giant pumpkin problem

PaulF · September 15, 2009

Thanks to a generous friend who sent me some seeds, I tried my hand at growing a Dill's Atlantic Giant this year. Everything was going well until late July. A family tragedy kept my mind off the garden for a few weeks and in that time the two pumpkins on the two plants stopped growing. I estimate one at 150lbs and the other at 125. The leaves started dying and so ended the growth of the fruit. I was able to kill off the squash bugs and I did fertilize some, but not enough. With the cool and relatively wet summer I thought I may get lucky.

Here's my question for pumpkin growers: The stem on the larger of the two has begun to get soft. Can I stop the softness before it turns to rot and how do I do that?. Both are still attached to the vines and both set of vines do still have about a third of the leaves still green. I want to be able to keep them for a pumpkin contest the second week of October. Any suggestions?

September 15, 2009	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	giant pumpkin problem Thanks to a generous friend who sent me some seeds, I tried my hand at growing a Dill's Atlantic Giant this year. Everything was going well until late July. A family tragedy kept my mind off the garden for a few weeks and in that time the two pumpkins on the two plants stopped growing. I estimate one at 150lbs and the other at 125. The leaves started dying and so ended the growth of the fruit. I was able to kill off the squash bugs and I did fertilize some, but not enough. With the cool and relatively wet summer I thought I may get lucky. Here's my question for pumpkin growers: The stem on the larger of the two has begun to get soft. Can I stop the softness before it turns to rot and how do I do that?. Both are still attached to the vines and both set of vines do still have about a third of the leaves still green. I want to be able to keep them for a pumpkin contest the second week of October. Any suggestions? __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.