Estimating Weight of Giant Pumpkins and Squash

January 2005
The last update was dated January 2003 based on 800 measurements from 2001 and 2002. I compared
data for 1203 fruit grown in 2003 and 2004 with the 2001 and 2002 data. Fruit grown the last 2 years are heavier
for the same size by approximately 3%. Therefore the equations used for the tables dated January 2005 are
primarily based on 1203 fruit grown in 2003 and 2004. Most of the data was provided from the AGGC file by Mike
Nepereny. The tables provide estimates for fruit down to 41 inch Circumference (approx. 30 pounds) and 91
inches Over-the-Top (approx. 21 pounds).
David Martin from Little Britain, Ontario used Multiple Regression Analysis to obtain equations that best
fit the data I provided. He prepared the Weight Tables from those equations.
The OVER-THE-TOP method (TABLE 1) provides the BEST estimates but only about 76% will be within
plus or minus 10%. This requires adding Circumference to the two Over-the-Top measurements taken from
ground-to-ground from side-to-side and end-to-end.
TABLE 2 uses only the CIRCUMFERENCE measurement. It DOES NOT provide good estimates for
unusually high, flat, long or short fruit. About 54% of the estimates will be within plus or minus 10%. It is useful
to estimate day-to-day increases.
The Circumference measurement should be the LARGEST circumference taken approximately parallel to
the ground. At weigh-offs I have found some growers are not measuring the largest Circumference which
contributes to the variability. The OVER-TOP measurements from ground-to-ground in both directions must be
over the highest point of the fruit. These must be taken straight down from the edges of the fruit.
EXAMPLE: Circumference = 175 inches (Table 2 estimate = 1185 pounds)
Side-to-side = 103 inches
End-to-end = 100 inches
Total = 378 inches (Table 1 estimate = 1130 pounds)
Actual weight was 1121 pounds.
Due to considerable variability in the wall thickness from fruit-to-fruit, neither method provides very
reliable estimates but at present we dont have a better method. Here are the percents of your estimates that you can
expect to be within the accuracy ranges shown (based on fruit grown in 2003 and 2004):
Accuracy range
Table 1 (O.T.)
Table 2 (C)
5%
48.5 %
30.2%
5.01 to 10%
27.3%
24.0%
10.01 % to 15 %
16.3%
19.6%
Over 15.01%
7.9%
26.2%
NEW Tables compared to January 2003 Tables:
The new tables should provide better estimates as AVERAGE fruit weight for the same measurement increased
approximately 3% compared to 2001 and 2002 weights. The Circumference table should be much better at the
higher weights as the previous table over-estimated above approximately 170 inch Circumference.
I will provide David Martins equations (4 terms) to anyone who wants to use them in a computer program.
Write me at 1925 Middle Road, Rush, NY 14543-9732.
I have provided Tables to estimate weights since 1988. They were updated every 2 to 3 years. This is my
LAST update. For the last 3 updates I thank David Martin for using the data I provided to obtain the equations and
preparing the Tables. Thank you to all the growers who provided me with measurements since 1987 and to Mike
Nepereny for providing data from his AGGC file the last 4 years.
NOTE: Several people have attempted to obtain Weight Estimating equations using the RAW data available.
All, that I know of, obtained equations that over-estimated below approximately 750 pounds and under-estimated
above that due to a BIAS in the data. If anyone is interested, I will explain how I worked around the bias.
Leonard B. Stellpflug

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

22.6
23.2
23.8
24.5
25.2
25.8
26.5
27.2
27.9
28.7
29.4
30.1
30.9
31.7
32.4
33.2
34.0
34.8
35.7
36.5
37.4
38.2
39.1
40.0
40.9
41.8
42.7
43.7
44.6
45.6

Lbs.

Lbs.

91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120

Inches

Inches

Table 1: Over-the-Top Inches vs. Estimated Weight

121 46.6
122 47.6
123 48.6
124 49.6
125 50.7
126 51.7
127 52.8
128 53.9
129 55.0
130 56.1
131 57.2
132 58.3
133 59.5
134 60.7
135 61.9
136 63.1
137 64.3
138 65.5
139 66.8
140 68.1
141 69.3
142 70.6
143 72.0
144 73.3
145 74.7
146 76.0
147 77.4
148 78.8
149 80.2
150 81.68

151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180

83
85
86
88
89
91
92
94
95
97
99
100
102
104
105
107
109
111
113
114
116
118
120
122
124
126
128
130
132
134

181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210

136
138
140
142
144
146
149
151
153
155
157
160
162
164
167
169
172
174
176
179
181
184
187
189
192
194
197
200
202
205

211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240

208
211
214
216
219
222
225
228
231
234
237
240
243
246
249
252
256
259
262
265
269
272
275
279
282
286
289
293
296
300

241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270

303
307
310
314
318
322
325
329
333
337
341
345
349
353
357
361
365
369
373
377
381
386
390
394
398
403
407
412
416
421

271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300

425
430
434
439
444
448
453
458
463
467
472
477
482
487
492
497
502
507
512
518
523
528
533
539
544
550
555
560
566
572

301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330

577
583
588
594
600
606
611
617
623
629
635
641
647
653
659
666
672
678
684
691
697
703
710
716
723
729
736
743
749
756

331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360

763
770
777
783
790
797
804
811
819
826
833
840
847
855
862
869
877
884
892
900
907
915
923
930
938
946
954
962
970
978

361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390

986
994
1002
1010
1019
1027
1035
1044
1052
1060
1069
1078
1086
1095
1104
1112
1121
1130
1139
1148
1157
1166
1175
1184
1193
1202
1212
1221
1230
1240

391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420

1249
1259
1269
1278
1288
1298
1307
1317
1327
1337
1347
1357
1367
1377
1387
1398
1408
1418
1429
1439
1450
1460
1471
1481
1492
1503
1514
1524
1535
1546

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

Inches

Lbs.

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

Lbs.

Inches

29.7
31.5
33.4
35.3
37.3
39.4
41.6
43.8
46.0
48.4
50.8
53.3
55.8
58.4
61.1
63.9
66.8
69.7
72.7
75.8

Inches

Lbs.

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

78.9
81
82.1
82
85.5
83
88.8
84
92.3
85
95.9
86
99.5
87
103.3
88
107.1
89
111.0
90
115.0
91
119.0
92
123.2
93
127.5
94
131.8
95
136.3
96
140.8
97
145.4
98
150.2
99
155.0 100

160
165
170
175
181
186
192
197
203
209
215
221
227
233
240
246
253
259
266
273

101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120

280
288
295
302
310
318
325
333
341
349
358
366
375
383
392
401
410
419
429
438

121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140

448
458
468
478
489
499
509
520
531
541
552
563
575
586
597
609
621
632
644
657

141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160

669
681
694
707
719
732
746
759
772
786
800
814
828
842
857
872
886
901
917
932

161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180

948
963
979
995
1012
1028
1045
1062
1079
1096
1114
1131
1149
1167
1185
1204
1223
1242
1261
1280

181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200

1300
1319
1339
1360
1380
1401
1422
1443
1464
1486
1508
1530
1552
1575
1597
1621
1644
1667
1691
1715

Lbs.

Inches

Table 2: Circumference vs. Estimated Weight

2005
Tables prepared
by
DAVID MARTIN
from equations
obtained primarily from 2003and
2004 data provided from AGGC file
to Len Stellpflug

January 2005

David Martin

L. B. Stellpflug