Plant guide:ð Pumpkin
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Fungal
Fruit Rot on Developing Pumpkins
Commonly affects: Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata (Pumpkin)
A soft, water-soaked spot develops on the fruit, usually where it contacts damp soil, and expands rapidly into a mushy, collapsing area, sometimes with visible white or grey mould growth.
Potential Causes
- 1Phytophthora capsici or Choanephora fungi infecting fruit in contact with wet soil
- 2Prolonged wet weather or overhead irrigation keeping fruit surfaces damp
- 3Poor air circulation around fruit resting directly on the ground
Solution Steps
- 1Place developing fruit on a board, straw, or upturned pot to keep it off wet soil.
- 2Remove and destroy any fruit showing soft rot promptly to prevent spread to healthy fruit nearby.
- 3Switch to base watering rather than overhead irrigation.
- 4Improve drainage in the growing bed if standing water is a recurring issue after rain.
Prevention Tip
Simply elevating developing fruit off the soil surface with a board or straw prevents the large majority of fruit rot cases.
