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Mount Wolf, Pa

What can be done to prevent pumpkins from maturing to soon? During the past several years I have had nice pumpkins growing through July, then in early August they stop growing and start turning a light orange color. This year I have one that appears to already be loosing it's glossiness and changing color. It still is growing, but the growth has started to slow. I shade the pumpkins and try to keep the moisture and fertilizer constant.

7/14/2003 8:49:59 PM

Western Pa.

DLR,

If you pollinate your pumpkins somewhere in the July 1-20th "zone", you SHOULD be able to finish with a giant in October. In my first 3 serious years of growing these, mine always stopped growing in August/early Sept., and I couldn't break the 500# mark. I think a large portion of the blame goes to the cucumber beetle and bacterial wilt. (It may take 6 weeks after the damage is done to show up!) After becoming "more serious" about the hobby, and using a systemic insecticide, and also fungicides, I have produced much larger fruits in the patch. You are not alone here, I think many growers out there could have better results if they "stepped up" from using only Sevin, to a more complete system of control.

7/14/2003 9:02:28 PM

[email protected]

Chelated calcium is known (& well documented) to control blossom end rot in pumpkins. Now folks are finding at hasten maturation &/or prevents the aging processes that cause fruit to decay. No substitute for a good fungicide program, but helpful all the same.
There may also be an influence played by certain plant growth hormones to which I will attest if I ever get a female to polinate. LOL Maybe I've been a little to liberal with my own use of hormones this year. So far only one female on the hormone treated plants!

Steve

7/14/2003 9:37:05 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I'm doing something Totally different this year and i have not seen one cucumber beetle or Squash bug

7/14/2003 10:26:49 PM

Western Pa.

Pumpkinbrat,

Me too, (it's called keeping my eyes closed!)

7/15/2003 7:47:07 AM