DATE:     10/8/98 
WRITER:   Dr. Anthony P. Keinath, Extension plant pathologist,
          (843) 766-3761 
  
Making Pumpkins Last Through Halloween 
  
     Got your pumpkins past all those diseases that hit in the
late summer and early fall, and now you think it's the home
stretch until October harvest? 
     Don't let your guard down yet. Pumpkin fruit can still be
lost to several fruit rots. 
     Black rot is one of the most common and destructive. The
name comes from the black mold that grows on the fruit and the
watery soft rot which follows.
     Black rot begins in the garden, but it develops after
harvest. Under warm conditions an entire fruit can be completely
rotted in three days at 80 degrees F. 
     The pie pumpkin variety Connecticut Field has some
resistance to black rot. On the other hand, large Halloween
varieties like Howden and Big Autumn are very susceptible to it. 
     Phytophthora fruit rot can be a problem when fruit lays on
continually wet soil. This rot starts with a watery or greasy
spot that looks darker than the rind. A white or cream-colored
mold may appear in the center of the spot. 
     To protect fruit from rots, place a barrier under ripening 
fruits to lift them off the soil. An old shingle is better than
paper or plastic, which will trap water. 
     Harvest only solid, mature fruit with deep orange color. Be
careful not to injure the rind, as decay fungi will attack
through wounds. 
     After harvest, dip fruit in a dilute chlorine solution of 4
teaspoons bleach per gallon of water. Allow fruit to dry, but do
not rinse until use. 
     Pumpkins should be "cured" at 68-77 degrees F for a week to
harden the rind, then stored at 52-61 degrees F with 60% relative
humidity. Under these conditions, pumpkins can last eight weeks. 
     For more information on pumpkins, check out South Carolina
Pumpkin News at:
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/hort/vegprog.htm .
                 ******************************
     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News & Publications, Box 340311, A-101 Poole
Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
29634-0311.
                               END