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United States

https://ibb.co/ZgXn7GL
https://ibb.co/YBqKfSF

Any idea what might have caused these little holes/cuts? Bird, squirrel, or something worse?

9/26/2023 3:33:09 PM

Western NY

Not animal damage, it's just cracking and weeping.

9/26/2023 4:24:23 PM

United States

Is there anything I can do to help it? This is my last shot for the season, and I probably have 1-2weeks left before the first frost

9/26/2023 7:41:54 PM

Syracuse, NY

New term - 'Sappin' and Crappin''.
I had this on my biggest (178, 400-plus pounds & aborted, awww) fruit all around the bottom just before the dirt and on another fruit that is also aborting at about 110 pounds...like 'Eewww!!!'
I hate to be the bearer of bad news and I'm just thinking that it is the sign of the beginning of the end. If aborting, the residue probably has to go somewhere, the skin is deteriorating and so forth.
The grooves that are forming and not being lobes...
Just my honest opinion and I have had this happen.
Sorry for if I'm wrong and yet that'd be good, in this case---eric g

9/26/2023 9:38:48 PM

Colorado

Its cracking and weeping more because its in its heavy growth days and temperature swings bring out out that type of cracking more.You might keep it covered with a blanket at night to keep it buffered temperature wise.

9/27/2023 9:42:30 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Andy and Joe are right but the cracks are opposite of growth cracks. I hope its not coming from the inside?

Does it smell near the cracks or just smell like healthy pumpkin smell?

9/27/2023 10:06:54 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Andy and Joe are right but the cracks are opposite of growth cracks. I hope its not coming from the inside?

Does it smell near the cracks or just smell like healthy pumpkin smell?

9/27/2023 10:06:54 AM

Syracuse, NY

Be sure to sniff your pumpkin with no one around or they might push your face into it, lol, to help you get a good whiff.
My associated finger test required two hand washings, lol. eg

9/27/2023 11:46:27 AM

United States

I just checked, and there's no bad odor, just regular pumpkin smell.

Do you think filling them with grafting wax would be a good idea?

9/27/2023 2:49:11 PM

Syracuse, NY

This is a surficial disease (not-easy = dis-ease) that is wrecking your pumpkin.
If it were on your face, you'd sterilize it, disinfect it and bandage it,
I sure hope.
Now, what I would do, OMG, Heaven strike him down, Oh, Dear Lord above, pumpkinpal2 is advising again, much to the shock, disgust and eventual awe of any other super-expert grower is mix 2 Tablespoons of Clorox per gallon of water into a spray bottle set to 'stream' and squirt it into the holes (you could use a stalk from a nearby weed to stick into the hole(s) and see if it/they go into the cavity
= Game Over); Then, I would set it to 'spray' and spray down the entire pumpkin, yes, because it is not big enough to use it all up just yet, like a car wash, wait a day and then do it again. Then, every few days. No need to dig anything out,
but letting it stay very dry between applications would be advisable.
Putting anything in the holes is gonna just be that, with no disinfection evident.
Do it, don't do it, I don't care but it has helped me before and eased my mind that I did what I came up with. Try not spray slugs or bugs - they're only trying to live also. Oh, that's right...Well, SVBs I would just fling, lol!
FYI, MY situation with this was because I didn't have my fruit on the usual, tried-and-true housing insulation that saved my other fruits.
Livin' and lernin'. eg

9/27/2023 3:30:42 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

It's almost October, when are you growing until? lol

9/27/2023 5:15:55 PM

Torrance, Ca.

No wax, get a good couple fans and keep them running until weigh off day.

9/27/2023 6:09:39 PM

United States

There's no weigh off day, I just wanted to grow the biggest pumpkin I could this summer. SVBs, and my own inexperience/ignorance resulted in two failed pumpkins. This one, attempt three, was pollinated on Sept 1. If dimension based weight calculators are accurate, I'm at 83lbs, but its skyrocketed in the last week, and is now visibility bigger each day. I just want to do anything possible to mitigate whatever is happening in those pics. I'll let it grow until the frost kills the vine.

Is "no wax" bc it wouldn't help, or bc competitions see it as an indicator of fraud? Fraud concerns don't matter, bc this is only for my own enjoyment.

9/27/2023 8:51:07 PM

Syracuse, NY

Andrej, it has been as enjoyable as it CAN be to answer your questions and try to help this past summer and I really hope that if not now, next summer you smash (whoops) one outta the park with an unprecedentedly-huge second attempt at growing a Giant.
You are tenacious and ask a lot of great questions.
I had not even thought of the 'visible signs of chemical residue' clause that might have affected the validity of the fruit.
Good thought, and great job. I vote for both of your own answers.
PS---You could certainly TRY it in one of the holes/pustules/things,
Clorox on another and a fan on the remaining ones - figure that out and
that'd be pretty cool.
Maybe...put everyone's multi-part collaboration to good use and...
I'm sort of kidding but you certainly get options like never anyone else. Good Luck! eric g

9/27/2023 9:22:24 PM

President - GPC

https://gpc1.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GPC-Rules-and-Handbook-2021-7-11-2022-Edit.pdf

Article II 3. No foreign material (i.e.: fungicides, caulking, skin additives et cetera) will be permitted
in the weighing of any fruit.
a. Vines must be trimmed to within one inch of the stem of the fruit.

So we hope to see you at a GPC weigh off next year Andre!

GROW BIG

Wizzy

9/29/2023 3:53:20 PM