From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Bemidji Minnesota

Hi all,

Never occurred to me, because I never thought to question it, but in years past, when less educated on this subject, I have grown AG that tend to have soft flesh. Softer than say, a typical C.Pepo pumpkin. Actually softer than any other squash I can think of.

Is this the way all AG and C.Maxima flesh are supposed to be?

OR am I doing something wrong?

If the later, is it a nutrient I am lacking?

Too much water?

So far I had just been taking it for granted, that AGs must just have soft flesh, since that is what I have experienced, but then having been thinking about it, how could they be at the 1000+ weights and not just go “plosh” if they are softer than other squashes?

4/21/2008 12:18:41 AM

Rhode Island

atlantic giants do not have soft outer skin. they are not soft to the touch.
if they are then they are rotting from the inside out.
suggest you research disease controls in your area.
sharper up on your grower skills as well.

4/21/2008 7:55:46 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

As someone who has sculpted and carved a lot of pumpkins. AG's they are less dense that a C pepo. I am able to remove the flesh just like it is molding clay. Where a jack o lantern is more like sculpting wood. The extra thickness prevents them from caving in. Start taking away alot of that and they do cave in...

4/21/2008 1:56:20 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Pap,

The outer skin was still hard, it was the inside flesh I was meaning.

However, I will look into the chance I may have a disease issue, as I do think that there may be some problems, being they should be at least as hard as “sculpting clay”.

I am thinking of starting a new patch from scratch, but before I ruin another potential patch, I do agree I need more practice first.

Even clay would be harder than what I got last year. They were generic Dill's AG, and the flesh, inside, was almost like a cantaloupe softness.

I assumed that was normal, as I had no rotting (not visible anyhow) on the inside. The walls were less than 3” thick, but the fruit only weighed around 200 pounds (est), so I was not expecting a rock, but at the time I just figured that softness was normal.

I hope it is a treatable disease. Maybe I just gave them too much water?

4/21/2008 2:23:21 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

If the outer pumpkin, or the inner flesh, didn't show any discoloration, or foul smell, it's likely the normal consistancy of the A.G.
It amazes me how easy it is to cut into the 10" flesh using a large knife.

4/21/2008 3:00:57 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

No foul smell, no discoloration, I was just figuring it would be harder.

It did make a decent JOL, but it was such a pancake, and proping it up on its stem end was all that worked.

The plants looked healthy, nothing stood out to me as "bad", no wilting.

Some small issues with SVB, but I got most of the eggs, and most of the vine was in the dirt.

It is interesting how hard the AG's seems from the outside, one would think (wrongly) it is firm as wood under the skin.

I really have the feeling I may have over watered them, and that may have had to do with being a little "extra" soft, but no signs of rot that my eyes could tell anyhow.

Maybe the fact that it was a pancake of a pumpkin had to do with the flesh being too soft, even for an AG?

Really if it is not a disease, what else could it be?

Are there soil nutrient factors that help determine sturdyness, and hardness of the fruit's flesh?

4/21/2008 7:47:09 PM

San Jose [email protected]

as said above the inside of an AG is way easier to scrape away than your average pumpkin too much water would affect the final size by drowning your roots, dont think it would affect the moisture content of pumpkin

4/21/2008 8:37:25 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Thanks, that helps my confidence. The flesh also seems much less "stringy", and more "grainy" too. Possibly this is what makes AG's better for relief carvings too?

Are all C. Maxima variety flesh like this too? Hubbards etc...?

4/22/2008 12:59:12 AM