How to Keep Pumpkins From Rotting

Before even choosing your pumpkins, understand that their shelf life varies depending on whether you cut them or not. Uncarved pumpkins can last two to three months if kept out of the sun or cold.

Carved pumpkins can only last a few days, so schedule your sculpture accordingly if you want to display them on Halloween.

Water only until fruit appears. "Pumpkins like a little more watering in the flowering stage for proper fruit development," said Patty Buskirk, senior horticulturist and breeder at Seeds by Design. "Maintain a consistent watering schedule until the fruit is dry, then turn off the water completely when the fruit begins to color to reduce the risk of rot."

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How to prevent pumpkin rot on the vine

Water only until fruit appears. "Pumpkins like a little more watering in the flowering stage for proper fruit development," said Patty Buskirk, senior horticulturist and breeder at Seeds by Design.

"Maintain a consistent watering schedule until the fruit is dry, then turn off the water completely when the fruit begins to color to reduce the risk of rot."

Let nature do its thing. Pumpkins bear many flowers and then drop fruits that the plant cannot sustain to maturity. It's okay to leave any mushy fruit on the vines, but carefully pick up healthy pumpkins and place them in a small wooden box, straw nest, or small pallet to keep them from getting wet, Buskirk says.

Experience raised flower beds and hills. If you have a lot of trouble with rotten fruit, try planting in raised beds or hills about 3-4 feet wide next year.

Sow about 3-4 seeds per pot or hill, then thin to one or two plants. When the pumpkins are done, place the fruit on top of the pots or flower beds, allowing the extra water to drain. In smaller gardens, you can plant pumpkins vertically on a trellis or fence, providing additional support for heavy fruit by making small nets for beans or peas.