On the variety of shapes of AG's
Now that the seeds are drying in the northern hemisphere we have a little
time to reflect on what we have done and seen in our patches this past
season. My three plants produced fruit that had markedly different shapes
for me. The 563 Geerts produced pumpkins that were tall and blocky almost
like cubes with rounded edges or dice. They also had blossom ends that were
concave, and very thin. The largest one developed a blossom split that
ended it's season at our first frost. The 835 McIntyre had fruit that were
also tall, but rounder and more pumpkin like. Its blossom end was flat with
a two inch long protuberance that was about 1½" across. The 427 Michalec
had a fruit that was barrel shaped and another that was lower, longer, and
very broad. Both had massive blossom end scars over 1 foot across. I have
heard these referred to as "baboon butts" and if they were flaming red they
would be hard to distinguish from that part of a baboons anatomy.
In taking these fruit apart I noted that the blossom end of the Geerts
plant that were concave were all very thin. In no case more than 1" thick.
The McIntyre fruit was closer to 1½" thick and had the protruding portion of
the blossom over the thinnest part in the center. The Michalec plant with
the massive baboon butts were very thick. The prodruding blossom scar on my
576 measured 8" thick and had a small tunnel running through it about the
diamater of my thumb. This channel terminated about below the blossom and
the walls were about 2" thick at the end.
Both parent plants of the 427 had these types of blossom scars and it was
reproduced in the offsprings fruit.
What I would like to know is if this has been seen before in other AG's.
Of all the pumkins I have seen at the weighoff the past 4 seasons and in all
the photo's of AG's I had never seen this before. I feel like I've seen a
lot of pumpkins now but recognize that there are other growers who have seen
a lot more than I have. I feel that this is a desirable trait given the
thickness of the fruit at this point. Blossom end splits have ended the
season for so many growers that a fruit that has this kind of thickness in
what is typically the weakest part of the fruit would may put an end to that
worry. They aren't the pretties things to look at but its been said before,
this is no beauty contest. Of the three plants I have grown with this trait
over the past two seasons, none of them developed a blossom end split. Many
have had stem splits, but these have all proven to be manageable and none of
them went more than a couple inches into the shoulders of the fruit where
they are generally the thickest.
Is this trait unique to my pumpkins? Is it desireable? Is it more common
than I realise?
What is the "ideal" shape for an AG?
I thought I'd throw this out for some of us to think about as the days
shorten and temperatures drop. I know I would love to see the taller shape
of the Geerts fruit together with the smooth orange skin that the 576 had.
That was the cross I made. And if it has a baboon butt, great! I know I
wouldn't worry as much about it splitting. I would also like them to be
several hundred pounds heavier, but I think the only thing keeping me from
achieving that is that I need a bit more work on my soil and the time to
water more frequently. I would love to hear what others think about this
and also what observations you have made on your fruit. Am I out there on a
limb with this, or could this be a good thing. Let me know.
Chris Michalec
Covington, WA
Zone 8, Best 576, 2000
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