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charlotte,Ia

Has anybody had an issue with plants aborting fruit when pumpkins are between 300 to 500 lbs, if so is it a soil issue or disease . plants look great no other issues with the stump or stem,leaves look healthy but pumpkins are shuting down early! I can't seem to figure it out any ideas?

7/31/2011 5:48:05 PM

Nikiski, Alaska 99635

Were the pumpkins shaded or covered during your recent extended heat wave? If not, they could have been heated up and stressed to a point of no return. It is amazing how much heat these things can absorb with the mass involved. Good Luck, I hope this is not the case.

7/31/2011 6:42:50 PM

charlotte,Ia

pumpkins were in shade of a tarp covered with a light sheet with spriklers going off evey two hours for a half an hour.

7/31/2011 8:08:25 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I think the heat index may and does slow pumpkin growth down but I certainly think that it takes much more to shut a pumpkin down especially a pumpkin of that size with shade structures and white sheets covering them. Almost sounds like something was added or given that lockrd the oil up. Just an observation.

7/31/2011 10:45:07 PM

Simi valley, ca

I have lots of heat Every Year , I never seen it shut down Or even slow a pumpkin down , BUt it will fry plant ! which will not allow full potential! IF you get cold spell after heat THAT will shut them way down ! I had '''48 days''' over 100* in a row some at 113* , they never shut down, But then cold came for a week , The quit when cold came !

8/1/2011 12:35:49 AM

The bottom of New Jersey

I had two quit on me last year at 500+ and 900+ lbs. around August 12th. They just stopped suddenly and simultaneously - the only thing I could determine was something wasn't right in the soil. It was either too dry (never had any wilting though), or they weren't getting a nutrient they needed. Just did a soil test last week to try to avert a similar situation this year. Once they get cranking big-time, you gotta keep them supplied with what they need to keep them going.

8/1/2011 8:38:40 AM

Bethlehem CT

My 798 Jacobus squash was in that size range, it got cooked in the high heat. It probably needed more than Just a sheet thrown over it.

8/1/2011 8:57:51 AM

Deer Park, WI

Keep an eye out for pythium, the soil fungus. Having experience in this realm, fruit will abruptly stop growing. Confirmatory evidence comes when leaves wilt suddenly, beginning at vine tips and moving back towards center of plant.

8/1/2011 11:51:16 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I had a similar problem several years ago, and I think it was pythium as Joze described. Totally wiped out my patch. Pumpkins stopped growing then the vines died. It hit on a hot humid summer when I was doing a lot of watering. I solved the problem by improving my drainage by digging ditches and raising up the patches, using Aliette systemic fungicide and organic fertilizers like Espoma and Jobes Organics with beneficial bacteria. This year I added Biota Max and everythings seems OK so far.

8/1/2011 1:41:03 PM

charlotte,Ia

It has been atleast a week to two weeks since the pumpkin stopped the plant still looking good and the pumpkin was removed from the patch it was developing spots on the outside but the inside still looked good.I did find one secondary with a little bit of damage but nothing to bad ,I pulled up some roots and the roots looked fine also looks like i'll send my soil samples in early . Thanks to all for comments!!!

8/1/2011 8:48:58 PM

Utah

I know some Utah growers have had this problem -it happened to me once. The plants look ok for the most part- but the pumpkins just stop. The plant never wilts. The vine tips are two toned- two shades of green. It was a fusarium. If that is the case then there is nothing you can do this year. our local master garden guru says that we all have it to some degree in our soils. Some plants handle it better than others. Improve your soil - better soil makes for a healthier plant which is more able to resist disease. If that doesn't help then you can think about sterilizing your soil- basically starting over.

8/1/2011 11:50:55 PM