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Lockport, IL

I need some advice on how to proceed with my plant. I took the time yesterday to make a bunch of updated tracking its progress to my grower diary.

I have a fertilized pumpkin that is now 15 DAP growing steadily off of my first secondary vine. It is growing about 3-5 inches in circumference every day, it hit 49" in circumference at this mornings measurement. I've been really happy with this!

I only have one plant, which has now spread in to quite a bit of lawn. I was planning to try and get 2 fruits growing so that I have something to show if I encounter any problems.

The first female flower on my main shriveled very early on due to extreme heat about 9 feet out. The next got some damage in the wind, and was pulled. I pollinated a fruit and had the vine bent in an s bend and now raised on some pool noodles. It appears to have stopped growing at 5" long, but may still be shiny?

In the update I posted yesterday, It seems to be experiencing blossom end rot and I pulled that off. Is this a sign that the pumpkin is aborting? I plan to get some fruit rot calcium today or tomorrow and apply to the patch in case this is the issue.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=317878

Should I give up on this one? The next fruit on the main has been pollinated about 3 days ago, and looks promising.

This fruit is in a congested area. Should I uproot all of these vines, put the fruit in to an s bend, and make room for a pumpkin to grow? How long do you wait to do so normally to make sure that the fruit sets? Do I wait until 10 DAP and there is even more vine to move? Will the fruit that had the rot still grow? I know that secondaries apparently grow fast earlier?

There is also the problem of leaves showing "bites" or holes halfway up the leaf stalk as seen in the diary linked here. Is this from a bug? Or is high nitrogen / 2,4 d more likely to be blamed?

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=317876

7/26/2020 3:07:33 PM

North Of The Border

This has happened to me, and I don't think it is considered blossom end rot, so I wouldn't worry.

Personally, whenever I see the blossom getting squishy, like yours probably was, I remove the lobes, and then, if the rest stays squishy, I remove the entire blossom.

I would probably cut of the blossom, as close to the fruit as you can get, without damaging the fruit. You will ant to do this soon, because it could start rotting the fruit, but probably hasn't yet.

After removing the blossom you'll want to put a sulphur based fungicide, mixed with water to become a thick paste, on the wound, and put a fan on it 24/7, until it looks better. If you don't have either of these, it's not a problem, you will just want to make sure it has air flow.

Definitely keep both the main vine pollination, and wait till they have both reached an age of 10-20 dap, and then cull the smaller one.
Yes you should make a bend in the vine, and yes you should remove the tap roots for about 2-3 leave nodes in either direction.
You will want to move the vine now, but don't move the fruits angle with the vine, as it can snap like a green bean.
Wait for a few days after trying to heal the fruit before you cull the fruit, and only do that if the rot does not heal, or the fruit does not grow. The fruit should grow, but there is never a guarantee.

Wish you good luck with your pumpkin!

7/26/2020 4:32:15 PM

North Of The Border

The leaves may just be wind damage, but i dont know for a fact.

7/26/2020 4:34:13 PM

Western PA

I will recommend this incase you have not heard or simply don't know....
The day after you pollinate the flower, carefully pull the flower off as clean as you can. When you leave it on, it has no air flow to dry that blossom out.
Then the next day, you may notice, still a ring of the blossom on there. Pull that ring off also. Now you should have a nice clean, dry button left. If it is at all damp, puff some captan or suffer powder on it. Hopefully, you can get some sun on it to dry, or get a fan blowing on it to help dry it up.

Your daily checks should include :
Check the stump daily for any wet spot, leakage.
check the button for softness.
check main vine for soft spots/rot starting.
check the stem with your had and feel for any soft areas.
These are critical to get one to the end.
Don't get discouraged, this comes with experience and asking questions like you are doing.
If you want to see if they are growing, wrap a tape measure around it. They start out slow until day 7 or so, than they really take off at day 12 or 13 if your soil is where it should be to grow a big one.
I don't know what the holes are from. If you have drenched the soil with imidacloprid (merit), what ever did it will be dead. It looks to be a solid leaf stalk, so I would not worry about it.
good luck !!

7/26/2020 8:53:18 PM

Grittyville, WA

The hole looks like a fluke deformity to me. If a pumpkin is not growing that early, its toast. Its much easier to move vines and position the pumplin at 3 DAP than 10 DAP which could be bowling ball sized and it could weigh that much too. Be careful not to scratch the pumpkin if you care about a blemish free appearance. They are buttery soft.

7/27/2020 8:32:31 PM

North Of The Border

I agree about moving the vine early, I normally have the vine positioned before the flower opens, but I was talking about the fruits position to the vine. It is better to wait till the fruit has some weight before straitening out it's stem. When it is small, and you try to straiten it, it can snap easier and it won't hold its position well. If you wait till it's about 10 pounds, it'll be easier to keep on one position, and will have a longer stem, and be less suseptible to breaking.

Also, make sure to put sand, or a pallet or something that protects against standing water, under the pumpkin. Or the pumpkin will be likely to have a rot spot under heath.

7/28/2020 6:53:26 AM

Lockport, IL

Thank you everyone for the advice.

I have made sure to remove the flower after 1 day to air the blossom end out. Unfortunately, it looks like this pumpkin did decide to abort. its showing signs of rotting within the fruit now.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=318152

I've usually had the bend already in place on the vine, but will now have to uproot at least 10 nodes to make room for the pumpkin to grow and put that bend in.

Would you guys suggest trying to dig up as much root as I can, or just clipping them all, and let them regrow? The pumpkins is about 7 DAP, so I definitely have to be careful with the move. This ones looks more promising so far.

I did not have to move the other pumpkin too much, but I will take that 10 DAP to heart. Those early stage pumpkins are so fragile.

That fruit on the first secondary hit 18 DAP today. I'm happy with the 57" circumference. What's usually a good spot to be at that date? Its about 140 OTT, which doesn't show up on any charts yet.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=318151

7/29/2020 12:46:57 AM

Western PA

At day 15, a good pumpkin should be gaining 5" circ a day, or better. A decent Ott at day 20 is 180" or better. A better idea is at day thirty though.
Good growth depends a lot on soil fertility, weather ( sunny days, warm nights above 62*) , etc.....
I saw the pic of the one you think aborted. It aborted for sure, possibly from heat the day you pollinated it.
Don't worry about what other people are gaining. If you can keep it growing for 90 days or better, your doing good.
You will unfortunately learn from mistakes as we all have done. But learning from those mistakes, and being proactive the next time, is what will move you up.

If you are concerned about vine position, you could always cut the vine just past the pumpkin. Many have grown 1k plus pumpkins by doing that. just an option, but thats your decision.

7/29/2020 11:36:28 AM

Central NY

Zappa gives such great advice... I’m wondering based on the size and progression of the plant if you might just want to grow the one on the side vine...are you committing to just one?....either way...u must be getting excited.

7/29/2020 4:27:25 PM

Lockport, IL

Again, thank you everyone for the encouragement and advice.

I spent the weekend in the patch doing some serious vine management. I had a busy work week being the last of the month, so there were a bunch of side I had let grow out from pollinated pumpkins. Both of those aborted.

I cut off all of those side vines that were causing some congestion and in the way of the main vine pollination back up. I ended some side vines in that part of the patch as well, and cut off excess growth. Maybe 20 ft of fine total removed? The patch looks a lot clearer, and I feel that I am better off for it.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=318532

I have a large void created now after shifting the main vine from a straight line of about 10 ft to a u bend. I have the pumpkin growing at just over 90 degrees. It's side vine at the node I ended after 2 more nodes, It just would not fit in that patch area even after all of the clearing that I did. I think I have a good area to work with! I've raised all of the nodes with pool noodles in advance.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=318533

I had been very worried about this backup as it had been showing signs of the blossom end rotting as well. It was soft to the touch, but appears to have hardened, and dried up. you can definitely see that it shriveled a bit. Should I leave this on? It hit 11 DAP this morning, and appears to still be shiny. I didn't get a good measurement this weekend, but got one this morning, and will check in tomorrow. I think it is still growing.

I'm not sure why the picture decided to upload upside down, but the side vine pumpkin is doing really well!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=318535

My diary is incorrect, I apparently suck at using calendars. It just hit 24 DAP this morning, with about a 180 OTT. I think it slowed down a bit due to the colder cloudy weather that we have had, and the main vine pumpkin just starting.

8/4/2020 1:46:20 PM

Syracuse, NY

pretty cool with the noodles - sometimes, the greatest inventions...i'm sure that either i or someone will try that next year -i'm just giving you credit early-on! imagining just one plant, managed to the MAX...eg

8/8/2020 12:39:37 PM