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Enumclaw, Washington

I have 2 pumpkins that took of great. Go into mid to late July and hit the breaks big. They went from growing 12 pounds a day down to 7 at about 150 pounds. Pumpkins look nice and healthy. I did a soil sample and everything looks as good as I can hope for. No SBV’s out here on the west coast. Cucumber beetles are few this year! Every pumpkin is getting the same treatment, and is doing 12 to 20 pounds a day. Any one got any ideas.
I checked the stumps for soft spots and hit them good with captan weeks ago. The stems are in good shape. No real vine stress whatsoever. Plants are 450 SQF and growing slow but at an OK rate. The vines look thinner and the new growth looks wimpy compared to the other plants. New vines are coming on the size of my little finger, where the other plants vines are the size of a quarter right from the start. That being said some of my plants that are doing 12 + pounds a day are wimpy like that as well. I am open for suggestions. I kicked the water up some thinking I might be too dry. I may need to cut it back and let it dry out for a week and see if that helps.

Thanks in advance

7/24/2008 11:30:34 PM

Bloomington, IN

How's the weather been lately? I could only guess it has something to do with the weather if all of them have slown down.

7/25/2008 12:18:55 AM

Enumclaw, Washington

No it is just the 2. mid 70's

7/25/2008 1:32:20 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Might want to side dress the longer vines with something...Maybe the planting holes were well fertilized but the watering etc has leached the nitrogen out...but 70 degrees isn't optimal either, night time temps must drop down from there...I'd up the fish fertilizer and see if that has an effect.

7/25/2008 2:14:22 AM

Enumclaw, Washington

night time temps are 42 to 52. I like your fish fert idea. The low temps are not slowing the other plants. It looks like some plants are better in cooler climates.

7/25/2008 11:45:07 AM

Cincinnati,OH

Your soil could be running out of gas. Check the color of the leaves. Heres a link to my diary showing the color difference between a plant getting low on gas and one that isn't.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=90663

7/25/2008 12:19:00 PM

Enumclaw, Washington

Wow nice Pick. That is dramatic! Thanks

7/25/2008 1:32:10 PM