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Rhode Island

curious as to how many of our hobbies long time growers agree we seem to be growing more and more odd shaped fruit this year vs other years?
i realize some of it is growers choice,timing,etc, but i have seen many photos with freaky shapes, small shoulders/big butts, caved in and buried blossoms,etc.
do you guys think the constant inbreeding on some lines has caused this?
thanks guys @ gals
pap

8/13/2012 7:33:27 AM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Mine is very odd shaped this year, but there is only one reason. The normal looking ones all aborted due to hot weather. There is likely many growers in the same boat. We didn't have a choice!!!!

8/13/2012 8:04:48 AM

Central Minnesota

I don't know pap, but most of my kins this year are low to the ground, with huge circumfrences and the blossom end slowly gets sucked under. Two down so far and I have a 1630 Revier, 1605 Sweet and a 1647 Wallace that have the same shape yet and could go any day I guess. These fruits were perfect shape at pollination and cull time so I don't really know.

8/13/2012 9:22:59 AM

Ashby, MA

A couple of weeks ago I lost the kin on my 1789 Wallace. It grew with a deep ridge all the way around it. It split right in the grove of that ridge. It was nice and round at day 20 with an estimate of 173 lbs. At day 30 it had the ridge and split. Just bad luck, I guess. I'll share a picture in my diary.

8/13/2012 10:52:39 AM

Ashby, MA

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=187141

8/13/2012 10:58:08 AM

50 Acres

In my opinion, it is the extreme weather conditions that are causeing the strange shapes. With the odd weather it is hard to know what to add, and at what strength. At least for me. Here in arnprior we got 1/2' inch of rain from May 15 to Aug. 3. The town water is heavy in cloromine.

8/13/2012 11:23:34 AM

Colorado

Yes to some degree paps.Now that theres quite a few seed lines that want to grow big-we will have to select shapes that might better hold together.Having said that-theres always going to be pumpkins that dont act as planned.

8/13/2012 11:36:02 AM

St. Thomas Ontario

Most of us don't do our best work in the heat...including pollen.
From what i understand pollen works/operates/grows best in a narrow temperature range after pollination for several days. I think those extremly warm days (even with protection )are bound to have an effect on the integrity and shape of the fruit.

8/13/2012 11:45:07 AM

canal winchester ohio

Seems like that comes up about everytime I talk with someone right now. I figured it was from pollinations during the extreme heat we had. I presently have 2 that are the nastiest shaped ones I've ever had.

8/13/2012 1:02:07 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

My best prospect started out as a perfectly shaped round pumpkin and evolved over three weeks time into a wheel and split at the blossom end. I really don't care for wheel-shaped pumpkins and neither parent was known for growing into that shape.

I had thought that neither of our seeds from last year got a fair shot this year and I was debating whether to grow them again, but reading these posts has me thinking. When one has time for only four plants each year, once must choose as wisely as he/she can.

8/13/2012 1:49:38 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Good post BTW pap.

8/13/2012 1:50:42 PM

Colorado

I think paps is refering to the 1495s that chris s. lost and nana r's 1634 werner fruit. Small shoulders and big rear ends.Genetic or heat? could be either or both.

8/13/2012 2:00:23 PM

South East

bad choises, all of them. But time pressure, vine position makes growers keep fruit they know they should cull.

8/13/2012 2:38:59 PM

Wi

Hmmmm...though I wasn't happy with the shape of 1495 in the beginning I thought it turned out pretty ideal!

Those shoulders were incredibly dense and thick and there was no way they were going to split. I'd take another just like it without the giant gash in the blossom :)

I don't pick fruit by shape unless they are real bad. I pick them by position on the plant. It seems to work most of the time.

8/13/2012 3:20:37 PM

Colorado

chris that was definately going to be a nice one on the scale-having such good thickness for such a young fruit.for it to split in the blossum with that good thickness there was bad luck. I believe those type blossum cracks are luck of the draw on how that fruit lays down along its rib structure.some get that crack on the midline and some get it off to the side and its no problem

8/13/2012 4:36:41 PM

canal winchester ohio

I don't think my 2 nasty ones were bad choices because at day 20 both looked like a perfect ball.

8/13/2012 4:50:36 PM

Mass

I think they are just like people. Can start out either way and end up either way. Every single one is genetically different. Give them good food or bad, with some it will make a huge difference, with some it wont. My two cents. I have a few nice ones and I have a few ugly ones. I cant say why on any of them.

8/13/2012 5:27:11 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Good question...i have one area of my patch seems to grow pumpkins that have birdbaths. The other ide seems to grow round ones consistently. Not sure if it means anything.

8/13/2012 9:25:27 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Here ya go pap, if you look abit back in my diary pics you can see the 1308 Barenie starts as right as rain.....then appears to be drug off behind the wood pile lol..
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=187226

8/14/2012 11:16:42 AM

Hot West Tennessee

With my heat I have never been able to cull. I have to take what I can get to set. But to anwser your post. Yes , what I have had were all funky shapes. Coned , pear, blocky you name it.

8/14/2012 11:37:54 AM

Maine

Here in Maine, we're having unusually humid, hot weather, and have been since early July....if your pumpkin didn't set before then, the females & blossoms develop, then just die before the blossom opens....terrible growing season here for Pumpkins, cukes, melons, etc...my "normal" pumpkin patch is growing pumpkins with deformed blossom ends...like feet, and the females die alot in that patch too....think it's the constant humidity...we got lucky with my granddaughter's..it's day 40 and growing steadily under a tent!!

8/14/2012 4:30:35 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

I think the odd shapes are the result of Japan's nuclear disaster. I just hope mine mutates into something big.

8/14/2012 11:47:01 PM

Minnesota

Yessiree,,,you need organite in the patch! Shape Shifters do not like organite, they stay away from it, it is what they use to make rainmakers to make it rain, and cloudbusters to break up chem trails. So if you got the bucks, put some orgonite in your patch!!!

8/17/2012 12:12:20 AM

Minnesota

Mine is small and lite every year (don't ask me how I do it) usually some what round, not to worried about the shape.

8/17/2012 12:13:58 AM