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Southport

Hi this is my first post here from the wet and windy north of England.
Please don't laugh but my first attempt at an Atlantic giant last year weighed in at only 106 pounds grown in a small allotment.
This year I got some Dills cross with Holub seeds from a UK seller that came from a fruit weight 560 pounds and some other Dills from Premier seeds. I planted 3 plants at the end of the allotment in new fertile soil enriched with good quality compost, well rotted manure and some Growmore.
The main vines are about 20-25 feet long, Secondarys rooted and tertiary vines trimmed off.
I've hand pollinated the female fruits by covering the female flower in muslin the night before opening and gently tying the male flowers closed so the pollen doesn't get stolen first thing in the morning. After pollination the female flower it then protected from cross pollination.
I have three Pumpinks growing at the moment.
The question is this...
WHY ARE THEY ALL COMPLETELY DIFFORENT ?
One is yellow 69" round at the moment but shaped like a car tyre, flat and round.
One is dark green and shaped like a British rugby ball, but not as big, and lastly one is perfectly round, smaller but green with light green stripes !
All three are putting on 2" a day but bad weather at the moment looks to slow them down.
All three look nothing like last years typical Atlantic Giants !
Can anyone help Please ??
Kind regards Andy

8/2/2023 7:40:22 AM

Mission Viejo, CA

Genetics is the short answer. AG's have a wide range of color variation. I've got one growing that will likely have no orange at all and be white. And if they start bright yellow, they may turn out to be a vivid orange. I've got one of those in my patch also.

8/2/2023 11:10:27 AM

Springfield, VT

Shape and color vary since most of the seeds are not grown for appearance. There are some growers out there with seeds that grow orange. As for the green one if it is all green GPC will classify as a squash

8/2/2023 4:06:31 PM

Syracuse, NY

"...that came from a fruit weight 560 pounds and some other Dills from Premier seeds."

Plus, the 'Holub' surname represents 'Squash' to me, anyway...

So, there you go, and what the others said.
By next year, maybe by incorporating seeds from more-definitive sources (I'll ask tomorrow at the Post Office about a Phytosanitary certificate) you'll at least have consistently-colored fruits across at least plants from the same genetic crossing to begin with.
'Quality in = Quality out'.
Sounds like you have a great foothold into Giant Pumpkin-Growing!
No guarantees, of course and they can even be differently-colored on the same plant, but that is more rare.

That was the long answer, lol.
You'll have to make do as far as the colors that are already established
are concerned.

Good luck with them all this year!---eric g

8/2/2023 8:21:04 PM

Southport

Hello everyone.
Many thanks for all your replies.
I will try yo source some better seeds next season.
I will keep you posted as to what happens to my odd batch in the next month or so.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can beat last year's but the weather here has really turned cold, wet and windy.
We are not to far from the coast.
👍👍👍

8/3/2023 5:44:02 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

And sometimes, even if you are growing the same parent seed as someone else or 2 plants in your patch, one can be white while the other throws a dark orange. Most sibling seeds stay consistent, but it happens.

8/3/2023 8:18:06 PM

Syracuse, NY

Andy - Move to the US this winter so that I can more easily send you my seeds, lol---eg

8/4/2023 3:30:42 AM

Bethlehem CT

It's the same as the big leaf hydrangea. Soil pH determines color of pumpkin.

8/4/2023 7:09:12 AM

Bethlehem CT

Just kidding!

8/4/2023 7:09:22 AM

Grittyville, WA

Lol big moon... This might be more true than you or I know!

8/4/2023 8:56:42 AM

Australia [email protected]

Saw a vine at a friend's place that. Had two different colours pumpkin on it

8/4/2023 5:45:58 PM

Bethlehem CT

Yeah how does that happen? I have a melon plant with two melons that are different, both shape and color! How is that possible?

8/5/2023 8:33:01 AM