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Central IL

Ok ... Here's another newbie question. What do people like to use to sit their pumpkins on to prevent rot? Mine is on a bed of sand but still small enough I could move it. It feels like plywood on dirt would wick moisture up, even with a sand layer between it and the pumpkin. I'm not growing anything large enough to need a pallet. Suggestions?

8/9/2015 1:54:44 PM

East Jordan, MI

sand works just fine.

We use a 2 inch layer of sand to raise the pumpkin above grade a little and make it very flat, then a 1 inch sheet of the cheap white open pore Styrofoam (with holes poked in it to let water drain if it gets on top of it). This insulates the pumpkin from temperature difference of the air and ground and I think aides in keeping the pumpkin from rolling over onto its blossom.

then mill fabric sold here:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=2&p=527695

The mill fabric is slick, porous so water will go through it, bugs wont chew up through it from below, and if you use two layers you can move a pretty big pumpkin if you have to slide it a little to relieve vine stress.

8/9/2015 2:16:16 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

wow great tip for me...always wondered how to adjust vine angle when they get big,,,,also I've always had a turtle shell bottom...Thanks for the help!!!

8/10/2015 8:19:48 PM