Approaching uncharted territory but with issues

The last posting on the 9th (you can read it here) I was pretty optimistic with the giant pumpkin growing for this season, up to that point.  The first pollinated pumpkin was up to about 150 pounds.  Today, 16 days later, I'm approaching uncharted territory!

My biggest pumpkin I've ever grown was the 595 pounder produced last year, but well short of one of my goals of growing a half ton pumpkin.  That particular pumpkin 38 days after pollination (DAP38) was 339 pounds and that wasn't until Aug 22nd.  This year the1990 Marintzer pumpkin on DAP38 (today the 25th) taped at 534 pounds!  So, comparing at the same biological date - it's MUCH bigger!  More importantly it has put on 64 pounds in just the last 2 days!  Here is a pic of that pumpkin (and it's just barely showing any orange)...


Certainly a lot could still happen (insects, disease, weather, split stems, etc.), but I'm liking  my odds that this will be my first 1000 pound pumpkin. 

However, not every thing is going well in the pumpkin growing. The adjacent plant, the 595 Hutton, had a rapidly growing pumpkin (even faster than the 1990) but it suddenly quit putting on weight.  After a quick inspection, I found that the main vine was completely split wide open in about 10 foot section.  I suspect it was a vine borer but it basically quit feeding the pumpkin and the plant was likely going to die.  However, I buried the entire vine in dirt and it looks like the plant is going to recover, to a point.  I did pollinate another pumpkin on a secondary vine (less desirable) and it appears to be growing quickly. I may abort that first pumpkin on the main vine if this secondary (and late pollinated pumpkin) keeps growing fast..

Then there is the 1989.5 Daletas plant and pollinated pumpkin.  The plant is very healthy and vigorous.  The pumpkin pollinated naturally by bees (meaning I don't know which plant was the pollinator) is growing quickly.  Today was DAP27 and it taped at 236 pounds.  However, there is a major issue as the stem feeding the pumpkin has split which essentially will end the growth or at least substantially limit it's growth. I did tape up the stem but I'm not too optimistic that will "fix" the stem.

The final plant is extremely vigorous and "had" 3 pumpkins (now two).  The pumpkin on the main vine was not expected to grow as I didn't have any pollen to pollinate it with when it flowered and it was a full 24 hours before it was pollinated (after the female flower opened).  But it did take and has been steadily growing.  Two other pumpkins on secondary vines (again not desirable) were pollinated.  I removed one of them (97 pounds) to let the other 2 have more available energy.  I will likely limit the plant to just one so one of two and will remove one within the next few days.  The pumpkin on the main vine taped at 153 pounds (DAP25) and the other at 151 pounds (DAP24).  I'm not sure which one to keep.

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