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Maine

I have a soft spot on the top of my pumpkin where the shade tarp was resting on it briefly and actually burned the skin. It's about the size of a quarter and there's a little mildew in it and want to keep it from spreading. Any remedies I can use?

7/22/2019 2:38:53 PM

Benson, MN

I'm by no means an expert, but I had something similar happen a couple years ago(only with a hail dent). My advice would be is to scrape out the soft spot to good flesh and get it to dry, then put sulfur or captan on. If you don't get all the bad out i.e. the mildew, it could work it's way farther into the pumpkin. Which is what happened to me two years ago which made a big rot spot to disqualify the pumpkin. Anyway that's my 2 pennies, but hopefully someone else can chime in with advice for you.

7/22/2019 3:40:51 PM

Plainville, Connecticut 06062

In my opinion first and foremost is to keep the soft spot dry at all times if possible. If the soft spot started from the outside you have a good chance to save it. If it started from the inside you are all done. Treat the soft spot with a bleach water solution 10 percent bleach 90 percent water and lightly scrub the area with a soft tooth brush and bleach mixture. Dry the spot after light scrubbing with a dry clean rag then place some sulphur powder into and over the soft spot and if possible run a fan 24 seven until the spot drys up. If you don’t keep the spot dry and the rot continues deeper it will get to a point especially if the weather is hot and humid that you won’t be able to save it. GOODLUCK and I hope you are successful .

7/22/2019 3:42:04 PM

Dillonvale, Ohio

Dig/scrape out anything soft, disinfect with 4:1, water:bleach, put a fan on it to dry it. The next day, put captan or sulfur on wound, keep the fan on it until dry. May need the fan the rest of the season

7/22/2019 3:43:28 PM

Anchorage Alaska

good luck, I did all the above and still lost my 2469 fruit at 1300 lbs est, soft spots suck ..lol

7/23/2019 12:02:41 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

That happened to us a bout 10 years ago, but a bigger spot. We scraped off the soft stuff, painted on full strength Daconil, and it healed up.

7/23/2019 8:56:53 AM