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Santa Cruz, CA

We now have a split into the cavity on our 560lb LaRue. The Beachy which started a split last week, has held it's own with a large split that hasn't yet reached the cavity and is still growing @20lbs a day. We have 4 more @400lb pumpkins still growing. Are we doing something wrong or are splits just part of the big pumpkin picture? We are watering @15 min. a day with soaker hoses. The watering schelule has not changed in months. What should we do? or what can we do?

8/21/2006 12:24:12 AM

SF Bay Area, California

The 1097 Beachy is a known splitter, roughly 20%. Also this year a lot of big 1420 LaRue's offspring split along with a few last year so it's split rate is probably about the same. Both seeds seem to be prone to rapid growth and splitting.

The 1180 Daletas has a split rate of almost 30%. The good news is that the 695 Handy's split rate is low at about 10% The 1233 Reiss and the 1314 Beauchemin are unknown quantities - first year out.

All you can do is pray to the pumpkin gods and beg for their mercy.... oh! and be sure to make small offerings of compost and manure...

8/21/2006 1:48:47 AM

Netherlands

Several splits on large European 1233 Reiss pumpkins this year.

8/21/2006 3:27:54 AM

Mocksville, NC

yes there's somthing you can do stop watering for a few and let it start or completly heal, if its hot, and plant are flaging just shoot the leafs with a fine spray of water 2 or 3 times a day just to stop the drooping of leaf not to get the ground wet, they should start to heal let them have air if they heal start watering again. Again in Ca you have lots of time to repair, and grow a big one

8/21/2006 6:41:56 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

As a precaution, should I cut the watering down to 15 min every other day on all the pumpkins so the splits won't happen as much and we might have a pumpkin to take to the weigh-off? Would it be wise to cut the water down on the Daletas even farther (30% splits) but keep watering the Handy (10% splits)? Does watering cause the splits? genetics? fate? Each plant has it's own soaker hose and each has it's own separate timer as well so cutting the water differently on each plant could work. Thanks everyone for the help!

8/21/2006 12:17:00 PM

Long Island,New York

if you are only getting 20lbs a day and getting splits then its not the growth so much...in my opinion. If its 35lbs then yeah, back off on whatever you have to to slow it down....maybe she'll last longer. But at 20 a day its something else...genetics, deficient micro/macro nutrients,poor shape...etc

8/21/2006 2:56:35 PM

SF Bay Area, California

At this point you have pretty good odds of having a pumpkin for every major weigh-off in California. I wouldn't back off on any of them unless there is an obvious problem.

8/21/2006 9:18:27 PM