Blossom end rot on pumpkins

[catlikethief]

Last week I mentioned I have some fairly small Cinderella pumpkins turning color earlier then wanted. This morning I noticed one of the smaller ones with blossom end rot.
It seems to have happened over night, yesterday it looked fine.

I'm familiar with blossom rot, just not with pumpkins. I've been giving them milk every other day or so like I had read. Wouldn't that provide them with the calcium they need?

I have many pumpkins growing on these plants, they're growing like mad now that I started to water them more. Nothing seems to be wrong with the soil, what can I do to make sure this doesn't happen to the others on the vine?


Thanks
-Linda

 

[silkiechicken]

Sometimes if my zucchnis or mellon type plants end up with a rot starting at the blossom, I find it is due to lack of pollination or uneven pollination so the plant "gives up" on the fruit and it starts to die off. Perhaps that's whats happening?

 

[catlikethief]

Sometimes if my zucchnis or mellon type plants end up with a rot starting at the blossom, I find it is due to lack of pollination or uneven pollination so the plant "gives up" on the fruit and it starts to die off. Perhaps that's whats happening?

I dunno? This is my first year growing pumpkins. I wondered about that too, but figured the pumpkin got pollinated because it started changing color and was about half the size of a soccer ball. I'm crossing my fingers that it's due to uneven pollination.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[silkiechicken]

If your plants are already turning their fruit "ripe" perhaps there is some environmental stress that is causing them to "panic and mature"?

 

[catlikethief]

If your plants are already turning their fruit "ripe" perhaps there is some environmental stress that is causing them to "panic and mature"?

That's something I hadn't thought of until now. In the last few weeks we've had (I'm sure you as well, you're not that far off from me) huge fluctuations in weather.
I noticed them going ripe when we had one week of mid60-70's weather straight to 101-103 temps then now, back to rain =/

I'm not fully convinced it's the weather, I'll have to wait and see what happens to the others on the vine, which btw they've already grown bigger and are still way yellower then the *ripe soccer ball sized* pumpkin.

Out of curiosity I cut open the one that started to go rotten. It had maybe 50 full sized seeds inside and almost no flesh. Wish I would have taken pictures.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Now are the fruit rotting right after flowering or are they rotting a week or so after?

Fruit rot, caused by lack of pollination, occurs when the fruits are still small and not yet growing. If this is the problem than you can try the hand pollination methods.

Blossom end rot can be caused by soil moisture fluctuations which from what you describe I'm thinking is the problem. Blossom end rot will happen from the base of the flower and take over the entire fruit, usually. High ammonia fertilizers or fresh manure can cause fruit rot as well. Since you are using the milk solution then calcium shouldn't be a problem.

If you can some how help with drainage this year, by either adding some extra organic matter than you might be able to help them out. Also, if you are having lots of rain then try to keep them well mulch so that they don't dry out. Careful with coarse mulches and keep it away from the base of the plant since this can welcome squash vine borers.

Good luck!

 

[ginasmarans]

If it truly is blossom end rot,then it is a calcium defeciency and it occurs in the flower. You can buy liquid calcium and follow the directions. It was bad with my tomatoes this year,even with spraying. I think I will lime the ground this fall and rotate them next year.