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That State Up North

What is the largest fruit ever grown deliberately positioned on its blossom end? I have done this for decorative pumpkins to create nice "sellers"
Has anyone pushed this with larger fruit, and to what result?
I see many very large fruit that go from heavy tilt towards blossom end, and finish basically resting on their blossom. Has anyone intentionally grown on the blossom to begin the position of the fruit and grown over 1000+?

2/13/2014 7:17:05 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

John rauch had a 1095 dmg here in eastern PA a few years back. The blossom cracked when he lifted it and it was entered at a local fair.

2/13/2014 8:22:53 AM

Connecticut

I would not say I intentionally grew the pumpkin this way, but it ended up this way. Mine developed a soft spot just before the weigh-off so I was not able to get an official weight on it so all I have is an estimate...

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=149786

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=149787

2/13/2014 10:41:01 AM

Hinckley MN

I see many of the biggest fruit have concave blossom ends. They essentially grow past their blossom ends. My thought is that this reduces the tension on the blossom end preventing a split during rapid growth. it may even create compression on the blossom end. is there a way to creat that condition intentionally? Can we place inward pressure on the blossom end for a certain amount of time to increase the odds of getting a fruit to the scale? how can it be done without damaging the rapidly growing fruit?

2/13/2014 12:43:44 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

LOL Ben how are you going to place inward pressure on a pumpkin. It would be interesting to grow a pumpkin suspended using sling system to even out the pressures.

2/13/2014 1:01:01 PM

Colorado

Ben I agree with your blossom end theory. A lot of those sibs(sucked in butt syndrome) or "bird bath butt" fruit seem to hold together. I also believe its cause there not changing much there as the fruit develops. Its tall fruit that have a non sunken it profile that are a recipe for bes. Look at the 2032m for example.-it looks scary and sure its returning a lot of satellite signals- but it made it.

2/13/2014 3:41:21 PM

Colorado

Oh and Ive grown a couple stem down and blossom up that made it. I couldn't deter them and that's how they wanted to grow-had to make a trench for the stem and vine

2/13/2014 5:14:37 PM

Johnston, R.I.

My 963 from 2012 was grown on the blossom. It turned out ok..Was grown off a 1059 V/M...........

2/14/2014 3:40:37 AM

Minnesota

There was one set on its blossom end that ended up getting 5-600lbs at the ottertail pumpkin weighoff last year. It looked pretty cool was about 4-4.5 feet in diameter and about a foot and a half tall. Looked like a giant Cinderella. It got second place for Howard dill.

2/14/2014 8:55:08 AM

That State Up North

Sounds risky to create that inward pressure on the blossom end early in growth, probably safer to select for that in breeding.
I am interested in the thoughts on the pressure on the blossom end. One example of 1000+ and cracking when lifted due to shift in weight support leads me to think this could be a bad idea. That is only one data point, and it seems very few have ever tried to go 1000+ deliberately on the blossom end.
The side of the fruit is naturally curved, and it seems that growing on the blossom conforming to a flat surface matches that natural profile. If and this is a big if, if it is safer while growing, but impossible to move then it is still a bad idea.
Any other results, thoughts or attempts?

2/14/2014 4:00:07 PM

SF Bay Area, California

I've grown quite a few on the blossom end with good success rates but you have to know what you're doing or you will likely end up with pumpkin soup. I grow on the blossom to get a nice round symmetrical shape and limit the size to under 500 lbs. I don't recommend growing them beyond about 500 lbs on the blossom unless you are fine with a hohum tire shape.

I do believe that growing on the blossom end can reduce the risk of a blossom end split as the full weight of the pumpkin is supported outside the blossom area. So as the increasing weight of the pumpkin’s growth causes compressive forces and shifting in the shell these forces are supported by thicker areas of the shell - not the thin blossom area.

However, the downside is that the blossom stub is very vulnerable to rot and attack by bugs if it is not in a dry well-ventilated place. Under the pumpkin in the dirt is the worst place possible. For this reason, most attempts to grow on the blossom will end in a steaming stinking pile of pumpkin soup.

2/15/2014 4:53:09 PM