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Montoursville, PA

Cut the vine about five inches, on each side, of the stem. Do not be inclined, to fiddle or test the vine or stem strength. Sometimes you can snap either or both with the slightest tug. Cut the vine down, to an inch, on both sides, of the stem when you have it, in a good position, along the loading process or even after it is, on your truck or trailer.

Finally if your fruit needs cleaned wipe it down with a ten to one ratio, of Clorox and water. Again use a soft paint brush, to clean the valleys. Do not wax the fruit, in any manor, as this is a forbidden process, for safety reasons. Weigh Off sites nearly all have this rule, to protect both you and your fruit from a slippery fruit surface.

Clean off all fungicide residule, using a soft paint brush and water. Dry your clean up with a rag. The vine and stem will not rot, to any degree, in a day or two but if you are loading several days early put some hydrogen peroxide in water and mist it. If you have the Agro-K program use Vigor Cal Phos, four tabelspoons, in a quart, to mist the vine and stems. When cutting down the vine do not saw, on it with a knife. Use a real saw that will not apply as much pressure, on the stem or the vine. I use an electric jig saw with a fine blade. Instruct your helpers, to stay off the vine and stem when loading. Watch your helpers with the eye, of an Eagle. You can not be to carefull. This is very important.

.... May you have a safe and "0 Error" loading and trip.

9/16/2005 10:48:38 AM

Joliet, IL

great subject to bring up at this time Doc.
no matter how many times you say it, a persons first inclination is to grab hold of the stem while lifting or moving to get the tarp under neath. loading day can be nerve wracking with a lot of people suggestioning and doing things at there own will and if you are like me and my idiot friends, beer is usually involved too. so take control of all lifters and have a small group meeting. look them all in the eye and tell them this is serious and we will not half ass the procedure in anyway. if something is wrong we will stop and re-organize. and tell them all no matter what they do, do not grab the stem. i personally will not have a beer until the loading is complete and i make sure to be near the stem to protect it throughout the lifting and loading process. then after loading i will drink to my heart and belly's content and get loaded myself.

p.s. i bet no matter how many times you warn them, if you watch close enough about 2 or 3 lifters will place their hand on the stem and hopefully they will remember the warning and they react quick enough to let go of it before applying pressure. either that or you give them an earful as soon as you see the hand reaching in that direction. i do not know if it goes back to picking field pumpkins as kids, or more like the stem looks solid as a tree and they do not realize it is more like celery than an oak, but it is amazing how the subliminal mind directs their hands to the stem.

9/16/2005 11:38:51 AM

Knopp, Germany

I do whole heartedly agree with not test the stem strenght, it is not strong, and once it is broken off, it is not part of the pumpkin for weigh off purposes any longer.

Don't cut the vine down to an inch until you are at the weigh off site. Cut it long enough to put a water bottle or a baggie filled with water on the ends to allow the fruit to continue to suck up any water that it might want to.

best of luck!
owen

9/16/2005 11:58:36 AM

SF Bay Area, California

You are right about the stem... (it sure looks like a handle) but the most important thing is to move the pumpkin before cracking the beer. I learned the hard way and had a bunch of drunk friends rolling my pumpkin across the field because it was just too damn heavy to carry.... laughing their asses off.

vince

9/16/2005 12:04:48 PM

Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Ditto on the stem issue. People not in the sport think it's no big deal to use the stem as a handle. Even when it's broken off, they think it is insignificant. I tell them that if the stem is broken - I'm disqualified. They stay away from it.

9/16/2005 3:38:33 PM