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Location

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Date Posted

Whidbey Island

I've reviewed old posts about these and understand they tend to split easily and also go light. If I were growing a lot of 'kins, I'd pull it but I hate to pull half of my yearly output so I'll limp along with it, if possible.
My question however is: Does anyone know why this happens and is there anything to prevent it from happening in the future? Thanks.

8/2/2022 1:09:14 PM

Kutztown, PA

Whidbey, If you let every pumpkin on a plant grow each one would have a different shape. They wouldn't all be "bird baths". You just got one by chance. Other than normal genetic diversity there's no reason. Having sad that, you can alter the shape of the pumpkin by turning it stem to bloom a little every couple of days early on when it's easy to lift by hand. There may be some structural reason that shape causes a split or some other characteristic but I doubt you'll get any statistical data to support that. You'll probably get a lot of good stories told from experience though :) I had a bird bath pumpkin last year. You get what you get!

8/2/2022 2:58:01 PM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

I think you can do a lot to create the shape by how early you position your pumpkin. If you didn't do much to elevate your stem and vine and let the stem start low you are most likely going to get a birdbath. If you have the time and are really paying attention to your sand underneath you can help to direct where your flat spot is going to be on the bottom. Hell there is nothing wrong with a big birdbath. They are fun to take pics and sit in when on display. They are much better than the kin growing over the blossom as far as looks go. I had the GPC best squash back in the day and it was a huge birdbath. I loved that thing.

8/2/2022 3:07:58 PM

Colorado

2145 was a birdbath so was 2376 bayuk. nothing light about either of those.

8/2/2022 4:45:08 PM

Nova Scotia

Old time grower Leo Swinamer from New Ross, Nova Scotia who won Windsor's first pumpkin regatta back in 1999 and many more after that had an amazing growing technique for growing pumpkin boats. He would intentionally turn his chosen giant for the race upside down slowly on stem end. Thus the thickest part of a giant is the stem end like the ballast of a ship. Grow it to about 500 to 600 lbs. big enough to get in and the rest is history!

8/2/2022 6:09:37 PM

Nova Scotia

Leo also grew many fine "Howard Dill" award pumpkins in his day.

8/2/2022 6:11:47 PM

Anchorage Alaska

yup my 2051 was a bird bath and went 11% heavy ,

8/3/2022 12:58:52 AM