Topic: Pumpkin competition rules

[Leonnie]

It's nearly that time of year when we all start harvesting our pumpkins. I'll be putting up the prize/s for the pumpkin competition. But before I start the thread for the categories which Dan said he'll make into a sticky, I wanted to get some thoughts on competition rules from all of you. I'll be happy to donate a small prize for three categories: largest circumference, heaviest pumpkin and most creative carving.

The circumference should be pretty straight forward, you must photograph your pumpkin with a tape measure in place with the size clearly visible. Of course we'd be relying on honesty quite a bit here. Any other thoughts about rules for this category?

For the weigh in category do you all think we should set a date for the weigh in or should we all post the weight as and when we're ready. I'm thinking that a pumpkin that isn't yet ripe will weigh more than one that is? But harvesting/ripening dates may vary depending where each of us are located. What do you all think? Again we'd be relying on honesty, I'm not sure it would be easy for most of us to photograph the pumpkin on the scales displaying the weight?

For the carving category I was thinking that we should open it to everyone, not just the pumpkin growers. So if your pumpkins have failed, or you never grew pumpkins, you'd be allowed to enter with a bought pumpkin. Or if your pumpkins are small it doesn't matter, the creative carving can be on one large pumpkin, one small pumpkin or as a collection of pumpkins. With this one I thought we'd do a poll where we can all vote to decide the winner.

And we need a cut off date, when would be a good time for everyone, halloween?

Leonnie aka Jesse :)

[Curryandchips]

I have enjoyed participating, but have no interest in winning, so will leave the criteria to those with a better idea of what constitutes a winning pumpkin. As regards size, I must remember to borrow a surveyor's tape from work, to measure the circumference ... and as for weight, I must abstain from that category, as there is not a public weighbridge nearby  ;D ;D ;D

Halloween sounds a good cutoff date to me :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd have thought let people post weights when they're ready. I don't see that it's critical.

[Travman]

Just to be arkward.... :)
My largest so far is as if someone as placed a weight on it whilst growing . so the largest point is top to bottom rather across the middle ( hope you follow that)
So are we calling the circumference round the largest point or across the middle ?

[Leonnie]

well so long as it's a circumference I don't think it matters which way, I'm happy with it being the largest part. :)

[Travman]

So have we any suggestions on weighing large pumpkins?
I was thinking weighing myself on bathroom scales then again holding the pumpkin, but our bathroom  scales will only leave around 11 stone before being at the maximum ?( although that may be more then enough ;D )
Any other ideas ?

[Doris_Pinks]

Great fun idea, but can we have the carving cut off date for say the weekend AFTER halloween please? Just saying that because halloween falls midweek, and therefore a "school" night, and a few peeps (ahem us for one) may be having their halloween parties the following weekend. (we carve ours on the day so they don't get soggy!)
Just a suggestion  ;D DP

[Leonnie]

DP, I'll extend the deadline to 5th Nov :)

Travman....wish I had that problem of it being too heavy ;D I have no idea how peeps would weigh a big pumpkin. Hopefully someone here will have some suggestions. :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't know, but I'm going to try bathroom scales. I got a friend to give mine a lift up to the church for Harvest, so it's nice and convenient. It's nothing like as big as some I've seen on the site, but it's the biggest I've grown.