A Big Thanks to Joe for the World Record Pollen

World Record Pollen

I've been praying for this.  Last fall Matt DeBacco took some cuttings from the plant that grew the world record 2,009 pound pumpkin vines and then got them to root and keep those cuttings going during the winter in a greenhouse.  I pollinated my 1421 Stelts from a cross of one of those cuttings and a seed from the 2009 pumpkin.  Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Grower club member and friend Joe got one of those clone plants this spring.  It was 90% dead when it arrived in the mail.  Obviously had gotten too hot during shipping but Joe was able to get it going again but it was stunted.  Because of that I didn't think there would be any pollen available for me.

1775 Pumpkin

I got lucky.  My 1775 Starr looked like it was going to open today but it didn't and a flower from the world record plant showed up ready to open tomorrow.  I know Joe probably had one of his own plants ready to be pollinated with the flower but he gave it to me.  So a big thanks to him!

One of the great things about crossing with a clone is that you know the traits of the plant and how big of a pumpkin it can grow.  Many a grower has lamented which of their plants they crossed with each other because sometimes you have a plant that grew a massive pumpkin that you crossed with a dude of a plant.  Crossing with a clone takes the guessing out of your crosses.

World Record Pumpkin

The 1775 Starr pumpkin was a massive and wide pumpkin, but not quite as tall.  The world record pumpkin was very tall.  Both pumpkins were the exact same size however having an amazing over the top measurement of 458 inches which ties them being the 2nd largest measurement for pumpkins ever.  The 1775 went very light so that is why it didn't end up as a world record.  Both pumpkins were grown from the 1725 Harp seed.

First, I'm hoping that this pollination takes.  Second I'm hoping I can grow a big pumpkin on the 1775.  Third I'm hoping that from this cross I can get the genes for the height of the 2009 and the width of the 1775 to get a very special pumpkin.

Yesterday I noticed some green algae on the soil.  With three days of 95+ degrees I nearly doubled the water so the soil has been wet.  This  evening I gave both of the pumpkin plants some BiotaMax, Actinovate and Azos to help kill any bad stuff that might be trying to grow in the soil.