Pumpkin patch practices and gourd garden grooming.
#80685
Last year I waited way too long to go get my pumpkins. I think I bought them just a few days before Halloween. This year I made sure I secured some good ones in advance.

I really like the selection at this farm I go to each year. They lay the pumpkins out in rows on wood chips, so it's easy to walk around them and find the ones that call out to you.... "carve meeeeeee!"

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I've trained some of them to help promote ZP.

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I look for ones with long stems if possible, I love that look. Smooth ones. Round ones. Ones that stand up straight. And of course, the big ones that peek out above the rest. Those stand out, literally.

Go big or go home, right?

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I wish I could say that I have a relationship was this pumpkin supplier, but they give me no special treatment and their pumpkins aren't cheap. But they have a great selection so I can't beat that reliability and convenience.

Last year my family ended up with 10 pumpkins in our display. That probably doesn't seem like a lot to some of you maniacs. But as you know, I spend much of my October keeping this site running, to ensure that many others can carve all the pumpkins I don't have time for.

It was a hot day, and I was running late for another engagement, so I didn't bother getting more than these 6 on the day I was there. Plus the car was pretty much full. I know I'll need more, but I can find smaller/average size pumpkins in other local spots. Even the grocery store if I need to. I'm just happy to know that I secured several monsters. I carve my favorite patterns of the year on these big ones. The showpieces.

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Because I'm feeling scientific this year, I thought I'd measure the pumpkins to see what I'm dealing with. The heights don't include the stem, by the way.

A:
10.5" tall (26.6 cm)
29" circumference (73.6 cm)
9.6 lb weight (4.4 kg)

B:
11.5" tall (29.2 cm)
38" circumference (96.5 cm)
22.6 lb weight (10.3 kg)

C:
12.25 tall (31.1 cm)
38" circumference (96.5 cm)
22.6 lb weight (10.3 kg)

D:
13.25" tall (33.6 cm)
41" circumference (104.1 cm)
35.4 lb weight (16 kg)

E:
14" tall (35.5 cm)
42" circumference (106.7 cm)
30.4 lb weight (13.8 kg)

F:
13.25" tall (33.6 cm)
41" circumference (104.1 cm)
31.6 lb weight (14.3 kg)

When I got these home I said, "These didn't look that big on the farm." But now that I have them home and inside, they seem a bit excessive for the standard pumpkin pattern. :lol: I may have to enlarge some designs. One of these pumpkins is 35 pounds and over 40 inches around.

This pumpkin farm charges by weight (and they charge me for the pumpkin guts, even though I tell them every year that I don't need that part). Their scale doesn't go above 30 lb. So anything more than that is the same price as the 30 pounders. I should have grabbed some 40 or 50 pounders!
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By nosferatu
#80691
I particularly like the picture of you holding the pumpkin one handed. I swear I can see you muttering, "Hurry up and take the damn photo!".

Great selection of pumpkins......so jealous! Whatever anyone says just remember there is nothing wrong with measuring your pumpkins. Nothing that a few intense sessions of therapy can't cure........carving therapy!

UK minions will be extremely jealous. 30 pounders....that's the stuff of folklore over here along with beanstalks and dragons. Saying that you will need to blow up the pattern is just rubbing salt into the wound. :(

All pumpkins should carry a ZP tag, it should be the law.
#80763
nosferatu wrote:I particularly like the picture of you holding the pumpkin one handed. I swear I can see you muttering, "Hurry up and take the damn photo!".....
My thoughts as well...you can see the weight of that kin in his grin. LOL

What a beautiful selection of orange lovelies. I cannot wait to see what you decide to carve. I always look forward to seeing what the Patch Master himself picks as the cream of his crop.
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By GeordieKin
#80769
I wish I could go there with you, Ryan. My pumpkin patch has been stricken by weeks of dismal cold and very wet weather. The ones that were turning colour have gone bad, so out of eight I only have three left -all still mostly dark green. At least if they stay solid I'll carve them like that. Next year I must make sure I plant them earlier.

Those pumpkins you bought are great! I was really hoping to paint a picture of some like yours as well (I love the Andrew Wyeth paintings of them). Not much hope of that now. Nosferatu is right. Here's a bit of jealousy from Northumberland!
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By SuperSonic
#80782
A 35 pounder? Jesus. I know I probably would need help hefting that a great distance, thats folklore even to me (if I had one before I didn't know it). I've never taken a measure to my pumpkins, however I am now tempted. I probably don't have one higher than 11" although my prefered size is 13" tall by about 6"-8" wide (for a carving face).

Great pic Ryan, totally jealous of pumpkin D. I want it!!! Can't wait to see what you end up carving this year. However I have a sneaking suspicion that Frankensteins Monster is going o be involved :wink: :frank:
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By S.A.M
#81079
This is the reason I stay out of this sub forum, the green eyed monster has well and truly taken over me! Ryan those pumpkins are beautiful, if I could have only one I would be over the moon. Just look at them, the size, the vibrancy of the orange, oh my they're perfect!

:frank:
#81979
So I made a trip over to the other pumpkin farm place, which is even more local to me. Great selection of pumpkins...

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I wanted to finish my pumpkin shopping for the year, so I grabbed their biggest wagon and filled it up with these beauts...

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Out of curiosity, I measured and weighed these guys too. Here are all my specimens for the year.

Tallest: Specimen J @ 17" height (43 cm)
Largest Circumference: Specimen E @ 42" (106.7 cm)
Heaviest: Specimen D @ 35.4 lb (16 kg)

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A:
10.5" height (26.6 cm)
29" circumference (73.6 cm)
9.6 lb weight (4.4 kg)

B:
11.5" height (29.2 cm)
38" circumference (96.5 cm)
22.6 lb weight (10.3 kg)

C:
12.25 height (31.1 cm)
38" circumference (96.5 cm)
22.6 lb weight (10.3 kg)

D:
13.25" height (33.6 cm)
41" circumference (104.1 cm)
35.4 lb weight (16 kg)

E:
14" height (35.5 cm)
42" circumference (106.7 cm)
30.4 lb weight (13.8 kg)

F:
13.25" height (33.6 cm)
41" circumference (104.1 cm)
31.6 lb weight (14.3 kg)

G:
12" height (30.5 cm)
33.5" circumference (85 cm)
17 lb weight (7.7 kg)

H:
13" height (33 cm)
36" circumference (91.5 cm)
22.5 lb weight (10.2 kg)

I:
12.5" height (31.75 cm)
36" circumference (91.5 cm)
20.5 lb weight (9.3 kg)

J:
17" height (43 cm)
39.5" circumference (100.25 cm)
33 lb weight (15 kg)

K:
12.5" height (31.75 cm)
38" circumference (100.25 cm)
23 lb weight (10.5 kg)

L:
13" height (33 cm)
38" circumference (96.5 cm)
23.5 lb weight (10.7 kg)

M:
11.5" height (29.25 cm)
34" circumference (86.25 cm)
17 lb weight (7.7 kg)

Here are all the specimens together, lucky 13, waiting to be experimented on.

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Total weight: 308.7 lb (140 kg)

Average height: 12.75" (32.4 cm)
Average circumference: 37.25" (94.6 cm)
Average weight: 23.75 lb (10.8 kg)
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By amandap80
#81997
Nice looking crew! I love the vine arms in the shot, reaching up to grab a victim. :twisted: