From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ottawa, Canada

Lost my pumpkin this morning :( What can be done to help prevent BES? I'll try to start another one later this week.

8/3/2010 12:46:56 PM

Middle TN

ok I gotta know... whats BES??

8/3/2010 9:08:16 PM

Pataskala,OH

Blossom End Split.

8/3/2010 9:52:25 PM

East Jordan, MI

Sorry to hear that frogman.

8/3/2010 10:01:39 PM

Middle TN

Thanks Nic. Sorry Frogman :(

8/3/2010 11:40:34 PM

43.841677 , -79.086692

Ive had 2 BES. Both on the same plant. I've gotta believe that genitics plays a role. I think you can also reduce the risk by keeping you daily watering the same and lay off water if its going to pour. If we get a couple mm of rain I still water but water less.
If you get a huge down pour it is thought that cutting a inch off a few secondaries will allow the plant to bleed out and take some pressure off the fruit. I do this and water does bleed out where the fresh cut is made so maybe it works!

8/4/2010 10:42:29 AM

Washington

In 1997 my 1016 had a blossom end split that was no wider than a penny turned on edge and less than an inch long. We took it as an exhibition to get a weight on it. It was the largest grown that year and the second 1000 pounder grown. Would have gotten $14,000 total prize money. Woulda should coulda. We had an extremely rainy August that year. (Even for us) It was growing at a fantastic rate. At one point we estimated up to 40 pounds a day. We 'guess' the problem was too much rain.

8/4/2010 11:17:29 AM

Colorado

The only 100% way to prevent bes is to not grow giant pumpkins

8/4/2010 12:53:37 PM