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Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Last year I had a plant with a bunch of ten lobed female flowers I’m wondering if it makes any difference in fruit size?

6/11/2026 8:28:35 PM

Grittyville, WA

I had a normal field kin (4 lobes?) and an excessive-lobe field kin (8 lobes?) on the same plant. Both growing under similarly favorable conditions. I assumed two things, first I very much would have assumed the 8 lobe kin would get bigger, maybe not 100% bigger but I figured 30-40 % bigger. Second, I assumed the 8 lobed kin would split at some point.

I was wrong on both assumptions. The result was a normal looking 44 lb pumpkin and a very squat 46 lb pumpkin. The squat, fat kin (the one that had excessive lobes) was minimally bigger but it was not statistically significant. It really didn't benefit from more lobes.

We've also seen this in AG's and squashes, where 3 lobe kins can be as good as five lobe kins. I believe the WR squash is or was a 3 lober. There are some things that may correspond to final fruit size but lobes/stigma parts is not one of those things, based on my observation.

On a final note of separate interest I did a seed count and if I remember correctly there were about 50% more seeds in the one with more ovaries. That was the only correct assumption I made.

[Last edit: 06/14/26 5:02:50 PM]

6/14/2026 4:48:02 PM