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New Brunswick

I wondered why my largest pumpkin had stopped growing. It is sitting on a bed of long grass and there was a vine hidden by the grass, growing under it. (The pumpkin measures 65 inches in cir.) I did not realize that this would put tremendoous strain on the main vine (duh... how dumb can you get???)....and it split right fair behind the pumpkin stem. I had no alternative but to cut the vine off beyond the split. I then took sulpher powder sprinkled inside the split and put the split together and wrapped it with a cloth to hold it together and then wrapped the whole thing with duct tape. What should I do? Leave it alone or did I do something that just might work? I know that things heal better exposed to air but this is a 2 to 3 inch split right in the vine center. Is this pumpkin doomed?

7/31/2003 11:41:47 AM

Oz

wraping it is great,,although sulfur can burn cells.
i use melted wax and cotton dip it and wrap it.

7/31/2003 12:14:46 PM

New Brunswick

What do you think I should do? unwrap and do the wax thing? Wouldn't melted wax burn it? (I need a few more instructions me thinks) Wonder if anyone has ever used caulking to sort of glue it together? Wouldn't it be great if I could use the glue gun? *grin* ( a grin is better than ranting and screaming...or is it?)

7/31/2003 12:45:59 PM

Utah

I would let it dry out... then try to clamp it back.
i've heard of some funky clamps...ever those metal srew ones used on radator hoses.
at least it didn't split before the stem.

7/31/2003 12:57:09 PM

New Brunswick

I have some of those pipe clamps....but it got a chance to dry out before I discovered it. I have it wrapped very tightly with a cloth (sulpher inside) and covered with duct tape. Suppose it will mend together or should I "glue" it together with something? Crazy glue perhaps??? (just kidding) LOL. You mean by before the stem..as in the pumpkin itself? no it is not split there...it is split behind the pumpkin stem...in the vine. I haven't checked it to see what it is doing...guess I wouldn't know by looking just yet anyhow.

7/31/2003 3:38:05 PM

Utah

Personally i would not leave any cloth on it. It will hold any water is collects (dew, rain, humidity- whatever) and may cause future problems.

don't laugh Crazy glue or Elmers glue might just work.
crazy glue works great on small cuts in humans.

maybe i'm not visualizing this correctly but i meant "before the stem" ...as in: the main vine was cut between the stump and the pumpkin. ie you cut your pumpkin off.

7/31/2003 4:16:14 PM

KENTUCKY

there is actually a type "super glue" that is being used in the medical industry on people. Doctors use it sometimes, instead of using stitches. You can buy it at walmart. It's gota be safer than regular super glue.

7/31/2003 4:52:09 PM

New Brunswick

qit...oh yeah thats where she is split alright...between the stump and the pumpkin..in fact about one or two inches from the blasted stem. I will go unwrap it and try some glue...what the heck...I am probably screwed no matter what I do with that one. d@#$%d$#@$d$#%$!!!! I have two other pumpkins on that vine. One is at 45 inches cir. at age 25 days. It has grown only 3 inches in cir. in two days....not doing well at all. The third, is much younger. It is at the very end of the vine...a short vine at that. I cut all the tap roots between it and the vine...there will be no vine splits from this one! It 25 inches in cir. on July 26. On the 27th it measured 30 inches. On the 29th it measured 36 inches Today it measures 41 inches. I have no idea how old it is but it is much much younger than the other two. I was so busy concentrating on the first one that I just let it live as a shock absorber. Thank heavens I did not chuck it! What to do what to do???? I just may end up cutting the larger one...what do you think?

7/31/2003 5:58:27 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Looks like the plant already made the decision who's gonna get the juice!! If it's in a good position let it go...

7/31/2003 6:34:13 PM

Utah

so the stem split- length-wise? or transverse-wise?

if it was length wise, i think you could be ok with it, i'd just wait a few days and see what happens... if the larger fruit keeps growing at a pace near that it has been ... then you are ok. if not...or if the split was transverse-wise... well then i'd probably got with the other fruit.
good luck
gordon

7/31/2003 6:51:46 PM

New Brunswick

Its lengthwise. I went out, took off the wrapping, (it was weeping) poor little thing is so sad....*sigh*. I took out some super glue...blasted stuff wouldn't come out of the tube! I went back in the house and got out the white multi purpose carpenters glue and put some in the split held it together and wrapped tightly with black electric tape. Looks great...but the next few days will tell the tale. In the mean time...I have learned two valuable lessons....never allow a pumpkin to grow on or near a vine and never ever ever cull too many pumpkins. In other words "don't put all your eggs in one basket" Oh yes... I dohave 3 other plants. I was so keen on this big one that I did not keep track of pollinating dates. Thus I have no idea how old they are. But they are all over 40 inches cir. So I am measuring them and watching them very closely. I found another 35 to 40 cir. pumpkin on the 770 tonight that I did not even know was there. That makes two for that plant, two for the 945 and one for the 695....but you never know there is probably one lurking under the leaves in that plant as well. (<:
Thanks for all the help. I need all the help you guys can give me...and then some...LOL. Happy growing, Sue

7/31/2003 9:56:43 PM