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Sacramento, Ca

I noticed in a lot of people diary's there are mentions of how many lobes the female flower has. Why? What does the amount of lobes on the flower have to do with anything?

6/21/2009 12:09:35 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

I believe its the four lobers that have a better chance of growing a bigger pumpkin on a smaller plant.

6/21/2009 3:14:10 PM

norway , maine

who needs a heart when a heart can be broken.. no but seriously i dont know.

6/21/2009 9:09:43 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Lobes of a flower correspond to the internal segments of the finished fruit. Some analysis has been done regarding segment count to finished weight. If memory serves, 5 lobes usually ranks higher than 4 or 6.

6/22/2009 12:10:03 AM

Denver, CO

Midnight Gardener, I wondered that myself last year. I had some free time and I posted the following research here on BP.com.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=240782

A quick summary of what I found:
Although its not a absloute claim, in sum I can tell you that it appears 4-lobed pumpkins need a bigger plant to get a 1200 pound or greater pumpkin on them then do 5-lobed pumpkins. BUT, both a 4-lobed and a 5-lobed pumpkin are EQUALLY capable of growing a monster world-record breaking pumpkin.

Dont use 3-lobers and for 6-lobers there was not enough data to study.

6/22/2009 12:00:39 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

Ok I had it wrong, Five lobers are what you want.

6/22/2009 1:50:41 PM

Long Island,New York

5 lobers grow bigger pkns because there are more 5 lobers kept by growers on main vines. If they kept more 4 lobers than 5 lobers they would be the bigger producers. Other than the myth of needing 5 lobers and shunning 3 lobers they would likely all produce.....just my experience and opinion....if its normal (no seeds, not "mutant") go with it....

6/22/2009 6:09:18 PM

Eastern Washington State

LIpumpkin, it appears that ghopson divided the 4 lober and 5 lober fruits separately in his analysis. That would correct for the kind of bias that you mention. It is kind of an analogous situation with tomatoes. The wild ones have 3 carpels, the big beefsteaks have multiple carpels (carpels correspond to lobes).

6/24/2009 9:17:24 PM

Long Island,New York

Not exactly. If all big/better/better climate/serious growers promote the 5 lober selection the results will be skewed....if all the newer growers go with what they get when they get it and end up with 4's the results will be skewed the other way. The fact that there are fewer 6 lobers and they generally exist too close to the stumps for current practices skewes that result.....

6/25/2009 5:59:25 AM

Long Island,New York

btw...according to aggc 5 of the top 6 plants including the WR are 4 lobers...............

6/25/2009 6:40:10 AM

Rhode Island

printing on a patch t-shirt

SHOW US YOUR LOBES

6/25/2009 9:22:50 AM

Ontario

lolol....thanks for the chuckle pap.....lol......

6/25/2009 9:51:56 AM

Denver, CO

Let me point back to what I put in captial letters in my earlier repsonse:

both a 4-lobed and a 5-lobed pumpkin are EQUALLY capable of growing a monster world-record breaking pumpkin.

The difference in 5 and 4 lobers is not in the size of the pumpkin they can produce. BOTH can produce HUGE pumpkins.

BUT . . . . with us growers current techniques, a plant that has a 4-lober pumpkin set on it, needs to be a bigger plant in terms of sq/ft of plant versus a plant that has a 5-lober pumpkin on it.

You dont choose one over the other. Unless, sq/feet of plant is limited less then 700 sq/ft or so, in which case you should always strive to set a 5-lober.

Hope that helps!

PAP - I'll take two of those shirts!!

6/25/2009 11:52:11 AM

Rhode Island

lol back at ya

6/25/2009 7:52:23 PM

Eastern Washington State

Ghopson, thanks for the clarification. Maybe in a few years you will have more data to split out and address LI's arguments with regards to growers/regions ect. Probably not enough to do it now with any confidence.

So is there a consensus that 3 lobers are definitely inferior?

6/25/2009 9:15:43 PM

Eastern Washington State

Pap what are your thoughts on this? I mean, if some nice looking gal saw your T shirt and showed you FOUR or FIVE lobes, what would you say? Sometimes two is best!

6/25/2009 9:19:43 PM

Rhode Island

anything over two is a waste of time. at my age even one would do. lol

6/30/2009 7:29:57 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Pap, as much as I respect you, for all you have done...and prbly(hopefully) will continue to do!!! I think it's time for you to go to the pkn Hut, and learn from the young boys, who visit on a regular basis!!! 1 is not good!!! ROFLMAO!!! Peace, Wayne

7/2/2009 10:59:34 PM

lenoir city Tennessee

Is it common for a plant to throw nothing but 5 lobes? I have a plant , and every female I have seen has been a 5 lober.

7/29/2009 12:36:43 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Perfectly normal.

7/29/2009 1:16:55 PM

Tinykinville

geez unless you don't worry about lobes i did this year and it was just a headache if the pumpkin does well, grow it. discuss lobes after the monster is weighed

7/30/2009 4:52:07 AM