Jeff's Great Pumpkin Challenge

Unbelievably there has been more high wind.  Last Friday a thunderstorm rolled in packing 65 MPH winds!  This tore up quite a few leaves, especially on the 1733 which had been the healthiest plant.  It also moved a few vines breaking roots.  This no doubt has slowed down growth on the original pumpkin.  Another 50 MPH wind occurred Sunday.  At the airport a record has already been set with the number of days with 50 MPH winds or higher - and it's only JULY!  In the post I did six days ago on the 12th (read it by clicking here ) I discussed the pumpkin on the 1733 plant that was open pollinated on the 2nd while we were in Colorado.  It's growth was steady but "slow" compared to last years biggest pumpkins.  On the 12th it was about 7 pounds...this evening about 37 pounds.  I made the hard decision to cull it due to it's slower growth (comparatively), because I didn't know what the pollinator was, and there is another pumpkin but on a secondary vine. This now

In the post I did on the 4th (read that one by clicking here ) I discussed the wind but also posted about the pumpkin that pollinated while we were in Colorado.  As of this morning that pumpkin on the 1733 plant was "only" up to approximately 7 1/4 pounds.  This would be day 10 after pollination.  Compared to my 542 pounder from last season and the 510 pounder, it's way behind the curve.  The 542 from last year was at 10.2 at DAP10 and the 510 was at 14.4 pounds!  Anyway, I wasn't necessarily planning on keeping this one as I wasn't 100 percent certain what the pollinator was plus it's only 10 feet from the base of the plant.  I'm not culling it just yet.  Here is that 7.25 pound pumpkin this morning.... I pollinated another female on this 1733 plant on Tuesday the 10th but on a tertiary vine (third off the main).  The pollinator was from the 1861 plant.  Both the 1733 and the 1861 have great genetics!  Both were decedents of 2,145 (McMullen) and 2,230

A week ago (read that post by clicking here ) I discussed the ridiculous wind that has occurred this spring and early summer.  Since that post we've had another two high wind events of 60 MPH plus!  But, I didn't see much damage, thankfully.  Also in that last post I discussed how far behind the growing is/was compared to last year.  My original goal was to get the first pollination completed on the 1st of July.  If I got a fruit set by July 15, I would have felt fortunate.  Last year the state fair second place pumpkin was pollinated on July 8. We left on a trip to Colorado on  June 29th and returned yesterday, the 3rd.  I knew there was a female on the main vine of the 1733 plant but thought I had a least a week before it opened. The main vine it was on had/has issues as the tip shriveled up from the hot wind!  Regardless, it looks like the pumpkin pollinated while we were gone, probably on the 2nd!  Two issues  though. 1) I don't know what male was the pollinator, al