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Santa Cruz, CA

Our Beachy has a stem split that may be working it's way into the center cavity. We would like to move the pumpkin and put it on display but don't want to go through the trouble if it will only last a week once it's cut from the vine. How long do you typically have with a split pumpkin? It's 400lbs and was pollinated in early July. It has some cantaloping and is turning orange.

8/16/2006 11:40:35 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Last year after a stem split into the cavity, we harvested and put it on display at a couple of weigh-off sponsor businesses, we managed to get 3 weeks from it but sealed the split with some expanding foam in advance....good luck.

8/16/2006 11:59:12 PM

San Diego

2 weeks to 5 weeks, depends. I had one fruit on display for 5 weeks after is split, but last years fruit went down in 14 days. Jim

8/17/2006 12:44:24 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

relieve the pressure and cut the stem the other way

8/17/2006 8:59:13 AM

SF Bay Area, California

If the split doesn't go into the cavity yet, you may be able to save it and it could last until Halloween. If you are fairly certain it will eventually split into the cavity, cut it from the vine now before it gets to the cavity.

Treat the split area with a 10% bleach solution and then brush it with a thick paste made from sulfer powder. Dry it with your fan and let the wound get some direct sun if possible. When the wound is completely dry, you can fill the split area with latex caulking.

I used this method last year for some rotted areas and deep splits in several pumpkins and they survived for months.

If the split is already into the cavity, you only have about 3 weeks.

8/17/2006 10:26:19 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

I cut the split back yesterday, applied a bleach solution, kept a fan on it and dusted it with sulfur powder. It's really hard to get into the cavity under the stem though and apply the sulfur there. Any tips? When I look into the cavity under the stem it doesn't look flat but dives towards the pumpkin's main cavity, "valley like."

The split yesterday had grown from the night before but I will recheck it today. A weeping half of and an inch crack appeared on the outer pumpkin shell as well, but it healed it's self by evening. (I thought that was a good sign.)

8/17/2006 11:23:23 AM

SF Bay Area, California

Keep in mind that the cavity inside the stem is seperate from and does not open into the cavity of the pumpkin. The front of the pumpkin around the stem area is usually the thickest part. On a pumpkin about 400 pounds the shell should be at least 4 to 6 inches thick around the stem, so an inch or two deep split into the pumpkin here is usually not fatal if it is properly treated and kept dry.

My only additional tip is keep the area as dry as possible.

8/17/2006 6:31:31 PM

Sioux Falls, SD [email protected]

My Beachy(581) had a stem split last year, but it never worsened after intial split. . .kept growing for a while.

8/20/2006 12:50:34 AM