From

Location

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Date Posted

Cologne / Germany

Martin, you did more than one of us here in Europe can ever imagine concerning a big pumpkin! That was just a great job that will be difficult to follow for everyone, not only here in Europe. I guess the hat of every grower is off to you right now.
Nevertheless, I have a few questions here. Why did you decide to take off the pumpkin so early and not take it to an official weigh-off? I assume the reason must be you have something else in your patch bigger than this one...-:)
Why is the pic with the pumpkin on the scale a photo composition when all your other diary pics are so nice and original? For a pumpkin that big, a digital scale would have been better, and a picture of the display and an audited voucher attached for everyone to see.
Why did you open the pumpkin so quickly? It would have been a wonderful display for good money until November, till Halloween or even longer. That´s what I did with my pumpkins last year, it ws much fun and didn´t harm the seeds in any wy.
Don´t get me wrong here, you are the pumpkin man, but these thoughts came to my mind tonight when I was sitting in the patch in front of these small pumpkins...LOL

9/15/2005 8:38:46 PM

Long Island,New York

Pumpkin lawyers already?

9/15/2005 9:24:17 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Sure I wouldn't cut it so soon. Man! What a monster! I am jealous indeed.
All my congrats to you Martin. You made a fine job for many years, and now you got it. For me this pumpkin of yours is the most beautiful giant pumpkin the World has ever seen and the biggest out of North America, for many years.
(Until I get a new good year again. LOL)
You are the inspiration. I am sure many of us will turn orange too!

CArlos

9/16/2005 1:44:15 AM

Knopp, Germany

Way to go Martin, job well done. I am sure your email runneth over...LOL

9/16/2005 1:52:20 AM

Germany (Kirchheim / Bavaria)

Congratulations Martin. That`s really an Atlantic "GIANT"!

9/16/2005 2:02:55 AM

Itzetown City

Congrats again Martin, awesome Job.

Floh, some days ago I received the following mail:

**Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
für unsere TV-Agentur bin ich auf der Suche nach einem Kürbiszüchter in Deutschland, dessen Kürbisse groß genug sind, dass man aus diesen ein Boot, das selbst eine ausgewachsene Person übers Wasser befördern kann, schnitzen könnte.
Nun wollte ich Sie fragen, ob Sie einen solchen Züchter kennen und ob es möglich wäre, dass Sie mir den Kontakt herstellen könnten.
Auf Ihre Antwort freue ich mich
Redaktion
B.L.& P. Film und TV GmbH**

I gave Martins and Owens adress to the sender, may be Martins Pumpkin is now swimming on the Donau. LOL

9/16/2005 3:35:57 AM

Loitsche/Sachsen-Anhalt/Germany

Congrats martin !!

9/16/2005 4:27:26 AM

Austria

First of all copngratulations Martin for 1233.5 pounds of pure beauty. This pumpkin deserves its place on the main page of bigpumpkins.com if you ask me. Maybe also Don L. should get pictures for his new book. This pumpkin even Joe Pukos sees as one of his personal dreams. It makes Martin a legend is his lifetime just like the circumstances that he cut it open just after having it weighed. I`m sure and hope he took a lot more pictures than those in his diaries right now. Martin`s committment to secure the seeds is outstanding. Everyone of us knows that this pumpkin is worth 3000.- Euro in Ludwigsburg, quite a bit of money. I believe and hope for Martin he has another one going, that can take first place in Ludwigsburg and myabe even pass 500 kg once again. Now seeing the pictures of that pumpkin being cut open so soon was a shock too and some of us will not understand or even having their eyes getting wet. This is sure heart breaking as some may have been looking forward to see and touch this unique pumpkin in Ludwigsburg, getting pictures taken etc.. On the other hand just imagine how hard ist must have been for Martin. I can`t and don`t want to imagine. The daigle/stelts cross may be Martin`s center of attention and this baby going so big, orange AND heavy and beautiful just a bonus. Must be a full time job dealing with all that seed requests. Martin don`t forget me, being second in the groveling line ;-))

The book "The Perfect Pumpkin" should be re-written.

9/16/2005 4:28:54 AM

Germany

Meine Glückwünsche, Martin zu Deinem Riesenerfolg!

Carsten

9/16/2005 6:30:24 AM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

congrats again! thought it was a shock for me to see it cut down too :-(

9/16/2005 6:32:08 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Martin....YOU DA MAN!.........CONGRATS!

9/16/2005 6:36:03 AM

Belgium Europe

Congrats,Martin... More than 550kg... Unbelievable!!!
'Got Reiss'? !!!

9/16/2005 7:56:08 AM

Netherlands

You probably already know Martin that this is the 19th heaviest pumpkin ever officially weighed and the 25th heaviest pumpkin ever grown (damaged or uow).
Congratulations.
I won't ask you for seed as there are other growers that deserve them more, but if you want to keep them in Europe, I won't say no and will give it a special place in my garden next year.

9/16/2005 9:25:57 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

First of all, thanks for all your wishes and congrats!

Ingo,
When I cut the pumpkin away from the vine it hadn't grown anything for almost one week. I used the indicator clock to see if there is anymore (even if only minimal) growth but the fruit just had stopped. The only weighoff that makes any sense to me is the one in Ludwigsburg. But it's still three weeks away which could mean damage (frost, rot, vandalism) to my fruit and I also don't agree with their policy concerning the seeds. Burg Konradsheim is too far away, they have no prizes and to top it off their website says that they also keep the fruit. I don't know of any other weighoffs in Germany apart from a few regional ones but I bet they don't have a scale to weigh a pumpkin like this. And it wouldn't help me a thing if I took the fruit there only to hear "does everybody agree that this one is the winner" when all other pumpkins there are in the 50 to 100 kg range. For me personally it is very important to have an exact weight of the pumpkin as I want to know how much it was over or under the chart and what my personal record really is. Last year, before I took my pumpkins to Ludwigsburg, I weighed them on four bathroom scales and added the weights and compared to the official weights the numbers from the bathroom scales were quite incorrect. These local weighoffs often have the old scales where you have to put weights on, etc. and I don't trust them. Like I said, I always want to know the exact weight because otherwise I would question the weight all winter long and it wouldn't give me a moment's rest if I didn't know what the real weigh was.

9/16/2005 11:18:29 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

So, why is the photo of the pumpkin on the scale a composition? Sorry, I forgot to mention it in my diary... I was still really excited about the weight and the problem with my weighoffs pics was (and still is) causing me a headache. My buddy Richard, who is quite a computer guru, made that picture for me so that I at least have something to give you guys an idea of what the scale and the whole weighting setup looked like. I will make sure to post many "official" pictures as soon as I have them... there are about 110 on that darn SD card! Shouldn't be too long... You, Owen and others gave me some good advice concerning the pictures and I'm sure I'll have them real soon.
Why no digital scale? Well, I couldn't find a good one. I asked every company and place that came to my mind but they either were only able to weigh up to 300 kg or if they could weigh more they were not very accurate. A truck scale from a construction company and a truck scale from a scrap dealer were both only accurate to 5 kg and not certified, not accurate enough for me. The platform scale, a so called "Schaltgewichtswaage", in the picture was the best one I could find: up to 1000 kg, accurate to 0.1 kg and certified till 2007, usually used to weigh fruits that people deliver to have juice made. It is an analogue scale but is it automatically less correct than a digital scale? I didn't think so. And is a digital read out really so much of a proof? Not for me. Often the display is shown in another picture than the fruit on the scale. And even if both the display and the fruit on the scale are in one picture, who knows what else is sitting on the platform behind the fruit?

9/16/2005 11:19:18 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I'm not accusing anyone who might have posted such pictures, these are just my thoughts. Pictures can lie uncertified scales can lie and people can lie. Certified scales and honest people can’t.
Why did I cut the fruit open so quickly? Because I had bad experiences. Last year, I harvested my 845 Bobier and my 783 Daletas on Sept. 19th and let them sit under a rain cover till Halloween for carving. When I cut them open, many seeds were germinated. It made me furious. I'm not sure why it happened but I could imagine it was the sunshine on the fruits or the higher than usual temps. Anyways, there was no way I wanted to risk that again this year. I already have tons of seed requests plus I have definite plans of planting the seed next year so I not only need a few seeds but all. I also have never been able to make any money with my pumpkins unless they won at the weighoff. I don't know how you did it but I'd like to know it for the future.

All the best,
Martin

9/16/2005 11:19:32 AM

Netherlands

Sorry about the previous entry. The 1233.5 Reiss is #20. I forgot one pumpkin. It is the first 1200 weighed put I know of quite a few others this year that are damaged and a number that are not. This year will probably produce quite a few 1200+ pumpkins. I expect quite a few to be damaged.

9/16/2005 12:31:15 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

congrats Martin for your 557 kg you are the best!!
Sergio

9/16/2005 12:35:09 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Congratulations Martin!
I hadn't visited BP in a few days and missed all the action.
Great job on growing the most beautiful huge pumpkin I have ever seen. 1233.5! Thats awsome! Vince

9/16/2005 12:49:57 PM

Utah

Martin,
That is just an awesome pumpkin. I'm very happy for you ! and you've proved that orange and big can and do go together- extremly well. heavy to the chart too. Also you answered all the questions very well, I don't know about everyone eles, but I think if I was in the same position that I would have done the same thing.
Congratulations again! !!!
gordon

9/16/2005 2:38:38 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

For me it was 560 Kg. And this is the number I tell everybody. I say: this is the best way to loose a record, 90 Kg difference and with that grat shape and colour. What it deserves is an exactly reproduction in plastic material. I would make it.

9/16/2005 2:46:41 PM

Sancoins / Cher / FRANCE

Congrats Martin !!!
jean louis

9/16/2005 3:29:15 PM

Belgium

congrats Martin, you are the Man!!!!
Jan

9/16/2005 6:19:57 PM

Udine, Italy

Another consideration: based on AGGC available data, 1233,5 lbs of pumpkin in 320 sq ft, (3,85lbs/sqft); only the 1353,5 Liggett (4,51 lbs/sqft) made better on ratio weight/surface, great work Martin!
Paolo

9/17/2005 9:34:30 AM

Buren Ameland,West Frisian Islands, Netherlands

Martin,
What a giant beauty!
Congratulations!
This marvellous result I did not expect in Europe so soon.
It is very clear to me, why you did it this way.
Some of the descendants might spread over Europe and other parts of the world next year?
Great work!
Theo.

9/17/2005 4:47:53 PM

Loitsche/Sachsen-Anhalt/Germany

Martin, I would like to repeat my congratulations and raise my hat again. One really good result in an actually not so good year. Many Growers were very unlucky with Split and the weather was far too cold. Therefore your performance has to be gazed in admiration even more. Good luck next year.

9/25/2005 3:05:23 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Way to go Martin!
Guess you found the secret!

10/2/2005 7:23:01 AM