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Grittyville, WA

18 weeks till Halloween now is the time to get vines growing up over a temporary support or choose a side vine and get it set up to grow blossom-down! Especially if your plant is not cooperating for a competitive pumpkin it would be great to see some of you growers be a part of the blossom-down challenge. Practice on one this year... I think I'll bump the prize up a little next year. Its a struggle but maybe--just maybe--you could end up with a nice pumpkin AND win...check out the BlossomDownster(s) diary I set up for more info!

6/24/2018 12:03:32 PM

Arizona

I am going to try and set one today for practice. Waiting to water today... if I don't snap the vine I will give it a try. Plant is not cooperating for a heavy kin and it is a bell shape.

6/24/2018 1:07:35 PM

Grittyville, WA

Congrats on the state record tomato.

6/24/2018 2:53:33 PM

Grittyville, WA

Keep us posted on your pumpkins... Looks like you are going for the state record pumpkin too!

6/24/2018 3:05:45 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I’m still wondering, why blossom down? I see no benefit, only additional issues and hassles for you to grow this way...what am I missing?

6/24/2018 11:00:50 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Shannon is the master of this!

6/24/2018 11:05:28 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Oh, is it a orange grower thing?

6/24/2018 11:13:19 PM

Arizona

It looks COOL.. and it keeps my kid involved!

6/25/2018 1:15:41 AM

Grittyville, WA

My thought is that an attractive blossom down kin would have the most value for public display. I am up for the extra work because I want to create value. Pumpkins have a wide range aesthetic value. I'm a competitive and 'bigger is better' guy too though... so this is actually a competition for weight but yeah the end goal for me personally is a classic fairytale appearance... Orange, huge and stem on top.

6/25/2018 2:35:14 AM

Grittyville, WA

I would like for there to be a best-looking award too within the blossom down contest but frankly most of us are still figuring out the basics of how to grow this way. There is a risk of splits but I think we just need learn which seeds to use or other ways to avoid having this problem when they get above 400-600 pounds.

6/25/2018 3:00:09 AM

Syracuse, NY

it is almost ironic that a huge pumpkin would look best as a field pumpkin, stem-up, traditional and orange, whereas the actual weight and positioning of an AG in the patch dictates that they are generally like blobs of cookie dough and want to spread out accordingly as they grow (some more than others) and yet again, once tipped up for display and carving, the larger DIAMETER of the fruit results in a better, larger 'face' on the pumpkin. pumpkins are awesome, no matter what! eg

6/25/2018 5:09:48 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Glenomkins, for a public display, I like the long and flat missle shaped pkns grown normal on their sides. I have 1 currently on my 1674 Marsh. They grow long and short to the ground during the growing season and aren't as exciting as nice tall HD looking round pumpkins. But, at the end of the year you can stand them up on their blossom and they are 2x as tall as normal and the stem is up in the air.

Here's my 1674 shape last week.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=291406

6/25/2018 8:16:22 AM

central Nc

I'm with Glenomkins on this one. An HD winner blossom down is about as attractive as you can get with a vegetable.

6/25/2018 9:21:57 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

That pumpkin will look great no matter what Luke, lobe the football shape.

I place mine blossom down/stem up for carving anyways, and they look like this.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=268037

6/25/2018 10:48:07 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I just got back from a week of fishing, and my blossom down plant is a little behind the rest of the patch. I will start training a secondary soon, maybe this afternoon.

6/25/2018 11:11:17 AM

Grittyville, WA

I agree sometimes they can be tipped up and have good display qualities. The blossom down ones may end up more squat than desired. But in terms of safety... and pranksters... squat is actually useful. But very big and rounder . . . (A little taller not so much a flying saucer) is the end goal for me and if I grow some cinderellas or pancakes along the way oh well. Kids like them and they are safe. I dont trust myself to prop anything up ... Not saying it cant be done safely but it is a serious concern.

6/25/2018 12:46:50 PM