From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Kutztown, PA

A couple of pumpkins viewed in the PA auction list are listed as DMG, i.e. the 2200 Wolf and the 2376 Bayuk. A few questions:
1. Since I believe there's some interest in knowing if a pumpkin had a structural problem or simply had some rot, is there anyway of know what the damage actually was?
2. Does a damaged pumpkin still get an official weight? I thought damaged pumpkins were disqualified and never made it to the scale?

Can someone explain the "Damaged Pumpkin" system, if there is one?

1/24/2022 9:20:12 AM

Western NY

There is no way to specify why a pumpkin landed a DMG designation, besides asking. A split vs. an animal bite could be the deciding factor in planting a seed. Right now, the easiest way is to ask. If a pumpkin got an official weight at a GPC site, it will be listed at the bottom of the results.

PS - here's the story behind my 2200: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=321234

1/24/2022 9:38:16 AM

Kutztown, PA

Thanks Andy.

PS - growing a 2365 this spring.

1/24/2022 9:52:09 AM

Kutztown, PA

Wow Andy - that's a real heartbreaker. The explanation means a lot though since the damage cant be assigned to anything structural/genetic.

1/24/2022 9:57:57 AM

Kutztown, PA

Andy,

Are you anywhere near Canandaigua?

1/24/2022 9:58:44 AM

Western NY

No, I'm about an hour south of Buffalo, Little Valley / Ellicottville area.

1/24/2022 10:03:05 AM

Colorado

Its part of picking your seed line up /wish list.Finding out the story that led to the DMG designation. Theres been a lot of great pumpkins that went down the last two weeks of the season. Some have even split on the way to the contest.Helps to have thick skin in this hobby.

1/24/2022 12:52:12 PM

Kutztown, PA

Anyone know the story on the 2520 Schmidt ?

1/24/2022 1:18:49 PM

Kutztown, PA

and what about the 2376 Bayuk DMG 2021?

1/24/2022 1:36:38 PM

Kutztown, PA

Never mind - I just figured out how to email people directly from the growers diary.

1/24/2022 3:02:55 PM

Western NY

I believe they both post youtube videos also. Very informative.

1/24/2022 3:10:57 PM

Kutztown, PA

I got the down low from Scott Bayuk. Mice ate a large area of skin of the bottom of the 2376 Bayuk.

1/24/2022 3:56:07 PM

Nova Scotia

At one time years ago, we listed DMG pumpkins as UOW, Unofficial Weight. I never liked the designation DMG, just seems unfair and sends out the wrong message growers. There have been some what I call, UOW pumpkins in the past whose seed produced future great pumpkins! Maybe someone can come up with a better terminology?

1/24/2022 5:30:22 PM

Germany

DMG is fine, it clearly tells that the fruit has had a problem which made it a non-competition fruit (in contrast to EXH fruit, which have been sound). In my opinion, UOW just means that the weight has not been determined in accord with GPC rules (bathroom scales or crane scales at home), but the fruit should have been sound (basically), otherwise it should read DMG/UOW. Using UOW for a fruit which has a weight determined in accord with GPC rules...actually a weight which is as it is and which cannot be made more accurate (but the fruit cannot participate in the competition because of a damage) is misleading. It looks like the weight wouldn´t be as accurate, and the information as to the reason for removing this fruit from competion (DMG or just EXH) got lost. EST, however, means that the weight is just derived from a guess (in an ideal case according to the latest OTT chart and a perfect measurement).

1/25/2022 3:37:43 AM

Kutztown, PA

I'm a newbie so I don't have any past experience or standing. Having said that, it would be nice to have a little more detail regarding the type of damage, e.g. biological (rot or rodent) or structural, and maybe damaged in transit.

Don't all pumpkins have to make it to the scale before they're assigned a weight? Seems like that's what the rules say? Am I wrong?

1/25/2022 10:11:03 AM

Western NY

If they're in the results listing, they made it to the scale for an accurate weight. Like Pumpking stated, this is the breakdown:

DMG - split / rot, but made it to scale
EXH - Pumpkin was fine, just a second entry for a grower ineligible for competition.
UOW - usually weight on a home scale which may not be as accurate. These won't show in the results listings, but you may notice them on a seed packet or the pumpkinfanatic site.
EST - estimated weight. Didn't make it to any scale for some reason.

1/25/2022 10:17:51 AM

Germany

Yes and no. "Don't all pumpkins have to make it to the scale before they're assigned a weight?"

- They have to make it to the scales on GPC events before they make it into the GPC charts (as competition weights or EXH or DMG).
- They can be entered into diaries or data bases (such as pumpkinfanatic) with their official weights (as mentioned above) or with unofficial weights determined by the grower (e.g., at home) or even with estimated weights (EST).

The pumpkinfanatic database offers the possibility of editing official data and of adding helpful info with private entries. Hence, every grower can add some lines regarding the type and reason of DMG (no matter if it was an official entry which made it into the data base without the aid of the grower or if it is an entry created by the grower).

1/25/2022 10:17:54 AM

Kutztown, PA

Thanks to all! - that's interesting and good to know.

1/25/2022 11:05:41 AM