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Missouri

For the second year in the row my vine is beginning to die. Starting in the center the leaves are turnining brown around the edges and then dying slowly working its way out. The entire vine is pale like it needs fetilizer but that never improves color. I can not find any bugs, I think it is some sort of bacterial wilt but I don't know what to do. Last year the vine died before I even got a pumpkin set. Am I doomed to repeat the same this year. Does anyone know if I can still save the plant? I would really appreciate the help.

6/27/2006 9:54:54 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

1st thing I would recommend is a plant tissue test. Do you have a Local AG Extension Office? They will be able to point you in the right direction. The Pumpkin vine being pale is probably more gentics then disease. Most of my vines are lemon yellow. This is they way I like them. For my experience has shown a yellow vine equals a nice orange pumpkin. Have you treated this plant with anything? and what are you day time highs. Have you had a soil test?

6/27/2006 11:32:59 AM

Missouri

No I haven't treated the plant with anything other than seaweed fertilizer and some seven dust. Our temps have been varied one week 90's the next 70's with lows in the 50's. I have had a soil test last year and everything came up good.

6/27/2006 1:28:45 PM

[email protected]

2 big issues have exhibited similar symptoms this week.

Examine the undersides of the leaves. Look for white "stuff". This would be Downy Mildew. Daconil & Quadris will clean things up.

If not, look for tiny webs. Got webs? Now hold a white sheet of paper under the leaf & tap the leaf stalk. You're trying to dislodge Spider Mites. Do you see any tiny (less than 1/32") specks. Watch those specks for a while. Are any of them moving? Rub a speck with your finger. Did it leave a "gut trail"? Mites are best controlled when it's cool with Soap. But if it's getting hot (over 80°F) then a Miticide like Floramite or Avid is your best bet. If no other alternative exists, then Lambda-cyhalothrin of Bifenthrin will provide relief at the high rates.

(Read all labels etc etc etc)

6/27/2006 2:42:13 PM

[email protected]

By the way, Sevin kills off all of the Mites natural predators. If a moderate mite population was active before a Sevin treatment, then a serious Mite problem is almost certain to result.

6/27/2006 2:43:25 PM

Deer Park WA

Have you got any cats that are wandering around the patch?

6/27/2006 3:34:21 PM

Missouri

No white stuff, no gut trails, no bugs i can find. Maybe a few neighbor cats but I haven't really ever noticed in the garden unless it is after dark. I posted a picture in photo gallery. My plant looks similar to another members plant that was diagnosed with pytho. Should I have soil retested or do I need to send the plant off for diagnoses? It is my only plant this year. I don't want to pull it unless it is alast resort. If it is pytho what do I do?

6/27/2006 3:41:56 PM

[email protected]

Mo,

The photo you posted in the gallery section looks like Bacterial Wilt.

6/27/2006 5:52:35 PM

central Missouri

You can send a sample here for diagnosis:
http://soilplantlab.missouri.edu/plant/
The cost is only $15.00. Check out these pics to see what phytophthora looks like.
http://bigpumpkins.com/Gallery/UserAlbum.asp
Many wilting diseases look the same, the only way to know for sure is to send a sample to the lab. I'm growing about an hour southwest of St. Louis. What part of the state are you in?
Mark

6/27/2006 6:09:57 PM

central Missouri

Sorry, try this link.
http://bigpumpkins.com/displayphoto.asp?pid=3662&gid=-28711
Mark

6/27/2006 6:23:03 PM

South Western Pa

Just from looking at the picture, the plant looks small. And the soil looks, interesting. Has it been mulched with wood chips?

It looks more like a soil problem to me, resulting in a weak plant that could be killed by looking at it cross eyed.

6/27/2006 7:51:15 PM

Nh

for two days my 3 best growing plants all severly wilting. i thought it was because of some hot days, so i misted and they did not recover. they were slightly better in early am but wilted as the day went on. I thought maybe they got too much water, i dont get it? so today i scratched the surface of the dirt around the plant. i could not believe that what i was smelling. the best way i could describe it was to say it smelled like ammonia?? could this be cat urine and if not what or who???

6/27/2006 11:21:57 PM

Nashville, TN

If you mulched with woodchips - was there possibly ANY Walnut?? Big BIG no-no!!

If it's bacterial wilt - it'll be in the soil. If you lose your plant.. Do the following to try and sterilize your soil:

Big black plastic sheet. Wet soil heavily. Put Black Plastic tightly over soil bed, tucking it in at all edges... Leave on for a minimum of 6 weeks - preferably 12 weeks in dead of summer... Periodically test temp. Under plastic during the hottest time of day with sun hitting plastic. Use a cooking Thermometer to poke through plastic for reading. Make sure to patch hole with BLACK electrical/duct tape. You want sustained temps of 130-150+ F ... This will kill most soil pathogens and everything else.

If you need some seeds from varieties that can handle EXTREMES (though not the BIGGEST GP producers. But decent) Just send me an Email.

6/28/2006 11:15:51 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

use clear plastic to solarize..black plastic will absorb the heat..but not transfer as much of the heat to the soil. This is why greenhouses use black shade cloth.

6/28/2006 11:25:40 AM

Missouri

Hey guys thanks for all the help. I will probably send plant off to get tested thanks for the info. Killed by looking it at crossed-eyed - thanks so much. But you're right. Soil is terrible here I have been trying to improve it with compost from local recycing center for about three years. Missouri is notourious for growing rocks and alot of heavy clay. I suppose my attempts to improve the soil could have come back to bite me in the rear. And to answer your question Mark I am growing 10 miles south of Springfield,Mo. Thanks for the offer for seeds also - that would be great after I get this problem fixed any pumpkin any size would be great.

6/28/2006 11:36:57 AM

South Western Pa

My concern is that from the picture there appears to be a lot of wood chips; wood is extremely high in carbon and will suck the nitrogen out of the soil as it decomposes. Pumpkins require lots of nitrogen in the early growth phase. Also the wood chips form a barrier making it very difficult for the plant to send down roots at the leaf nodes. You are not going to be able to grow a pumpkin of any size in wood chips. Pumpkins are heavy feeders and need lots of nitrogen and a large root system.

Another observation from the photo raises the flag of patch hygiene. There are old dead brown leafs lying under the plant. They have obviously been dead for more than a few days. You need to remove dead and dying leafs, vines, etc. If you leave them in the patch they are just breeding grounds for fungi and bacteria and will exacerbate any disease problem.

That is why I think your plant is having difficulty.

I am sorry for the cross eyed remark, it was inappropriate.

Mark Muller

6/28/2006 1:44:26 PM

South Western Pa

One last thing I just noticed. It looks like a pile of granular fertilizer under the plant. Fertilizer burn my also be an issue here.

6/28/2006 1:53:18 PM

Missouri

Don't worry about the cross-eyed remarkit sounds exactly like something I would have said. Okay it sounds like I need to scrap this year and work on improving the soil site lots of good info. Thanks a bunch.

6/28/2006 2:38:12 PM

Midwest

Mopkngrl:
To test for bacterial wilt... With sharp knife, carefully cut one affected leaf stem... put the two pieces back together. Slowly pull them apart. If you see stringy substance as you pull them apart, you've got bacterial wilt.

6/29/2006 1:21:46 PM

Nashville, TN

use clear plastic to solarize..black plastic will absorb the heat..but not transfer as much of the heat to the soil. This is why greenhouses use black shade clot
*****You're right - I typed to fast for my brain to work out the specifics!!!!

Hey, why don't you get some manure/compost from your local zoo/chicken producer/rancher??? That will add the N you may be missing - and will improve the overall conidition of the soil structure....

6/29/2006 1:25:35 PM

Missouri

Hey that is a neat little trick about the bacterial wilt. My plant failed the test but I guess that is a good thing. I will look into some compost from our zoo but this neck of the woods is kind of low on ranchers of any kind. And I will definetly rake all the wood chips out. To solarize the soil do I need to do the entire area or just the area the pumpkin will be in? I kinda have a smaller than ideal area to work with. So go with me on this. Thanks again

6/29/2006 5:42:16 PM