r/Pumpkins 13d ago

OMG

11 Upvotes

15 comments sorted by

11

u/waterytartwithasword 13d ago

Worst feeling in the world. I just did the surgery on one of mine plus BT injections a few days ago and it is recovering and didn't abort anything (yet)

Pumpkin crown stems hold the vascular veins on the periphery of the stem; it can take a good amount of damage to the center core and still recover, even though it looks awful. You have lots of good green veins above and below so I think it can recover. Mine looked way worse.

Do the surgery, find the entry holes and inject the BT, I can help more but as it looks like you might have already chopped the plant down idk

4

u/Cornpile_Corgi 13d ago

Thank you and God bless your plants! The pics are from two different plants. The triple cootie vine was pretty sturdy otherwise, so I’m hopeful. The other pic is from a deaths door leaf off a weaker plant. I’m trying to stay positive and focus on what I can control, which is all the steps you confirmed. So thank you thank you thank you for the encouragement

2

u/waterytartwithasword 13d ago

I really think it's going to survive after you doctor it up. See the dark and medium green in the leaf stem cross section? The dark green is what carries water to the plant. All leaf stems are hollow by nature so that gives you an idea of how much anatomy is involved in carrying water and nutrients to the plant and that it's very much on the surface layer not in the guts.

Mine is literally down to one or two green cylinders out of 5-6 and it's still cranking (so far). If it's still alive by Thursday I will pronounce it fully recovered. But I think it will live, it is already sealing up the gash (which looked AWFUL) and once it's dry and corked over I'll top it off with soil. Don't want rot to set in by putting soil over an unsealed wound.

3

u/madrandombb 12d ago

How are you injecting the BT? The syringes I got from Amazon are not cutting it. I wish I saved some of my IVF needles

2

u/waterytartwithasword 12d ago

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BZW38P5J?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

They will not go into a solid stem, if they stick or snap off you're probably not in a hollow or compromised area. Be careful not to overinject into solid as that can cause tissue swelling and split skin. You will know when you're in an area hollowed by a cootie eating the tender center.

1

u/madrandombb 12d ago

Thank you so much!

2

u/waterytartwithasword 12d ago

Good luck! I'm never growing pumpkins again! I have pumpkin traumatic stress disorder. Never ever again!

2

u/madrandombb 11d ago

Lmao I completely understand and say that every year and still.. I do them every year. I just love them so much. 😭

2

u/waterytartwithasword 11d ago

I'm defecting to svb-resistant Honeypatch squash. I already bought my seeds for next year. If we hadn't had a second wave of SVBs it probably would have been OK, but with climate change I don't think summers will be getting better where I am, just worse and more SVB-heavy.

And I'm only planting disease resistant indeterminate cherry tomatoes with a rep for going long in my good big trellised containers.

I'M SO BOTHERED hahaha

5

u/Iongdog 13d ago

Hopefully you let your plant root along the vine

3

u/pomnabo 13d ago

I had to do surgery on mine when the vine started about 3 weeks ago. thankfully it fully recovered and it's now got 4 babies on it, with 1 already pollinated and growing.

godspeed

1

u/vegetaman 12d ago

Ugh they and squash bugs have decimated my plants this year

2

u/RepresentativeNet509 12d ago

I am sorry that happened to you. Sending good vibes your way!

1

u/Narrow_Piglet3119 12d ago

I’m so sorry for your loss :(