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Bemidji Minnesota

Never tried this, and I doubt most would, as weight is the name of the game, however, just food for thought.

Say someone has a fruit that has a nice shape, but is not one they intend to compete with, yet will be used as a decoration, say they have a few est 1000+, and one nice shaped one est 700.

The est 700 is only salmon in color, and will be used for a display in late october, and it is done growing late september.

Could the grower put it in a cool dry place ( I have heard AG store as well as Hubbards, correct me if I'm wrong, as have not tried that ever), for a month, with some apples near by to release Ethylene?

Could this turn a salmon monster into a deep orange, or even a Reddish color?

So far as I know all it does is mature things, and possible cause the stem to drop off.

Or would this induce rotting?

5/2/2008 1:59:34 PM

Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia

Bananas would be better, they are supposed to give off more. So I am told.

5/2/2008 2:46:19 PM

New Salisbury IN

would not work if it is mature it will not color more

5/2/2008 2:56:46 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Really? Did not know it was only when the fruit was immature.

What I read was that Ethylene could turn Hubbards orange and yellow, when they should be green, and therefor they should not be stored close to apples.

My logic was that, if it would turn a C. Maxima like Hubbard, that should be green/grey orange or yellow, then it would turn a salmon pumpkin into a bright orange one.

However, if it only works on young fruit, so much for that experiment.

5/2/2008 4:54:30 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Meathead,
I wonder if ethylene really does turn Hubbards orange/yellow? I would think not, but I've never tried it...so I don't trust my opinion on this.

5/2/2008 6:30:43 PM

Rhode Island

you can also brighten and red-orange up a pumpkin by wiping it down with a good cooking oil and cloth in september.( do not saturate just wipe)

pumpkins that are mostly grn squash will turn mustard color.
light yellow - orange will turn a darker orange.
orange would get even darker or add some red.

of course if you did this for a competition pumpkin it would be misleading to future growers of the seed and not.
reccommended.

pap

5/3/2008 6:47:57 AM

Ontario, Canada.

The simply answer as I see it is No. Ethylene and C. Maxima would really only deepen the base colour to something it was already going to be. Primarily cuasing the fruit to rippen at a faster pace than normal. Once you hit day 30 or so the colours really do not change all that much.

For those wanting to test Ethylenes effects wrape one banana in plasitc bag and another in a paper bag a just leave it to sit alone by itself. After several hours open the plastic bag and compare the two bananas. The plastic wrapped one will be much further along in ripeness. The is Ethylene gas is trapped inside and can't escape in the plastic bag. I don't understand exactly this PGR works but it does.

In fact all decaying organic matter will emit ethylene gas. It is a large reason why compost heaps or piles should be located well away from actively growing plants. Ethylene in high concentrations can hasten overall plant senecence and end fruit growth earlier than you would like.

5/3/2008 8:42:47 AM

Bemidji Minnesota

Right, we don't want one ripe early, and we don't want to confuse anyone of a seeds potential at a show.

I was just speaking in terms of a fall display.

I wonder how red some of the already good looking AG's would have gotten had they been treated with Pap's method of using a very thin layer of cooking oil?

I can only imagine that fruit like the 1225 Jutras, 1159 Richards, or 1317 Rose would have turned a dark blood red.

5/3/2008 12:11:04 PM

[email protected]

I doubt that ethylene would cause the color to go darker than the genetic potential. Rather it MIGHT help the fruit to reach it's genetic potential a little earlier (MIGHT).

Then again, the fruit would also be prone to rotting earlier to.

Like Dick ssid; Olive Oil works.

5/3/2008 11:42:57 PM