Date: 18/04/2010 12:02:53
From: pomolo
ID: 87989
Subject: pumpkin protection

Does anybody protect their pumpkins while they are still ripening on the vine? If so …how? We have picked a few but there are still more at various stages of ripening. One had a huge rotton depression. Chucked it. Another has a big portion eaten out. The p’kin is still very obviously green but something loves it.

How do I protect those still on the vine? I don’t mind the resident creatures getting some but I want my share too.

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Date: 18/04/2010 16:22:09
From: pepe
ID: 87997
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

pomolo said:


Does anybody protect their pumpkins while they are still ripening on the vine? If so …how? We have picked a few but there are still more at various stages of ripening. One had a huge rotton depression. Chucked it. Another has a big portion eaten out. The p’kin is still very obviously green but something loves it. How do I protect those still on the vine? I don’t mind the resident creatures getting some but I want my share too.

i never cover mine.
what do you suspect is doing it – bug, animal, bird, rodent or possum ???

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Date: 18/04/2010 17:41:26
From: pain master
ID: 88001
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

In the past I have raised a pumikin off of the dirt and onto the mulch, so that it seemed harder for bugs to get in…. don’t know if it really worked or not???

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Date: 18/04/2010 17:46:01
From: pomolo
ID: 88004
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

pepe said:


pomolo said:

Does anybody protect their pumpkins while they are still ripening on the vine? If so …how? We have picked a few but there are still more at various stages of ripening. One had a huge rotton depression. Chucked it. Another has a big portion eaten out. The p’kin is still very obviously green but something loves it. How do I protect those still on the vine? I don’t mind the resident creatures getting some but I want my share too.

i never cover mine.
what do you suspect is doing it – bug, animal, bird, rodent or possum ???

I wish I knew Pepe. Could be a very large rat. Maybe possums. Other than that I don’t know what else roams around during the night.

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Date: 18/04/2010 17:48:35
From: pomolo
ID: 88006
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

pain master said:


In the past I have raised a pumikin off of the dirt and onto the mulch, so that it seemed harder for bugs to get in…. don’t know if it really worked or not???

Hi there PM. Mulch wouldn’t have helped here because the eaten part is about 15cm x5cm. All above ground.

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Date: 18/04/2010 18:11:33
From: Dinetta
ID: 88012
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

I could be wrong, but I suspect the recent prolonged wet weather plus up and down temps may have caused a soft spot in those pumpkins, and the bugs etc have sniffed it out and are getting rid of the bad bit for you…a bit like slaters generally only attack the plants that are weakened anyhow…

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Date: 18/04/2010 18:13:47
From: pain master
ID: 88016
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

I reckon dinetta0 is onto something there… that or a rat is having a free feed????

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Date: 18/04/2010 18:31:24
From: Longy
ID: 88024
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

Pumpkins are fair game for all manner of fungus, critter, pest and disease. However, they are a fairly prolific fruit and you will probably find that you will keep about 70% or more of the crop.

If you have a rat, when it has a forage, leave the damaged fruit for it to come back to. If you remove it, the rat will just select another.

D is right when she says the fungal probs may have caused a few fruit to develop holes and soft spots. However, depending on what type of pumpkin they are, you may get some ripening early because of the fungus. So cut the crap bit out and you may find the rest is good. They’re the ones to use up first.

Sunburn hit my Qld blues a few months ago and some of those affected now have scabbed areas which can be prone to rot. I figure they will be the ones which will be consumed first. There are still some embryo fruit on the vine. There are some which are still developing and others which developed in Summer. I’d say where you live Pom, you could expect another month or so of fruit development. So you’ll get a good feed.

An old tile or similar under a pumpkin will help prevent fungal disease developing on the bottom side.

As an aside, i planted 3 Qld blue seeds. Retained one.
I’ve picked 59 pumpkins so far and there are still about 50 developing. plus others at embryo stage.
However, the really early ones i have cut have been shyte. No colour, so the worms or chooks got ‘em. I figure a few months and maybe a frost will mature the bulk of the crop! No rats so far this year. They can’t be far away though!

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Date: 18/04/2010 19:04:09
From: pomolo
ID: 88045
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

Dinetta said:


I could be wrong, but I suspect the recent prolonged wet weather plus up and down temps may have caused a soft spot in those pumpkins, and the bugs etc have sniffed it out and are getting rid of the bad bit for you…a bit like slaters generally only attack the plants that are weakened anyhow…

That may be true of the one we had to throw away but the one that got done over last night was perfect. Just green, as yet.

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Date: 18/04/2010 19:10:28
From: pomolo
ID: 88050
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

pain master said:


I reckon dinetta0 is onto something there… that or a rat is having a free feed????

Well he can just cut it out. I’m planning on getting my share of that crop. The first one we picked weighs in at 7.5kg. It’s a monster.

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Date: 18/04/2010 19:22:25
From: pomolo
ID: 88056
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

Longy said:


Pumpkins are fair game for all manner of fungus, critter, pest and disease. However, they are a fairly prolific fruit and you will probably find that you will keep about 70% or more of the crop.

If you have a rat, when it has a forage, leave the damaged fruit for it to come back to. If you remove it, the rat will just select another.

D is right when she says the fungal probs may have caused a few fruit to develop holes and soft spots. However, depending on what type of pumpkin they are, you may get some ripening early because of the fungus. So cut the crap bit out and you may find the rest is good. They’re the ones to use up first.

Sunburn hit my Qld blues a few months ago and some of those affected now have scabbed areas which can be prone to rot. I figure they will be the ones which will be consumed first. There are still some embryo fruit on the vine. There are some which are still developing and others which developed in Summer. I’d say where you live Pom, you could expect another month or so of fruit development. So you’ll get a good feed.

An old tile or similar under a pumpkin will help prevent fungal disease developing on the bottom side.

As an aside, i planted 3 Qld blue seeds. Retained one.
I’ve picked 59 pumpkins so far and there are still about 50 developing. plus others at embryo stage.
However, the really early ones i have cut have been shyte. No colour, so the worms or chooks got ‘em. I figure a few months and maybe a frost will mature the bulk of the crop! No rats so far this year. They can’t be far away though!

Thanks for that Peter Pumkineater. Good idea about the tile under the fruit Also about leaving the already chewed one for the critter to continue feeding.

Are you telling me that your Qld blue (one) has produced or is going to produce more than 100 ‘kins? That’s unbelieveable. Mine are JAP and they have about 6 growing and a lot of flowers still to open.

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Date: 18/04/2010 19:36:50
From: Longy
ID: 88063
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

Are you telling me that your Qld blue (one) has produced or is going to produce more than 100 ‘kins? That’s unbelieveable. Mine are JAP and they have about 6 growing and a lot of flowers still to open.

+++++++++++++
Yes i reckon i am telling you exactly that Pom.
Scary bluddy thing.
It’s about 30m from end to end and has been prolific.
I need a frost to get things right tho.

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Date: 18/04/2010 20:55:41
From: Dinetta
ID: 88080
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

pomolo said:


Dinetta said:

I could be wrong, but I suspect the recent prolonged wet weather plus up and down temps may have caused a soft spot in those pumpkins, and the bugs etc have sniffed it out and are getting rid of the bad bit for you…a bit like slaters generally only attack the plants that are weakened anyhow…

That may be true of the one we had to throw away but the one that got done over last night was perfect. Just green, as yet.

Fairy nuff…maybe they’re shaping up to be really sweeeeet pumikins?

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Date: 23/04/2010 11:02:45
From: roughbarked
ID: 88438
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

if eaten at night it could be possums or it more likely is rats.

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Date: 23/04/2010 11:07:14
From: roughbarked
ID: 88439
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

Dinetta said:


a bit like slaters generally only attack the plants that are weakened anyhow…

Slaters attack everything. They don’t have to be weakened plants. Slaters prefer the seedlings freshly germinated. The only way to stop them is to increase the amount of mulch so that they have plenty to eat. This is only a temporary measure as the population outgrows the food source.

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Date: 23/04/2010 14:25:35
From: pomolo
ID: 88453
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

roughbarked said:


if eaten at night it could be possums or it more likely is rats.

Thanks RB. Since posting that question I have been investigating the pumpkin every day and I’m starting to think it’s hares. Two rather large top and bottom teeth craters is a sure sign. They don’t like it that much anyway because the same p’kin is still being attacked and not much at that.

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Date: 23/04/2010 14:26:37
From: pomolo
ID: 88454
Subject: re: pumpkin protection

roughbarked said:


Dinetta said:

a bit like slaters generally only attack the plants that are weakened anyhow…

Slaters attack everything. They don’t have to be weakened plants. Slaters prefer the seedlings freshly germinated. The only way to stop them is to increase the amount of mulch so that they have plenty to eat. This is only a temporary measure as the population outgrows the food source.

I’m so glad we don’t have them to put up with as well.

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