From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Erin,Ontario.

Day 61 and it looks like its all over for Meenie.Developed a split right near the fruit on the main stem,progressed to a crack I can put my fore finger into.The pumper itself is still solid with no visible signs of disease but she does not appear to be growing anymore.Should I cut it now??(God it was hard to type that!!),and how long will it "keep"once it is cut?THis has been my first year growing and I cannot believe how attached I have become.I still have Eenie and she must be getting close to 300# now.
Thanks to everyone at bp.com for all your help.

9/20/2002 10:58:13 AM

Utah

a stem split isn't the end of the world. they are quite
common. They can still put on weight with a split stem.
If you are sure there is not more growth... then i'd
still leave it on the vine unless the split is affecting
the pumpkin. keep the stem clean & dry plus apply some kind of fuguside - like captan. keep a close eye on things.
i hope it holds for you
gordon

9/20/2002 2:25:29 PM

Herndon, VA

DON'T CUT IT!!!!

As Gordon said, it may not be the end of the world. The split is only a problem if it enters the pumpkin cavity, and stem splits don't always do this. I have one this year with a split large enough for my pinky finger, but it opens into a hollow area behind the stem and NOT the cavity.

Try poking a piece of straw around in the hole & see if it goes all the way through. If not, you are probably ok. You can also measure every few days to see if it is still growing. Good Luck.

9/20/2002 11:32:14 PM

Erin,Ontario.

Wow!!Thanks a lot.I'm gonna leave her on the vine the weather here has been amazing,high 80's and lots of rain so hopefully she'll keep on trucking.I've attached a couple pictures I took 2 wks ago.Its the beautiful orange one before the split that I'm concerned about.Many thanks for your help.

9/21/2002 10:08:42 AM