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Queensland, Australia

How devestating Went to check on my pride and joy an estimated 350 lb out of greg Wallers 837 2nd place 1999 WPC weighoff and it is starting to rot. My heart nearly stopped. i have painted it with pure Bravo and copper. Is there anything else I can do?
thanks in advance
Down under

3/6/2001 11:28:47 PM

Long Island,New York

Im sorry to hear about your pumpkin but I'm not sure there's anything you can do now. After watching the Mallorn list and Big Pumpkins for a couple years,certain trends or persistent problems become obvious to certain areas.Ive noticed that Australian growers have a hard time with these mildews or funguses...so common in the posts that if I were ever to move there and grow an AG...preventing the fungus would be my main objective(as opposed to here where it is the squash vine borer).My first attempt to defeat this nemesis would include a larger than normal tarp with adequate pitch so that the pumpkin and the soil beneath or 5 feet around it would be completely dry. The pumpkin must never be wet.Cover the fruit with a blanket to prevent early morning dew from temperature changes.It would be constantly shielded by a surface fungiside(which would require almost daily dusting to allow for exposed skin from daily growth. I would use a clip-on mini fan for air circulation,turned off on rainy days.If all these things are done,an environment for fungus wouldn't exist around the pumpkin and a surface for the fungus to live on wouldn't be available. The spores will always be around....just not living on your prize specimen.
Probably not what you want to hear now, but I see a trend and its persistent.Next year you win the battle....half the battle is knowing the enemy...............G

3/7/2001 7:18:59 PM

walton n.y.

i feel bad for your loss and i don't think that there is too much you can do to stop it now but if you follow G's plan of attack i think you have a very good chance to prevent this from happening again good luck in your future efforts

3/8/2001 8:01:01 PM