Topic: Funny Shape

[Sinbad7]

Any ideas why my pumpkin looks a funny shape or is this normal?
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z284/sunnyday_012/002-1.jpg

[shirlton]

It loooks as if it can't make its mind up wether its going to be a pumpkin or a tubby butternut. ;D

[Sinbad7]

LOL, I did wonder if it was related to a cottage loaf:)

[Dandytown]

I might be wrong but it looks like a sag line or otherwise known as a 'Dill ring'

Check out http://pumpkinnook.com/howto/dillring.htm.

I'm assuming it is one the main vine, if so you might want to cut off that secondary vine to give the fruit some room to grow and then gently bend the main vine so that the pumpkin is on the middle of a curve. i.e that it is about 90 degress to the vine.  Do it gradually though so as not to snap the vine.  A little each day and only in the afternoon when the vine is warm.  I managed to bend mine in one go but be carefull.

By putting the curve in the vine helps to releave stem stress and room to grow.
Good luck

[Sinbad7]

Many thanks Dandytown.  I don’t think I’ll be calling it ‘sag line’ in front of my fellow plot holders, I dread to think of the comments  ;D

I read on that link that they suggest you cut it off and concentrate on another fruit.  Seems a bit drastic to me, I don’t think I’ve got the heart to chop it off.  I’ll go for a curve and just hope for the best.  It looks a whopper to me anyway.  Oh btw when will it turn orange?

[antipodes]

You don't mention the variety. Pumpkins sometimes have varying shapes, even though the flesh can be consistent over all the fruits.

[Sinbad7]

Not sure what it is as I had the seeds given to me.

[Jeannine]

Ah,, therin lies the answer, they are a few winter squash that are actually shaped that way!!


XX Jeannine

[Dandytown]

Sinbad,  I would keep it too!

I think Sag lines become more of an issue for very large pumpkins say over 1000 lb's.