Why Are People Idiots?

[veggiechicken]

How about doing some intentional "scarring".
You could write an appropriate message on the pumpkin and let it develop on the skin. Lot of Utube stuff about it or Fairview Farm: How to Scar Pumpkins

I'm sure we can all think of an appropriate couple of words you could carve.

[Jay-ell]

Please VC, there's children attend the weigh in.

Like the idea.

The Ironic thing is that next year I was thinking of not entering and using the space to grow more bush squash with smaller portion sized fruits - varieties like Butterbush, Golden Nugget, honeybear, Cornell's Bush Delicata and Squash Table King Acorn

[veggiechicken]

I was thinking of words like "In Memory of..............."
Nothing rude - I'm not that kind of chicken.

[Jay-ell]

I could join up all of the cuts to make the outline of a raised middle finger

[Guest]

Yep and I still don't get people. Spiteful and nigh on pointless.

I would still enter them stabbed or not. Anyone else on your site suffered?

[jackarmy]

What a sad individual to do something so petty but like already mentioned, nothing suprises me anymore.
Try the wax thing tho and leave it on, gotta be worth a go. I know you may risk the harvest but a major victory if you get it passed the finish line as a winner, how long till the weigh in ?.

[Super Sprout]

That's disgusting that someone can stoop so low as to win £20. Sorry to see your crops damaged like that.

Be careful with the wax idea, as the small minded perpetrator of the damage may accuse you of unfairly adding weight with the wax.

[Snoop Puss]

Time for a note to everyone growing pumpkins to warn them of a saboteur.

But anyone entering is a potential suspect. No-one's going to like that feeling. And whoever wins, if it isn't you, is going to feel especially awful if they're a decent person. Imagine being the first person to win the cup named in honour of the person you mention. I can't.

I have to ask and I know it's unlikely: there's no chance it was just a kid or someone who doesn't have a plot?

[4Shoes]

Might be worth giving the area a wipe/wash with a sanitiser to clean the wound.

Perhaps an experiment is called for. Treat one with wax and clean the other. Just leave to heal in the air.

If vandalism wide spread, perhaps get it postponed to 2019. That way cup will have been presented with integrity.

[Jimothy1275]

Fingers crossed that you can successfully administer first aid and rescue them. The person who did this should hang their head in shame, especially when the competition is in the memory of a previous plot holder. The trouble is if they are happy to vandalise someone else's produce, they probably don't care about why the competition is being held in the first place.

[Bren In Pots]

I can't get over the mindless things people do and like Snoop says others on the site need to know about this damage so they can be on the look out.
Hope your recovers.

[Jay-ell]

It was reported to the Committee Chair - who checked his. His were fine.

[lottie dolly]

That is so out of order and mindless,wonder what sort of knife and how deep it went in,plus what was it used for previously,as has been said,if it's the weight,then it should not matter,i would certainly tell the person in charge of the comp,do you know who the other possible entrants are,good with it you are still a winner,lot bigger than mine.

[veggiechicken]

Didn't something happen at your last year's competition? I remember Snadge posting about his funnily named pumpkin - so funny I've forgotten it! Orlando? Orris? .............

[Jay-ell]

He didn't turn up for the weigh in and couldn't find his pumpkin later. Nobody else seems to eat theirs so they get piled up for the kids to take if they want one.