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Long Island, NY

Please Help first year pumpkin grower. I have a Conneticut Field pumpkin that has grown to a nice size est. 45# with a large 5" stem. It has done great all season and has just come into full color. But today when I touched the stem I noticed it was soft and mushy like a wet sponge. What can I do? Is it a goner?

Please help,

Steve

9/21/2001 7:23:12 PM

walton n.y.

i've always washed the soft area with a 50/50 mix of bleach and water as soon as you see the first signs scrape out as much soft stuff as possible dry the area then apply captan or sulpher made into a paste repeat every few days and keep the whole pumpkin dry as possible

9/22/2001 1:40:10 AM

Long Island, NY

Thanks for the reply. But I don't know where I would begin scraping. The entire stem feels soft, but on the inside. Like it could be squeezed like a sponge. The vines it is attached to are hard and woody. Should I wait and hope it dries out or cut it and bring it in from the damp weather?
I just dont want to lose the whole pumpkin.
Thanks again,

Steve

9/22/2001 8:23:01 AM

Greencastle, PA

try to dry it out in any way you can. It's probably almost mature so you can pick it, I grew Connecticut fields last year so I kind of know what you're talking about, mine only wieghed 15 though. Good luck,
Tom

9/22/2001 11:16:56 PM

Long Island, NY

Thanks guys,

The pumpkin really had not grow much at all in the last three weeks but was just turning color. I picked it so I could bring it inside, cleaned and dried the stem as best I could. I put it in a dry room with a fan blowing on the stem 24/7 appears to be hardening up. The pumpkin wieghed in at about 38 lbs - a little less then my est. This was the only fruit to set in my whole patch which may explain why it grew a bit large for the variety. Next year I plan to try an AG and maybe Big max or prize winner.

Thanks for the help,

Steve

9/22/2001 11:26:12 PM

Greencastle, PA

prize winners are nice, you could cross one with an ag, might get better color. the reason it was light is because the charts aren't for CF's Howdens are realitives of CF's, they get up to 50, and howden biggies, close to 100. how thik were it's walls? mine were about 1".
Tom

9/22/2001 11:50:02 PM