Re: stems affect pumpkin shape

Andy Wolf writes:

>...I need to know if anyone 
>else has noticed it.  If you cut the tap roots from the stem junction 
>and a couple on either side of the pumpkin to relieve stem stress before 
>it happens, the pumpkin will take the shape it is genetically supposed 
>to.  But, if you leave the tap roots and don't do anything, the pumpkin 
>will lift as it grows, causing the stem to point down.  
>...there will be more growth on 
>the upper half of the pumpkin, causing the place where the blossom was 
>to point down.  

This started happening to one pumpkin I have.  The stress caused the pumpkin to
start growing lopsided, rolling up over the stem in fact.  It indeed seemed
that there was more meat being put on on the upper half of the pumpkin, the part closer
to the stem.
I thought I just had a lopsided/weird-growing pumpkin, until I noticed the
tight vine.  I cut the roots, giving it plenty of slack.  Then I put
a 4x4" wood block under the vine/stem, kind of rolling and holding the pumpkin into
the correct position, and much to my surprise, within a week, it had lifted
itself off the block, and now a few weeks later, the pumpkin has corrected its 
irregular shape, and is as regular, round, and barrel shaped as can be.
I think that if I had done nothing that I would've had one lopsided pumpkin.

>I think when these things happen, it pinches one side of the stem 
>slightly, and that effects the juices flowing to the fruit.  

Could be.  I wonder if anybody else has seen this?

-----------
Rick Inzero
near Rochester, NY
rdi@cci.com

I'm growing a pumpkin at a pace to top 1500 pounds... if I can keep it growing 
thru December!  :-)

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