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Ohio

I know AG’s cantaloupe, will bushel gourds do the same under environmental stress? I have had temperatures drop during the night to mid 40’s with average rainfall. I am seeing good cantalouping as splits in the skin, only superficial and not into the cavity. Would this be caused by the low night temps or other factors? Also would these cracks be acceptable at GPC events?

Second thing, I am measuring circumference just above the snout with blossom perpendicular to the ground. Front to back is also without the snout in the measurement.

So in theory, bushel gourds with pronounced snouts could have a second OTT. If you use the same method on the snout itself but with 2 measurements.
1. Circumference of the snout taken halfway from stem to body.
2. Side to side and front to back combined. This would be one measurement from stem to a point in which the snout turns into the body of the gourd X4.

Is this too much thought for a couple extra pounds of hope in the field? This hobby will make you think of all sorts of crazy possibilities, right??

10/3/2022 8:56:07 PM

Bowdon, GA

Cantalouping seems to be part of the normal aging process. All mine did it to some degree before they stopped growing. As far as measuring the ott with a snout, I’m not sure, but I would think the official cc would be around the snout from stem to blossom. In the field I left it out so it would be a bonus at weigh off time. I have figured out that you need to leave them on the vine as long as the stem hasn’t dried out. They loose weight really fast off the vine. I’ve been checking one once a week to see.

10/3/2022 11:29:50 PM