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Topsfield, Ma.

anyone know how misshapen a pumpkin would be if the pollination wasn't complete and one or more lobes never got
the pollen ? I'm feeling lucky to have had a July 5th pollination, the pumpkin is around soccer ball size, but it's just not symmetrical. Could it just be genetics and grow more round in time, or should this be a cull candidate ? Any thoughts or insights greatly appreciated.
...and could someone please fix Alun's dilemma ? Best of luck mate.

7/18/2002 8:07:11 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo duff,
Have a look at the lobes..have they all turned a darker colour? If not then maybe they have not all been pollinated. If they all look the same then they are proberly all pollinated. I had a butt ugly one last year..lob sided and knurled.but went to over 500lb.

Alun

7/18/2002 8:19:49 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

hey Alun,
Thanks for the promising insight. All lobes fairly uniform in color, still pretty pale/white. I had to ask because I'm as observant as a rock...last year it took another grower all of 5 seconds to point out to me the gazillion SVB holes in one of my suffering plants !!!
Good luck

7/18/2002 8:36:34 PM

Northern Ohio

how can you look at the lobes after a pumpkin is the size of a soccer ball?

7/19/2002 2:31:36 PM

Bridgewater, NJ

the flower shouldnt be pulled off the end, so let it shrivel up, and all that will be eventually left, is a hard 1 to 2 cm long thing sticking out the blossom end (the lobes)

7/19/2002 2:52:33 PM