Message Board - BigPumpkins.com

nOVA sCOTIA

Beni Meier will be unstoppable now.No lucky streaks with this guy!!! 2328,,,2323.7,,,2102 and 2096.6 all within 2 years!! I figure he will grow something around 2500lbs next year unless he takes a year off!!!

11/15/2014 12:01:03 PM

pg3

Lodi, California

The California growers are catching up. We will see next year what will happen.

11/15/2014 5:18:12 PM

Frank4

Rhode Island

Ron Wallace,,,,,, He has been a proven World Champion !!!!!
1502 and 2009

11/15/2014 5:50:06 PM

Napa Ca.

Lets just say it wont be in North America. Your just dreaming if you think so.

11/15/2014 6:41:54 PM

So.Cal.Grower

Torrance, Ca.

I was thinking after a year off samdog,,,,,,,,,,,, you may be the one ;)

Its only 8.9 pounds more a day during peak growth then you did last year,,,,, you got this!

11/15/2014 7:07:59 PM

Napa Ca.

Ok, Why don't you contact one of our 11 GPC board members and ask why this cant be achieved in North America. Then, write down their response and revisit it November 1st 2015.

11/15/2014 7:18:34 PM

Napa Ca.

No one wants to touch this with a ten foot pole.

11/15/2014 7:20:40 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

one thing is for sure!!! Ron has the seed in his hand to do it,,,,and i will be waiting patiently for results:)Please don't take this as a neg comment,,,,,,,,

11/15/2014 7:46:21 PM

Muddy Waters

You guys are funny. No one absolutely, no one has ever won this contest year after year.We all have a decent shot at it.I for one aint throwing in the towel.

11/15/2014 7:51:13 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

we are talking 300lbs over last years WR...not 30lbs...

11/15/2014 7:58:37 PM

So.Cal.Grower

Torrance, Ca.

My post was not intended to be negative in any way Tim.

Just enjoying the boards after a long day at work.

You the man!!

11/15/2014 8:22:51 PM

Andy H

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Tim, I don't think you are giving yourself nearly enough credit. Beni is the stud this year, I think I have a man-crush on him, but what about John Hawkely and Pete Glasier? Between the 3 of you there are 4 2000 lb'ers there. Rob Globus, two over 1900 lbs. Weather being the x-factor, I think the record could easily come back to North America. Obviously the knowledge base is already here. Keep an eye on Mark/ Bubba Clementz, I have never seen a grower master so many categories in such a short time. It is by no means a done deal. The top growers are far too "A" driven to throw in the towel. As an outsider looking in, the field is wide open.

11/15/2014 9:05:43 PM

Napa Ca.

Not taken negative. It's just that Beni's got this down so good, most growers including I will not be able to duplicate.

11/15/2014 9:07:03 PM

Napa Ca.

Andy, ASK the GPC why?

11/15/2014 9:08:24 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

wish my name as Andy?...lol

11/15/2014 9:47:48 PM

Dale M

Anchorage Alaska

I personally think that the day a backyard grower, could possibly break the WR... in a perfect season is gone..

11/16/2014 1:22:04 AM

Alaska

Not next year. Temperature extremes will be too much, IMHO. Dale Marshall will get close because Alaska is the next Florida,lol. Go Dale!

11/16/2014 4:47:51 AM

nOVA sCOTIA

i agree with you 100% Dale but a new Canadian record can be grown and in my mind that is just as big an achievement :)))

11/16/2014 5:43:50 AM

mothmiller

Barnesville, Ohio

Andy H is right on the money on this one! I do respect what Beni has done but I don't see any reason why the next "Heavyweight Champion of the World" can't be from North America. With the right seed in hand, we have too many proven growers that have the ability and knowledge to get the job done. Heist, Barron, Brungard, Neptune, Harnica, Rose, Steil, Watson, Gehweiler are a few names that come mind that were not mentioned by Andy H.

11/16/2014 8:30:45 AM

pap

Rhode Island

i think there are many areas in north america where the perfect growing conditions and a new wr is very possible.
the one thing i will say in support of growers that do have a closure available to their plant year round (when needed ) is that they can do certain things inside that closure that we can not do outside.
pap

11/16/2014 12:43:30 PM

cojoe

Colorado

Sure Its possible to grow a wr outside of a greenhouse. The weather in august sept will have to be ideal. I'm expecting Ian and Stuart P. to shine in the next couple of seasons.

11/16/2014 12:52:12 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

has anyone asked the GPC reps why? This is too funny!!

11/16/2014 3:14:44 PM

Muddy Waters

Dang burn it!You guys popped my bubble.I give up theres no beating Beni.I might as well turn on the oven bake all these seeds up with some salt.LOL! Wow!I Cant beleive you guys are so easily discouraged.

11/16/2014 3:24:08 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

ahahaaaaa..I'm just looking forward to pounding the Canadian record :)

11/16/2014 3:26:38 PM

GEOD

North Smithfield, RI

Things change US and Canada in 2015 . Too many great growers and heavy hitters to think otherwise !!!

11/16/2014 4:10:03 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

i think cojoe has a man crush also Andy...lol

11/16/2014 4:13:14 PM

Alaska

I think Beni Meier's record will stand for a few years and here's why. Since the year 2000 when Dave Stelts held the record at 1440. The weight gains from his record pumpkin till now are as follows 122/75.6/47.4/61/23/33/187/36/85/8.5/198.5/23 and the current record holder Beni broke the record by 291.7 lbs. That was the largest weight increase over the previous record by allot. I'm just saying if someone does break the record it ain't gonna be by much. Let's put it this way make sure your scale reads tenths not pound or half pound increments. IMHO.

11/16/2014 5:29:23 PM

Alaska

Beni will be the one to break his own record. I think everybody's forgetting he broke the standing WR how many times this year? Mind blowing! Weather is only an excuse imho. It's all about time put in, dedication and a growers ability to learn and adapt. IMHO

11/16/2014 6:06:09 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

i love to give credit where credit is due!!! If he doesn't grow next year i just figure he will give the rest of the world time to play catch up!!! Good point Scott

11/16/2014 6:18:57 PM

fisherray

Western NY

and money spudley

11/16/2014 6:35:13 PM

huffspumpkins

canal winchester ohio

"weather is only an excuse"
Kind of a broad statement and it's not correct in my mind. before my response to it I'll say I grow without a greenhouse,a overhead hail netting set up & don't use "mini"green houses in the spring to get a jump on things. I have absolutely no ill will towards those who do because if I had the money to do so I probably would add some protection to my patch. It's a choice I've made so it's all good.
Now on to... Weather is only an excuse ....
I could be having a great year here in central ohio and then hail, or high winds from a tornado or 4" of rain in a day that may split the pumpkins. Weather is not a excuse , weather is a fact for those of us who grow unprotected.
Do I want pity...hell no!!!
Just recognize the fact that weather is not only a excuse

11/16/2014 6:42:58 PM

Muddy Waters

Kudos to Beni I admire & respect his accomplishment.I would like to thank him for showing us what is possible.Now back to the drawing board.Bubba is going to do everything he can to top the 2323.7 Being shy timid and humble never grew a thing.Its time to whack it out of the park.Now we have all winter to gain knowledge on how to do it.Let the growing begin!

11/16/2014 7:14:25 PM

Tomislav

Croatia, EU

Spudley, right on point, although I agree with huffspumpkins on the weather thing.

11/16/2014 7:49:26 PM

Smoky Mtn Pumpkin (Team GWG)

Alaska

Yea I probably should of said you can better control your growing environment by growing inside. Not everybody is willing to spend or can afford a grow house.

11/16/2014 8:06:32 PM

mothmiller

Barnesville, Ohio

If Competitive Giant Pumpkin Growing Ever Becomes An Olympic Sport, I Nominate Bubba P To Be Our Captain Of Team USA. Kudos To You Mark C For Having The Fiery, Competitive Spirit That This Sport Demands To Be The Next Pumpkin Growing Champion Of The World!

11/16/2014 8:13:50 PM

spudder

I sent an email to one of the reps early this afternoon but no reply as of yet. Since it is Sunday , i don't expect a reply today and it is possible that if there is a reason they might not want to say. Might cause more fights if people think there is an unfair advantage (can't imagine that !!)
Personally, i think he is just darn good.

11/16/2014 9:22:25 PM

sevierville, Tn

I tell my kids, the only things you can't do are the things you say you can't ! If you don't believe you can from the start, then you have already lost !
Go team Bubba !!

11/17/2014 6:42:44 AM

Germany

A greenhouse with a hydroponic pool (600-800 sqft area, 1.5 ft deep, some kind of a grid on top as a support for the plant)...just have a look at the results of those few growers who have grown hydroponic AGs, with only the main root and perhaps a few tap roots reaching into the juice of goodies, and they have shown that this simple setup (which we might call "pumpkin plant in a big bucket") can already produce average size AGs. Correlate these promising results with your expectations you associate with the transition of a pumpkin plant from a big pot onto a big patch. Combine the optimization of this dimension with the experience of a regular heavy hitter and you might hit the black spot of where to find some of the new WRs. It probably depends on who wants to (and who can afford to) try to grow some AGs with such a "patch" setup.

11/17/2014 7:13:27 AM

spudder

Pumpking I guess that someone has to learn to "master their enviroment" like Beni has and maybe replicate or come up with a better one.

11/17/2014 2:08:26 PM

Germany

Beni probably does a good load of things different from how other growers do them. The hydroponics thing I had mentioned was just an example of how one could try to do things completely different. There might be other ways of doing things completely different. Coming up with better strategies might be better than just trying to replicate the environment of Beni´s pumpkins.
Like in 2012 and the years thereafter a good bunch of growers did take advantage of the "new method" of growing a spring/summer cover crop (inoculated with myco) and tilling/digging ahead of the plant, some other "new methods" will be the key to the one or the other jump in fruit weights. The cover crop thing was basically an addition to growing methods while maintaining the other parts of the proven growing strategies. The hydroponics example was just meant to say that one could also try to change things in a much more dramatic manner.

11/17/2014 2:49:28 PM

Germany

That said, now it probably is the time to say that I think that Beni already grows his pumpkins in a very special way of hydroponics. Yes, he grows his plants in soil, but potting soil (with 70% organic matter...somewhere I read that Beni grows in soil with about 70% organic matter...I guess this could be stuff like peat, coconut fibre etc.) might be something pretty empty, like pebbles in a hydro pot, just offering much more surface. This additional surface helps with oxygen uptake from air (a constant slow flow of nutrient solution through this soil could then be seen as a system related to a pebbles-filled hydro pot with nutrient solution and air bubbles pumped through the pot all the time) and the absence of significant amounts of clay minerals and related stuff helps to prevent soil compaction.

11/17/2014 2:57:13 PM

Germany

My final thoughts in this context:
Growers who are especially after Beni´s seeds from 2014 probably think that the only (or the most important) key to his 2014 success was in the genetics. (Oh yes, of course, from 3 different seed stocks he always picked THAT silver bullet seed which was meant to produce the new world record.) But look at 2012 when he grew a European record from the 934 Schieder seed...and other growers also grew that seed in 2013 and hardly managed to copy his results. It might be helpful to also look at other seeds which might have the same (or even better) potential because they have produced pretty good results under less advantageous conditions. Beni made a good choice of seeds, that´s for sure, but his key to success is hidden in his methods of pumpkin growing.

11/17/2014 3:04:57 PM

Germany

Switch from Beni to Bubba: He is also always aiming at trying new things every year...at least that´s what I noticed from his diary entries (the screenhouse strategy, new growth products etc.)...and this also seems to work.

11/17/2014 3:12:33 PM

Germany

...especially the Bubba teeth thing seems to have had great impact on the plant performance in 2014, even though the mode of action of this method is still under investigation and it might take a few years before we can understand how the pumpkin could become so scared of those teeth that it decides to use its only way of self defence, to grow bigger and stronger than the potential threat.

11/17/2014 3:27:00 PM

spudder

Thanks for your reply.
I hope it gets people thinking and now for the big question--- Who out there is thinking on the next metheod that will cause the next big leap forward ? I noticed over the few years that i have been on this forum that this seems to be a common trait that has moved the weight forward. People trying new things will get the job done.

11/17/2014 4:38:52 PM

Porkchop

Central NY

...areoponics ...

11/17/2014 6:40:01 PM