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Luverne, Alabama

HELP!!!!something has bored a hole in my biggest pumpkin.what can i plug it with & will caulking work????? silicone or latex?

9/3/2004 3:41:46 PM

Enumclaw WA

Yep, this can happen. If it is on the bottom of the pumpkin, the best defense is to prevent the damage by placing the pumpkin on something when it is just a couple days old (such as styrofoam, etc). Something to keep in mind for next season if this is your situation. In any case, once the hole goes all the way through to the cavity of the pumpkin, it is time for a proper end of life event for your pumpkin because it will start the decay process immediately. If the hole does not go all the way through, you may make up a paste of "captan" and water and pack the hole with the paste. Then keep the "patch" dry by placing a little fan such that it blows on the patch. Some have used caulking (I have heard of silicone being used but I think latex would be fine as well). A word of caution is that if you are going to take your pumpkin to a weigh-off, the rules usually prohibit visual signs of "patch" material on the pumpkin.... so you'll want to clean it out before the weighoff. Also, most weighoffs will only weigh a pumpkin that has a hole all the way trough it in the exhibition class. Hope some of this info applies to your situation.

9/5/2004 11:14:46 PM

Luverne, Alabama

thanks for the tips and good luck with yours!but if the hole wasent enough upon further examination the stem has started to get soft.im gonna cut it off and weigh it this afternoon.i think it should go over 200lbs,im happy for my first time growing biguns.thanks again. simpleman

9/7/2004 9:24:18 AM