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Picton,ON ([email protected])

We have a pumpkin we plan to exibit inside for the next week and a half. There is a shallow wound on the top of the pumpkin that has some mildew on it now. It is currently outside. I am concerned that when the fruit goes inside for the exibit, it will start to rot. Has anyone had any luck treating a wound on a harvested punpkin. I am thinking about doing an alchohol, fan treatment. Any thoughts would be helpful

11/4/2008 7:59:07 PM

SF Bay Area, California

Scrape all the mildew and any soft or discolored flesh from the wound. (I usually use a small spoon to do this.) With a toothbrush, or small artist brush treat the area with a 10% solution of bleach and water. Dust the area with garden sulfer powder and put a fan on it until good and dry. If you can get some direct sun on it even better.

The key is to remove all the mold and any visible rot from the wound first and then getting it as dry as possible.

11/4/2008 10:21:24 PM

South East

we kept one for 6 weeks, although in a cooler we treated any wounds with bleach and kept it as dry as possible. Once rotting starts its impossible to stop.

11/4/2008 11:11:47 PM

Bethlehem CT

I have found that the warmer they are the better for storage. I also believe they will heal faster when they are nice and warm inside. It amazes me when I see pumpkins heal long after they are harvested from the vine. I would clean the wound back to healthy tissue, then make sure plenty of air can get to it. A 10%bleach wash or fungicide paste may help facilitate healing. I have noticed that a cold pumpkin will not heal like one kept inside. (60-70 degrees Fahrenheit)If you have a warm dry environment to bring it into, I believe it will start to heal itself.

11/5/2008 7:27:25 AM

Going Green

I apply a 10% solution of bleach hand dry and apply lime to the wound. Seems to work very well as I have saved several pumpkins from rotting!

11/5/2008 9:20:27 PM