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South Bloomfield, Ohio

In the years I've been growing, I've never endured a year quite like this on.

No insect or disease pressure to speak of, but stump issues have started to plague me. The plants look really healthy and we have a few good sets, but I've had issues with the stumps on three of six plants. The 718.9 Gerchy main vine cracked half way through two feet before the pumpkin set and two weeks later the stump gave way to "Mr. Foamy". I severed the main close to the stump and let the secondaries and half the main vine feed the pumpkin. So far so good.

The 1258 Wallace plant has been an issue as well. The plant was my most aggressive and largest at pollination time, but six attempts failed to produce a set. The stump leaked water profusely, but I managed to stop it with a little surgery. It's the most massive main vine I've ever seen, but the plant comes out.

This evening, I noticed the 915.5 Gerchy leaking water at the stump as well. I cut out the soft tissue, drilled a drain hole, and applied Captan.

This June's heavy rains and the subsequent heat spell has really played havoc this year, but we have a couple of really nice pumpkins going.

Any similar stories from other growers?

7/15/2010 9:43:57 PM

Buffalo, New York

yeah, what a season!

A great summer (weather) with numerous (20+) mistakes right from the start!

From a PB of 882 last year to maybe 200 this year!

In my case.....What a "Wasted" Season...

7/15/2010 10:09:27 PM

Williamsburg,KY

Giantpumkindude, I can really sympathize with you. Its been one heck of a season for me also. No Mr Foamy, but blossom end split on a 300lbr Day 22, now I have a leaf problem. The heat is horrible. If I try to cool the plants down the soil is so hot its like a sauna. And weird vines growing after I prune out the third vine. What a year.

7/15/2010 10:14:18 PM

Ohio

I have had a lot of aborts. My 1725 & 1375Liggett have nice pumpkins but I would have liked to had them a little further out. both plants aborted all pumpkins after the first one. 3 aborts on another plant and have a good one set on it. another plant I had an abort and no females for the next 8feet. gonna have to choose a side vine for that plant.

7/15/2010 10:34:09 PM

Pataskala,OH

Yeah what a wonderful season :(

7/15/2010 10:39:42 PM

Pataskala,OH

It all started when my 904 seed rotted. LOL

7/15/2010 10:43:12 PM

Mingo Co. WV

Everything I had got flooded my first year got off on the wrong foot I think Im replanted thought glad I started off with generic AG seeds Id have been totally whizzed of had It killed a good genetics.

Grow a slunger I hear thats a WV term LOL .

7/15/2010 11:13:22 PM

Circleville ,OH.

I hear you and agree Joe. This is the wettest year in my 11yrs of growing and the disease is rampant. I wish all our patches drained like Docs. My patch is down to 2 plants left and I am afraid to look every day as something else is going wrong.

I have a feeling its going to be a thin year around our parts this year.

7/16/2010 7:23:03 AM

Massillon, Ohio

abort abort abort abort abort abort abort. that is the story of 2010 and there is an investigation going on to see what is different this year b/c there are a few theories floating around.

7/16/2010 9:12:10 AM

Charlotte, NC

Spill the beans on the rumors....

This is my first year as a pumpkin grower, so I have that going against me from the get-go. Having said that, I planted multiple generic seeds and did like Will this year, just scattered 'em and let nature take its course. No soil prep, testing, or fertilizer.
5 pumpkins reared their faces, but three aborted and two of them I ran over with the lawnmower.
I fought cuke beetles, adult SVB's, slugs.
I wish I had more to add other than my own experience here.

7/16/2010 9:23:22 AM

Pataskala,OH

Well I guess we won't have an Ohio world record. Unless Ligget uses refrigerators with the grow lights now. LOL

7/16/2010 9:38:33 AM

Navarre,OH

I have had my soil tested recently and everything is good, I feed the plants yet no marrows. Zucchini's are giving us more fruits than we can eat along with crooknecks but no dang marrows. Whats the rumor? You can't say that and not tell us! :P

7/16/2010 12:31:37 PM

43.841677 , -79.086692

Aborts have been the theme across the board. Not just from rookie growers like me but with all growers. I am very fortunate to have fruit on all 4 of my plants but lost at least a couple on each plant.

7/16/2010 1:47:11 PM

Ohio

Aborts here also, never in all my years of growing have I had so many not take.

Im pretty sure its not the heat because I have always pol linted in the morning a hour before the sun starts coming up (dark outside), before I go to work.

One thing it could be is the dampness/rain during pollination time. Each time I recall pollinating the pumpkins that aborted on me later was on the days after,before, or during a good hard heavy rain, the patch was always wet and muddy.

Right now I have two plants that are well over 800 sq ft and dont know if Im going to have pumpkins to grow on ether plant because of all the aborts they have had, Im just hoping these last females I pollinated before the 10th of July take, cause if not then all I really did was waste alot of time growing 2 really healthy looking plants that end up being nothing but salad to look at.

Its discouraging for sure, but I think this is why I grow so many plants just in case something bad happens, which every year something always will, you just got to be ready for it.

7/16/2010 2:57:59 PM

Minnesota

I have had the weather ruin a plant, squirrels tare up the two plants I planned on growing, cutter worms kill a plant. Now, I have the chance to pollinate with a 1725Harp and the flower is deformed, it would'nt take. I'll be prepared next time.

7/16/2010 3:12:51 PM

Breslau, Ontario, Canada

I had all my early sets abort and now have one approaching day 10 that looks good on the 901.
The other 2 plants are 2 days behind and seem to be doing alright...I guess

7/16/2010 3:15:02 PM

Western PA

In response to the comments made about fruit aborts. I think I had more days in the 90's this season then the last two years combined.

If heat is not the issue, then what NEW products are these people facing a lot of aborts using this year?
I know there are a couple new products out there which is the first year being used mainstream across the board.

7/16/2010 3:52:35 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Pumpkin picker, I agree. I had 2 out of 7 abort total this year, and we don't see temps drop out of the 90's once July hits. I know the NE had a heat wave, but we have that all summer.

7/16/2010 4:28:25 PM

Pataskala,OH

I think I finally set one. Doesn't matter if the yellow disease kills the plant though.

7/16/2010 4:37:32 PM

Navarre,OH

Only thing I am using is neem oil and Ortho Disease control. Neem is said to make insects sterile could it make squash sterile also? Bottom of the line...this year sucks big time. Been noticing also in the area lots of trees,shrubs and lots of diff plants have some sort of mosaic virus or blight. This all happened after all that rain and storms we had early in the year. I think there is something going around.

7/16/2010 5:05:25 PM

canal winchester ohio

I've had numerous aborts this year, probably more than last 3 years combined. So far no new products used yet. Only thing new I'm trying this year is CO2 but I'm waiting until my pumpkins are 20 days old before I start applying it.

7/16/2010 5:24:45 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Glad to hear one is set Nic. It might not be a trophy, but hopefully you'll get something. My plant is only giving me missle shaped pumpkins.

7/16/2010 5:58:49 PM

Taber, Alberta

I've had as much fun with weather and aborts as the next person, but I always have to remember one thing.

If it was easy and anyone could do it, it wouldn't be as much fun.

7/16/2010 6:55:56 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Sax, along the same line as why they call it "fishing" and not "catching".

7/16/2010 7:00:11 PM

Frankfort Ohio

aborts is a problem hear also i have 2 on the 765 vanderpool that are young if they abort im pulling it and the 869 calai has 2 last hope sets on it both plants have aborted several i have 3 nice fruits going on my other plants

7/16/2010 7:08:41 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I'd be interested to know the results of that investigation Christy. Aborts have been numerous here as well, but we've managed to set some. Strange year indeed.

7/16/2010 8:09:10 PM

Clayton, Ohio, USA

These things are designed to grow in a 4 foot deep sandbox with compost mixed in, not in dirt.

7/16/2010 8:11:40 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Only 2 aborts here out of 15 pols. so far. A little cooler here in PA.

7/16/2010 8:58:47 PM

Georgetown, Ontario

All my first and second pollinations aborted, and some thirds as well. The season started out great with me pollinating 3 weeks ahead of last year on big (for me) plants. Now I'm looking at similar dates to last year, but huge plants so hopefully that will make up for it. I am assuming the aborts are either the extreme heat we have been having or the endless humidity. Everything is so damp every morning the males and females are pastey instead of fluffy and dry....and that goes for the pumpkins too ;)

7/16/2010 9:55:43 PM

Joliet, IL

it might be possbile that all the heavy rains this year before the heat wave set in leached out many of the nutrients added to the soil, especially p and k. we had so much rain here early on that i never watered barelly at all this spring if any. way too much rain storm after storm, day after day. maybe not all the nutrients were washed away, but enough where a slight deficiency along with the high heat was enough for the plant to abort them. i got lucky with most of my sets falling on days below 85 degrees before the heat wave hit our area hard. it was hot during their developmental stage in the high 80s and 90s and all promising females were covered with a small white patio table immediately when viable in the tip for shade and had small fans blowing on them continuously until 5 days after pollination days and remained shaded. i had 6 fans blowing at once on 3 plants for 6 females and they all took. i also used 0-13-0 fetilizer both in drench and foliar a week before leading up to pollinations. no ferts at all added one week before pollinations. last year i had an 1161 that wouldn't take one for over 20 attempts, most of which were on secondaries after main tries were done. this year i went all out with the fans early cuz i have read others in high heat like california that put them on early in development stage until after they show setting complete so i had to try it.

7/17/2010 12:10:12 AM

Joliet, IL

visable not viable

7/17/2010 12:11:29 AM

Honesdale Pa USA

6 aborts out of 20 pollinations, but pumpkin set on 8 of 10 plants. Pretty good weather in N.E. Pa. 1 real hot week with burnt leaves and a couple aborts. Hopefully we will keep the sun, can always turn on the water, can't flip the switch on the sun!

7/17/2010 12:32:18 AM

Colorado Springs.Co

With 5 failed germinations I wasn't in the ground until May 21st. I have hail damage, I burnt the leaves over applying fish and seaweed to try to make up for the lost time. I'm only 8 ft out looking at my first female which might be ready by the 20th.It doesn't determine my overall outlook on life,but it sucks.

7/17/2010 1:12:40 AM

Ohio

Just curious here, what time in the morning do you all usually pollinate your female flowers?

Mine are pollinted with average temps being between 60 to 70 degrees because of the time of day I have to pollinate before I go to work at 445am to 515 am.

The two plants Im having trouble with the most aborts are in the area's thats the coolest spots during the day, where they dont see the hot sunshine untill around 930am to 10am and then again about a 1hr in the mid afternoon, so these two plants compared to where they are located verses my other 9 plants that are growing in the hottest place's that see 100% sunshine all day long.

7/17/2010 4:51:10 AM

Joliet, IL

boz, i pollinate when the flower opens. if she is still partially closed a bit and taking her sweet ass time and i have to get to work, i will tickle inside the female petals and lossen them up and unfolded them and then open it myself without trying to crack the petals. sounds dirty when i typed that. lol. if i have to drive far to my first job and leave real early and my work schedule doesn't allow me to be there when they open, i take a vacation day. i tell the boss get ready for me to take a vac. day and i give him a window of time and then call him the night before. he came to my weigh off and lets me use a company truck to haul the pumpkin so he understands my crazy ways. maybe try to get someone else to do the deed a little later in the morning while you are at work for those 2 plants.
ya still got plenty of time on those plants for the later weigh offs.

7/17/2010 11:59:06 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Just as an update, I drilled and drained my remaining stumps and removed all leaves from the main vines to circulate more air through the plants. I hate cutting good foliage, but I hate losing stumps even more. The 718.9 is gaining on the other pumpkins. With the main severed half way through two feet before the pumpkin and the stump gone, it has really packed on the pounds anyway. Training tertiaries off the last six secondaries before the fruit is paying off. To think I almost pulled this plant rather than deal with problems.

7/17/2010 1:30:41 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

After giving this water retention thing a lot of thought, I fnally had to ask what was so different about this year compared to last and arrived at this theory:

Water is used as a carrier of nutrients, nothing more nothing less. Water and nutrients enter the roots through a semi-permeable membrane and travel throughout the plant, with the water exiting through the leaf stomata. What if their is no exit point for water? The plant stays full of it and eventually leads to rot.

With my soil type, I normally water every day just to keep up. I haven't been able to water for days at a time this year in spite of the 90 degree+ heat and very little rainfall. The only thing I have changed significantly is the addition of CO2, applied to the foliage every two weeks since the plants began to vine. The theory behind CO2, as it has been related to me, is to restrict the leaf stomata to reduce water loss through the process of transpiration. I'm thinking that the CO2 is working TOO well. Water needs to exit as well as enter the plant.

No more CO2 for me this year unless someone out there comes up with a better theory.

7/18/2010 9:38:37 AM