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Rhode Island

believe it or not you can improve the shape of your choosen pumpkin by the manner in which you force it to grow when young.

exacmple : im sure you have seen how we adjust the fruit to a ninty degree angle off the main vine by gently moving the fruit left or right a little each day once its big enough to support its own weight ( small basketball )

likewise ,if your pumpkin is at a good ninty degree angle but the stem is growing at a downward angle (ie the blossom is pointing up at a 45 degree angle or better )you need to either adjust,move to another fruit with better position, or change the stem to blossom angle to a more horizontal position.

i did that this year on one of our fruit. the stem did stay low to the ground (which stress wise was perfect ) the blossom end stayed level to the ground, and the fruit although it had a front like the elephant man never developed into a table top.

this was accomplished by digging out on a downward angle underneath the fruit. start at the shoulder end and grade the ground down three or so inches.
once the fruit shifts its position and gets up to 100 pounds or so you should be ok. no need to grade underneath the entire pumpkin as it grows.

obviously this should only be done if you are running out of prime pollination time ( july 1 to 5 )andneed to save the pumpkin.

pap

11/16/2006 5:14:21 PM

Lexington, Ky

I have often thought that in my heavy clay dirt that the weight of the fruit and subsequent compaction was causing my table tops. Sand under the fruit has had little if any effect.

Giving my conditions, any thoughts on if this technique would help the entire pumpkin or just the portion that's at 45 degrees or better?

Thought provoking post...thanks!

Jamie

11/16/2006 8:43:44 PM

Rhode Island

jamie

once you change the initial angle of a pumpkin such as i suggested you trigger a weight shift and reaction that becomes permanent through out the growing life cycle.

i dont believe the soil its growing in has anything to do with shape.

pap

11/17/2006 7:39:21 AM