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Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

So I’ve been wondering for a while what goes on on the inside of pumpkins. By looking at the growth rate on one grown on a scale it seems that at dap 20 it’s walls are fairly thick and it’s 5% heavy. Then the growth pics up and the ott gets a lot bigger but by dap 50 it’s about 5% light. Then Ott growth drops drastically but it gets gradually heavier and heavier until it’s the same weight as ott predicted at around dap 90. then at dap 120 ott says growth stopped but really it’s doing 6/day. Finally at dap 130 it’s 10% heavy. I believe the trick is to leave it on the vine as long as possible and pumpkins with very high peak growths (60-70+) should end up lighter because the walls ae thinner. That last idea should explain why the 3156 was 13% heavy. It peaked at just below 60 but held it for 20 days.

10/15/2026 8:14:55 AM

Grittyville, WA

That's interesting Maurice. I think Steve Daletas's 2469 would back up your theory as it was heavy to chart (and probably passed its genes on to the 3156) and Steve said it never went above about 45 lbs per day but it posted its gains over a long period. The ones with thick genetics probably split less but abort more. The thick genetics are probably recessive. These are just my ideas not researched facts.

[Last edit: 10/15/26 10:36:55 PM]

10/15/2026 2:57:44 PM

Grittyville, WA

45 lbs per day reaching 2469 would be equivalent to 59 lbs per day reaching 3156

10/15/2026 2:58:44 PM

C N Y

I've been saying for many years that pumpkins are growing internally when all indicators show that growth has slowed or stopped on the outside. Without it being on a scale, no one knows anything until it is, at the weighoff. Not surprised to see quite often a fruit given up on only to find out too late that it was a heavy beast, lol. PS---I've sucked at my own advice in '26, lol! eric g

10/15/2026 6:11:59 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Yeah like all the big 2731 offspring (2565, 2741.5, 3156.) went to chart and a lot. Also they all had slower growth. Then the only thing is figuring out what makes a bigger pumpkin and it seems the heavy ones looking at the 2749, 2741, 2731, 2856.7, and 3156

10/16/2026 6:54:51 PM

Torrance, Ca.

That's funny you say that Little Catch up. When I grew the 2469, on my 5th abort ( about the size of a beachball ) I called Steve. He told me he was hearing this from many growers. He also told me, those that could get one to the end without aborting usually went heavy and then those seeds from that fruit had a high % of going heavy.
I was able to see the 2469 in his patch in late September and that thing was like a rock compared to all the other fruit in his patch at that time! He always had 40 to 45 pound days, never getting those 50 to 70 pound gains you hear from others.
Great post Maurice! I think the jury is still out on how to get our fruit a good % heavy. Water, feeding, calcium, growing area, there's so many reasons a fruit goes heavy. Hopefully AI will help us with this in the coming years! lol

10/20/2026 10:20:33 AM

Eugene,OR

This year I had heavy pumpkins and light pumpkins come from my patch. I lost a 50 day old 2154 Sperry to a BES with some of the thickest walls I have ever seen. I had a 2551 ford that BES at day 55 and weighed 100 pounds light. I had 2731.5 Stelts that made it to the scales that was right to chart at 2307 at dap 115. . I had a 2449 wolf that went down at dap 92 and was to chart. I had a 2469 Ford that thumped like a rock and went 3% light and was 122 days old. All were treated the same. I am convinced that heavy comes from genetics. I also am convinced that seeds that come from the same pumpkin can vary considerably in regard to percent heavy. I think the 2731.5 Stelts has proven this in 2026.

[Last edit: 10/20/26 5:08:15 PM]

10/20/2026 12:02:19 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

I agree that genetics definitely play a big role and some seeds have the tendency to go heavy or light but it doesn’t mean all will follow that pattern but maybe 70 percent of so

10/20/2026 5:50:31 PM

Bethlehem CT

Interesting report vineman, The theory of different seeds from the same pumpkin having different percent heavy capability makes sense to me.

10/21/2026 7:49:22 AM