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Grittyville, WA

Is it because the rinds are stronger and tougher than AG's? (If you've tried to carve a marrow mature marrow you know what I mean.)

Would covering the fruit, to keep the rind as supple as possible, be helpful? And when AG's grow internally they suffer only diffuse surface cracking, but with field kins or marrows, the pressure of internal growth (thickening of the interal flesh) cant be relieved that way because of the tough rind so they will end split instead? On cold nights outside might grow at a different rate (or, not at all) than the inside. This would add to the strain on the outer rind.

In other words, would covering these with a thick blanket or growing them in a controlled environment reduce one type of splits?

8/30/2022 5:36:53 PM

Grittyville, WA

Sorry for the poor writing.

8/30/2022 5:37:50 PM

Germany

Less variation in temperature and moisture levels might help, I agree.
One important thing, however, is missing in your analysis. One of the simple answers to your question "Why marrows and field kins split?" is: BECAUSE THEY CAN. ;)

8/31/2022 4:05:02 AM

Grittyville, WA

More manganese maybe. Things we dont know, until the day someone figures them out!

8/31/2022 8:39:23 AM

Netherlands

Marrows tend to get a rib split. They have a heavy stem end, then a sort of a waist and then a heavy blossom end. Sometimes they will even grow a bit in an L-shape. As they get bigger they will even out, but it is often that they split where the waist was.
Both marrows and FPs take less heat. They are more prone to splitting with fluctuations in temperature and moisture.

9/1/2022 2:51:43 AM