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Sourthern Utah

Kinda curious as to what everyone or anyone thinks causes cupping on the bottom of some pumpkins,, and not others. in the patch, any ideas,, thoughts, possibilities, or any thing,, something thats been on my thoughts recently,, thx to all,, plz give your thoughts here ,, it does happen to us all, Curt

10/7/2015 6:34:15 PM

Cobleskill Ny

air bubble like bubba says

10/7/2015 7:02:25 PM

50 Acres

Colder soil, fruit doesn,t grow and expand. Just my thoughts.

10/7/2015 7:06:25 PM

San Diego

Don't you think its probably because the pumpkin wants to grow round, but there is no where for the bottom to go but inward? If you were able to pop the bottom out, you would have a round pumpkin.

10/7/2015 7:21:41 PM

Eganville, Ontario

I know everyone seems to want that flat bottom on the fruit, but is there not more surface area on a cupped or concave bottomed fruit? More surface area would probably equal more flesh under that added surface area, right?

It's probably safer to have a flat bottom as the concave ones would have a better chance of splitting, but I don't think bottom shape is absolutely as critical as it's hyped.

10/7/2015 7:30:17 PM

Iowa

Total agree Ryan ......now if your going to tell me a cupped or concave bottom is a sign of a thinner wall then yes...this might be a bad sign! But I'm with you .....actually that would be more surface area. And another point if that void is inside the pumpkin with a flat bottom or outside of the pumpkin (the concave bottom) .....guess what ....it weighs the same!!!

10/7/2015 7:46:50 PM

East Jordan, MI

I think it is caused by friction. If the pumpkin cant scoot as it grows it pushes up (and in) making a concave bottom. But it could be cold too. We usually get relatively flat bottoms (some as flat as a table) for the most part. We use mill fabric that lets the pumpkin slide and a 1 inch Styrofoam that insulates the kin from the cold ground.

10/7/2015 8:53:03 PM

Sourthern Utah

ok,, folks thx,, here's my take, just me by the way,,,, agreed they want to grow round,, most of the time,, but if they have no where to push and grow outwards so to speak? isn't its bottom surface a bit hindered,, unless there is something for it to move on,, .i.e. plywood' a pallet,, lotsa growers use these,, as is easier to lift,, ? whats do you growers think?

10/7/2015 8:58:07 PM

Zurich, Ontario Canada

Maybe we should put a giant bowl (with drainage) under the kin so it has no choice but to be round!!!!!

10/7/2015 10:48:36 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Good question. I make the area (ground) very flat. Then I add a little sand, then mill fabric and then a lot of sand. Judge was even impressed and said, Wow perfect bottom! Flat as a table. Never had a caved up bottom.

10/7/2015 11:08:31 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

Flat bottom heavy .. Cupped bottom light...

10/8/2015 3:08:43 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

I always add sand to a new set.. not much enough to get it off dirt... on it's final move I put down the mill fabric and sand on top of that I always get a Turtle shell underneath (cupped). Going to try and use a lot more sand this year to see if we can get rid of it. Some times I think it helps too have the geometry of the cup to push back against the sides when lifting...but I'd rather have the weight!

10/8/2015 7:49:19 AM

Cameron

We have to agree with 26 West. It might have something to do with the cold ground surface. We have grown pumpkins with Styrofoam under the mill fabric & sand & have also grown them on just the mill fabric & sand alone. In my observation, the pumpkins we've grown using the foam underneath the mill fabric has for the most part grown flat bottoms. Where as the fabric & sand seem to be cupped the majority of the time. We live in central Ontario, where it's normally cooler at night than a lot of the other Ont. growers & this is just what I have observed on our kins.

10/8/2015 8:15:01 AM

Wi

Going of memory I think I have had 2 perfectly flat bottoms ever. One was 1810 which was way heavy. Every one of our pumpkins this year have humps in the bottom. They were all way heavy. I completely agree with Cecil.

The heaviest pumpkins I've ever seen have big humps in the bottom. They both start with a 2.

10/8/2015 8:17:48 AM

Vancouver, WA

I agree with cntryboy it's friction. We use interlocking "platforms" roughly 2x2 made of UHMW(plastic).These are placed under the kin and sections added as kin grows. Platforms are covered with fabric so almost no friction at all. This also makes moving kin (vine stress) much easier. Our kins are usually very flat on the bottom. However we did lose our PB this year one week befoe weighoff to a bottom split. Nothing's 100% I guess.

10/8/2015 1:21:11 PM

Sourthern Utah

there's some good thoughts and opinions,, here folks, appreciate all the input,, lets keep this rolling ,, if we can,, thanks

10/8/2015 4:01:24 PM

50 Acres

I agree with the posts. I was also thinking the bottom wall has to lift over 1000 lbsin some cases. It is probably easier to grow into the pumpkin cavity. Jim

10/9/2015 9:47:04 AM