pumpkins

by Belinda Adams
(Victoria Australia)

I am growing butternut pumpkins and they are. Growing to big and slitting.I do not no why.

Doug says that splitting in fruit is most often caused by a growth spurt. The fruit has been stressed by cold temperatures or water shortage and then the stressor is removed. The temperature goes up - the water starts to flow and the plant starts growing strongly again. The skin is too weak to expand as fast as the plant is growing - it splits.

So, you've either had poor weather for growing the crop (too hot or too cold) or you've had inconsistent watering.

That's the best I can do from over here. :-)

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pumpkins

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May 26, 2009

controling weather a lil for those pumpkins
by: Anonymous

over fertilizing as well as temp change can cause this. i would cut back on my fertilizer a bit and protect them from weather with covers or maybe an inexpensive hoop house made out of 1 inch pvc pipe that can be removed easily to keep their growing conditions a lil more controlled. take 4 pcs of 8 foot pvc and attatch acenter ridge pole with a fifth pcs of 8 ft pvc with drywall screw right down the center make a 4 by 8 foot cheap lumber 3 or 4 inches high square to attatche the pvc to on the sides with drywall screw again bending them to fit inside the squar wood frame, cover with inexpensive plastic and they r easy to move on and of with a friend on the other end.