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Santa Ynez California

The stem on my biggest pumpkin developed a crack across the stem that is affecting sidewalls too. I took photos. I raised the soil around the pumpkin on the side it was sinking away from main vine on. It is sinking away from stump and main vine and so keeps adding more and more tension to the main vine and stem where they join. I added a bunch of soil and some stones and small logs to the opposite area to build it up and then compacted it a lot. I had a smaller version of this problem last year in same area now that i think about it but then the whole garden was on chicken wire and this may have slowed the sinking. I am hoping this will stop it as I really built it up quite a bit. I never thought that it would just sink away from the stem hahahaha. It is almost 800 pounds so it seems like the whole area is settling from the weight. Any ideas? I am not sure what else to do to reduce tension on the stem as I have cut many of the tap roots to try to relieve tension and give it some room to move. I am guessing I am not first person with this problem. it is in same area I had this problem last year but I did not realize this was the problem as that was my very first year hahaha. Luckily my back up plant is doing well and I have one more that is clunking along and about 550 pounds or I'd be screwed. I am just hoping it has not gone through sidewall completely as it does not look like it has yet. Fingers are crossed that the new built up soil area will stop it from moving away from vine. I took photos so see my diary lol. Steve

7/30/2009 11:49:52 PM

Covington, WA

Steve, you need to relieve some of the tension of the main vine either by loosening the vine from the soil, or in some way elevated the blossom end of the fruit so there is some slack on that stem. Why did you put foot powder on it? Did it smell like dirty socks? Get some Captan powder at a garden center and use that. Cracking stems on pumpkins have nothing to do with cracking skin between your toes. Different fungal probems, different fungal solutions. Keep it dry and get some tension off of it. I really don't think it's sinking into the soil unless you're growing in a swamp, even then these things float after a certain point.

7/31/2009 12:16:37 PM

Santa Ynez California

I thought it through a lot and realized that I could not relieve tension any more at this point without actually moving the pumpkin in the direction the tension was coming from. However since it is 750 plus pounds that is not easy. The stem had split some more over the night and into the skin on both sides too. However the splits appear to only be about 1 1/2-2 inches deep into the sidewalls and not through to the cavity. I think maybe there was a lot of organic matter under the soil that has decayed or something like this as that whole area has been sinking from the watering. We are in a very dry area and I think the weight of the pumpkins and other things has caused the whole area to just start sinking and the pumpkin to grow away from the stump. but really what do i know hahahaha. Here was my remedy. It seems it is act now or lose pumpkin so I backed the car up to pumpkin, put padding in between bumber (which is soft) and the pumpkin and slowly pushed it hahahaha. I pushed it back about 4" or so and this relieved tension considerably. We will see how this works. I do not think anyone in our area carries captan so i thought the foot powder would dry it out a lot. now that tension is gone I need to tend to wounds. Thanks for all advice on this. STeve

7/31/2009 2:29:00 PM

Ohio

estaban, at least you got the tension off the pumpkin with out harming it, good job,,lol, I dont think I would have had the go-nads to move it like that myself, but it worked for you,,lol. Now that you have the stress off the stem you should be in good shape.

ps. If you can find a garden store you will be able to find captans, I myself dont use captans, I use Daconil and paint it on straight from the bottle with a brush.

Captan never seemed to dry quick enough for me and always seem to stay soggy, daconil dries fast. If you have a wal mart or Lowes you will be able to find Daconil, or really almost anywhere.

7/31/2009 8:23:44 PM

Covington, WA

I'm glad you came up with a solution to the stem stress. I can't imagine they don't sell Captan in California as it has been around forever and it comes as a powder. But they do have some different environmental rules there so it may be unavailable, but worth looking for. Brooks is right though, daconil should be available and is a worthy substitute.

8/3/2009 12:33:47 PM