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Austin, Tx

Hi. After treating my patch leaves with Sevin dust, I spotted my first pumpkin. It's green and already the size of a human head. (I dunno how I missed it). Wearing gloves, I rubbed Sevin dust all around it and placed sand under it to keep it dry. Am I not supposed to apply the pesticide directly to the pumpkin? If not, do I just dust the vine and the area around it? Please advise.

Sorry, I'm very new to this.

Thanks

7/2/2014 8:05:15 PM

Bethlehem CT

Hi Stemmy
Most growers today no longer use dust. They use sprays. Dusts can still be effective though. Especially if you get thorough coverage on both sides of the leaves and the vines too. Generally speaking growers will try to keep the young fruit free from any sprays or dusts. The young pumpkins are very sensitive and have thin skin. It is best not to even touch the young fruit. (if possible) Too much handling may cause them to abort.
If your pumpkin is already the size of a human head, it obviously has not aborted and the skin should be starting to thicken. (although it will still be very tender and soft.) If the color is green, it sounds like you are growing field pumpkins or you may be growing a giant squash. The Atlantic giants should start out yellow from the very beginning. Best of luck with your pumpkin growing this year. You should be able to learn a lot from this website. Use the site search feature and look up the topics you are interested in.

7/14/2014 9:31:39 AM