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This pumpkin was beyond my PB and the vine split crosswise at a secondary just before the stem. Tried everything to stop it from happening (moved pumpkin, adjust vine, dug dirt away etc..) just couldn't be avoided. The pumpkin was 40 dap when this happened and had a ott of 375 and had gain 11 inches in circumference the 7 days leading upto this dilemma. Now my question is at what age past DAP are the seeds able to be saved for future usage? I have a secondary that is still attached with 20 leaves on it but the pumpkin isn't gaining anything from it. Hopefully I can gain something out of this besides a upsetting situation! Thank you everyone for your input.

[Last edit: 08/14/25 6:10:57 PM]

8/14/2025 4:32:13 PM

Syracuse, NY

I would think that the fruit is still gaining, however imperceptibly, with ANY vine still attached to it, or else why would a vine be attached to it anyway? I read on here years ago that 60 days after pollination is the general time needed to mature seeds, butt I'll bet that there have been other experiences, from half-full seeds (yup!) to a 'no-seeds surprise' at the end. I wouldn't worry about seeds unless they were from a controlled cross and who knows what a seed will produce next time, anyway? A picture would help in your original instance, butt whatever, lol.
375 OTT? YAY!
eric g

[Last edit: 08/14/25 5:38:32 PM]

8/14/2025 5:34:43 PM

Bethlehem CT

THe seeds will continue to ripen even on a picked pumpkin, you should be good already. Congratulations on 375" and keep it going. You would be surprised what they can do with not much to grow on.

8/15/2025 7:44:54 AM

Bethlehem CT

Keep it dry and get a fan on it if possible. A lengthwise split on a vine is completeley fine! Hopefully that is what it is. Even a split across the vine, that cracks the vine in half can heal and make a huge "knuckle" of callous tissue with in a month or so.

8/15/2025 7:53:21 AM

Western NY

As long as the stem is attached to some amount of vine, it will continue to grow.

8/15/2025 8:07:08 AM

The main just before a secondary in front of the stem cracked across the vine and the vine actually must have been under so much tension that the split separated by about a inch with just a couple strings of skin holding on. I believe due to the pumpkin stem end growing so fast forward and making the stem roll down and forward and the flower end lifting made it tear the way it did. I dug out the ground for the stem to push downwards. I also tried to jack up the platform it was on but the ground would not allow me to do so even with boards on top of it due to the pumpkins position, size and weight. I made lots of changes this year to my growing routine and it really was showing it was worth it. My PB is 1362 lbs and this pumpkin on the same DAP was 390 lbs heavier. Thanks again everyone!

8/15/2025 8:34:16 AM