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formerly RGG

My 1480 Urena has a severe stem split at both the top and bottom that I have been trying to deal with. I thought it probably went into the cavity of the pumpkin and was done for. I have left it on the vine however and it has continued to grow. But it seems to have slowed down a lot and today I was going to cut it off in favor of a back up kin that is still very small. I decided to have a better look into the area behind the stem split and saw there is no opening into the cavity. So I am wondering if any of you readers on here have ever grown a pumpkin with a stem split to maturity. Thanks for your feedback.

7/10/2013 11:33:15 AM

Merrimack NH

Last year I had a bad stem split at about 200 pounds, it ended up 1008 pounds at the end of the season. The stem opened up enough that you could stick your arm through the stem, but it never went into the cavity.
Do a search on this site for "stem surgery" or "stem split" and you will find some examples of what to do with it. You basically cut the stem all the way through and back to the vine so the stem can open up rather than the split going into the pumpkin. You put a fan on it and some fungicide until it heals. I've done it twice with bad stem splits that looked like they would go into the pumpkin and both times it worked and the pumpkins made it to the end of the season.

7/10/2013 12:25:16 PM

Springfield, VT

Split the stem to about an inch from the vine. The split should stop. The pumpkin may even fill in the split, I had one that I did that to and it wnet to 1045lbs and filled in the split

7/10/2013 1:51:05 PM

west central IN/East central IL

Good to hear just had same thing happen.

7/10/2013 2:48:25 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

A filet knife and pull back towards the vine...I know it sounds bad but it actually works

7/10/2013 5:58:07 PM