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Townshend, Vermont

hi folks, this is my 3rd year, still learning. i've got a problem. these posts reflect what one might do with splits near the stem area. i unfortunately have one on the blossom end of a big pumpkin. i was away for 6 days and my 'caretaker' didn't notice. i quickly covered the hole with captan/paste form. at first it went in. then the paste covered the hole. i never checked the depth. i do have a fan on it. reading stellpflugs info in the 'how to' page, he describes scraping material from the stem end and working it into the crack and then covering with latex caulk. with my condition i think i may go his route. my split is 3/4" x 1/4". my questions are: is it to late, three days after it was noticed? can i take material from a 50lb pnkin i culled 3weeks ago, that is still solid? is the scrape material actually the flesh beneath the skin or does it include the skin? do i need a fresh pnkin for this material? bottom line, what do i do? its my only pnkin. thanks for any input - jeff macquarrie

8/12/2003 9:22:34 AM

Nova Scotia

i never read stellpflugs procedure but i beleived he meant to scrape wound edges so that the wound is clean, flush with clean water then fill with captan and dry. putting other pumpkin material in the hole will only compound your problem of possible rot setting in.

8/12/2003 9:42:30 AM

Nova Scotia

i forgot. if your wound appears to have solid edges. then you should be fine. if not the scraping could save you. never give up.

8/12/2003 9:46:38 AM

Montoursville, PA

Good advise...........If you do not have a dry fungicide just squirt in the wet mix for now. Finding a dry one is getting to be difficult. Captan is off the market when the present supply on retail shelves get sold.

8/12/2003 8:37:43 PM

Wood River, Nebraska

The material Len was referring to, to put into the crack, is the product produced by the plant in response to an injury. Go to the How To link, the article " Pumpkin Crack Healing by Len Stellpflug" is a must read!

8/13/2003 9:07:39 AM

Townshend, Vermont

thank u mr t and doc for replies. i took them into consideration and went with stellpflugs method on pumpkin crack healing as mentioned in the "how to" page of this website. i actually used a culled 50lb pkin (3 weeks old) and upon pricking it for bleed material (it did ooze) realized i didn't have the patience for enough material to build up to put it in the crack/hole. so, with a serrogated kitchen knife i removed a very thin layer of skin and scraped cellular material (my guess) creating enough stuff to cram into the hole. before putting it in i removed the healed edge thinking it would bond together better, if this works at all. i then covered the spot with quality latex caulk and directed a fan on it. most of this procedure was suggested by len stellpflug and then i threw in some good old yankee improvisation, foolish or not. my main concern about sealing the hole is to avert the judges eye at the fair. i mean, if the captan wasn't there there is an obvious hole, possibly making my AG an unacceptable entry. i'm thinking what len's suggestion may do goes along the lines of the human bodies ability to heal a wound with cellular material so as to give the appearance of no wound ever existing, minus a scar. i'm a little afraid of going out this morning and seeing how my patient did over night. if this works i will do a thank you len jig- jeff macq

8/13/2003 9:09:45 AM

Townshend, Vermont

exactly stewee, thank u

8/13/2003 9:11:18 AM