Don't let your guard down yet. Pumpkin fruit can still be lost to several fruit rots. Black rot is one of the most common and destructive. The name comes from the black mold that grows on the fruit and the watery soft rot which follows.
Black rot begins in the garden, but it develops after harvest.
The pie pumpkin variety Connecticut Field has some resistance to black rot. On the other hand, large Halloween varieties like Howden and Big Autumn are very susceptible to it. Phytophthora fruit rot can be a problem when fruit lays on continually wet soil. This rot starts with a watery or greasy spot that looks darker than the rind. A white or cream-colored mold may appear in the center of the spot.