. I also made sure to bury every vine with composted manure, to promote secondary root growth and prevent wind damage to the vines. As far as bugs go, we had a very low population of cucumber beetles, and a few squash bugs. These are the primary pests in my area. As a preventative measure, I used Sevin on two separate occasions throughout the season. I believe the low bug population may have been due to the extremely deep frost we had last winter. The first female appeared about 10 feet out on the main vine the last week in June. Powdery mildew also made an early appearance around this time. I began control with Daconil, once per week. On July 5th, I made my first pollination on the 501 plant. I prefer to have my fruit set a little further down the main vine, however I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity for an early pollination. As nature would have it, subsequent pollinations on the main vine aborted, and it looked like the first fruit was going to be "the one". The little yellow globe got off to a great start, reaching 26.5" circumference by day 10. Not quite a personal best, but definitely a fast grower. By day 20, it had expanded to 75". I couldn't believe my eyes, looking over the numbers and realizing it had put on nearly 50" of circumference in ten days! One month after pollination the fruit was estimated at 359lbs. It was at this point that I realized this fruit was going somewhere, and I had all of August to get there. My fertilizing program did not change much for the rest of the season. I continued with the weekly fish/seaweed applications, and an occasional Miracle Grow application. Powdery mildew seemed to be winning the battle, and it had struck all my leaves pretty bad. Time to call for reinforcements. I ordered a bottle of Banner Maxx and let loose. This systemic fungicide, used once every two weeks, turned the tides in my favor. Powdery mildew was under control. By mid-August, the plant had filled its 750sq foot allotment. All secondaries had been terminated, forcing the plant to feed only the pumpkin. Mother Nature decided to turn off the water in Wisconsin around the 4th of July, and it didn't come back on until September. This meant I had to water roughly every other day during that time. The fruit didn't seem to mind where the water came from though, only that it got a healthy dose on schedule. This is evidenced by the growth data it posted- 553lbs gained in august, or 138lbs per week. The largest daily weight gain was recorded on August 1st, where the fruit gained a whopping 34lbs! There were a number of other 25-30lb days recorded in the week prior to and following that day. The first two weeks of August are typically Wisconsin's "golden period" where fruit can put on 200-300lbs in the short span. This is by far one of the most exciting times of the growing season. September approached rather quickly. I knew the cold weather was coming, and the fruit would start to slow down. However, the weather played in the pumpkin grower's favor, with the first 3 weeks averaging 70 degrees or warmer. The pumpkin taped out at 791lbs on September 1st. It was also developing a beautiful orange color. To my great relief, it also appeared very solid. I had no blossom or stem splits to worry about. Knowing that I had a decent fruit growing, and that the cold weather was inevitable, I constructed a makeshift greenhouse that would prevent the entire leaf system from freezing if a frost decided to make an early arrival. Sure enough, the last week of September turned unseasonably cold. We had our first frost on September 19th. The plant dodged a bullet and the fruit kept on growing. Beachy told me before the season began that this seed should grow well in September. However, I never expected to gain over 200lbs! My weekly estimated gains for the month looked like this: 79, 56, 44, 24, and 6lbs. A hard freeze the Wednesday before the contest completely knocked the leaves down. Even though the fruit was approaching 90 days old, it was still growing up until that freeze. As luck would have it, the week following the weigh off temperatures soared into the 80's. I can only imagine what could have been! I couldn't sit still waiting for the Friday before the weigh-off to arrive. Ilisa and I not so coincidentally planned our housewarming party for the same evening. This meant having a number of strong lifters around to help load "Sally" (Our president, Casey Neuville, is credited for naming this fruit). Sally taped out at 1002lbs on that Friday. If the pumpkin weighed right on the charts, I had reached my goal! Friends and family were really pulling for me, and called every night during that last week to see if I had reached the elusive "366 inches". The pumpkin was loaded in the back of my brother's truck without incident. After breathing a HUGE sigh of relief, we cracked open a few Leinie's and celebrated the rest of the evening. Every gardener who has grown a "big one" knows about pumpkin anxiety. Its that uneasy feeling of uncertainty combined with excitement and anticipation you get Friday night before going to bad, and doesn't go away until after the fruit hits the scale on Saturday. Well, let me tell you, I had a case of it real bad. Saturday morning arrived, and after a restless night's sleep, we embarked on the 3-hour trip to Nekoosa. As it turned out, Sally was the second to last fruit to be weighed. This gave me a good idea of how the competition looked, but truthfully I wasn't concerned with how the other pumpkins weighed. The true competition was with myself. I wanted more than anything for that fruit to weigh 1000lbs. Finally, the moment arrived for my baby to hit the scale. The emcee did a fine job of me pushing towards a nervous breakdown, hyping the fruit up and down. One final prayer, and I crossed my fingers as the men with strong backs heaved Sally onto the scale. 1...2...3...Push! Immediately the digital meter jumped up to 4 digits and my eyes grew wide open. Within a second or two it had settled on 1056. I could not believe it! The fruit had gone over 5% heavier than its estimate! A feeling of overwhelming joy and excitement flushed through my veins as I hugged family members and shook hands with friends. It was one of the most satisfying moments in my life. I had set a goal, and not only had I achieved it, but I smashed right through it. The ambition to grow giant pumpkins now runs thicker through my blood than ever. Some may think that once you have reached the top, you can back down or give it up. Not truethere's always a bigger and better goal to set. And that is exactly what I have done. The 2003 season ended on Saturday, October 4th. The 2004 season began on Sunday, October 5th. I plan to follow up this article with my suggestions and improvements for next year. Grow em big!!! |
The Summer/Fall of 2002 was both exciting and disappointing for me. Exciting in that I had just gotten married to my beautiful wife, Ilisa. We were also nearing completion building our new home. It made for a very eventful summer. As a result of all that was going on, giant pumpkins took a backseat. I screwed up in Spring by adding composted black walnut leaves to my soil. (Black walnut just happens to contain a toxin that inhibits plant growth). Doh! That, combined with a very cold wet spring, led too poor plant growth. All these factors culminated on October 3, 2002 when my pumpkin rolled onto the scale and the meter read "657". Coming off a great 1st year in 2001 with a 798lber, I expected more. However, it just wasn't meant to be in 2002. |
Growing the 1056 Ailts 2003 |
Growth Rate Information |
This info can be used as a general reference when comparing growth rates of your own fruit. Daily measurments are presented in inches of circumference. |
657 Ailts 6-Oct 4/29 5/09 7/10 22 42 65.5 89 105.5 118.5 126 133 137.5 141 142 142.5 144 146 146 8.2 712 Kuhn x self 310.5 615lbs 657lbs 625 |
798 Ailts 6-Oct 5/06 5/10 7/11 24.5 50.0 79 96.5 124 127.5 134 140 148.5 153.5 156.5 160 161.5 162 162 9.1 568 Andrews x self 343.5 812lbs 798lbs 700 |
705 Ailts split aug 23 :( 4/28 5/3 7/10 28.5 56.5 72 105 116 133 135 -- 15.7 711 Papez x self 322.5 675lbs 705lbs 700 |
Harvest date Seed start Seed planted Pollination date Day 10 (inches Day 15 circum.) Day 20 July 31 Day 25 Day 30 Aug 10 Day 35 Day 40 Aug 20 Day 45 Day 50 Aug 30 Day 55 Day 60 Sept 10 Day 65 Day 70 Sept 20 Day 75 Day 80 Sept 30 Day 85 Average lbs/day (from pollination to harvest) Parent + Cross Total inches Est Wt Actual Wt Plant Sq. Ft. |
Peak growth for the 798 and 705 was acheived during the first week in August, where the average daily weight increase was 25.3 lbs/day. During the second week of August, the average weight gain was 25.1 lbs/day. |
Note- Day 10-80 assignments are assuming a July 10th pollination date. For instance, your day 30 may fall before or after August 10, depending on your pollination date. Adjust values accordingly. |
1056 Ailts 3-Oct 5/05 5/10 7/07 26.5 48.5 75 98.5 115 129 138 144.5 152 156 161.5 163.5 167 168 170 171.5 12.0 501 Beachy x 568 Andrews 366.0 1002lbs 1056lbs |
830 Neuville 18-Sept 7/20 24.5 52 76.5 96 111 122 127 132.5 136 139.5 143 144.5 147.5 - - 13.8 712 Kuhn x 597 Keyzer 341.5 798.5lbs 830lbs |
