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Miramichi, New Brunswick

My uncle has a 400+ lb. pumpkin but now the vines are turning yellow as well as the leaves. The leaves are actually turning up and becoming brittle. He has not been fertilizing with anything except Miracle Gro. He had the same problem last year and the pumpkin basically stopped growing.
Any ideas ?

Thanks,
Ed

8/8/2006 7:34:45 PM

Oz

powdery mildew?

ph off?

cold dry nights?

8/8/2006 8:30:12 PM

[email protected]

Two-Spotted Spider Mites are all over the place this year. Look carefuly at the undersides of leaves with a VERY strong magnifying glass.

8/8/2006 11:09:06 PM

Somers, CT

Yellow means the plant is not getting the benefits of the nutrients and not converting sun into food. Maybe a block from SVB's or some sort of insect. Usually a fungus shows up as a white powder, the leaves wilt for no reason,spots on the leaves or a section just dies. This one is tough. Have the soil tested to eliminate malnutician and follow anything Steve (Tremor) recommends. Cukerbit beetles do some good damage by sucking the life out of leaves as well.

8/8/2006 11:27:48 PM

Nashville, TN

I'd highly suspect SVB as well. They lay their eggs in July, so symptoms in plants occur late July-early August. Look at the main stump for damage - it's probably too late for the plant at this stage.

8/9/2006 7:29:30 AM

Ohio

I have the same thing on Martys 250 plant,mines from not enough water Im pretty sure but I did have this happen to another plant at a early stage that was about 5 feet long. I found a bunch of them little hard shell bugs, they curl up in a ball when you touch them,we called them rolly pollies when I was a kid. these bugs was about 1 to 5 inches down in my soil all around the roots. I dont think these type bugs eat roots or plants but it had to have something to do with it not growing, and I think they only eat like composted material but not 100% sure though.

8/9/2006 8:58:47 AM

Miramichi, New Brunswick

Thanks guys ! The strange thing is that any vines or leaves that have moved out on grass are OK. The majority that is on soil is dying ?????

8/9/2006 10:36:25 AM

Miramichi, New Brunswick

My uncle cut off one of the dying vines and found a small "worm-like" insect under it. It is about 1" long with a brown head. A "vine borer"??
If so, what can he now do to save his pumpkins ?

8/9/2006 11:35:30 AM

Ray, North Dakota

I have yellowing leaves, but found no insects. The plant continued to grow and just now the yellow leaves are drying up. How do you find out if you have SVB?

8/9/2006 1:51:05 PM

hamilton,Ontario

Look for what looks like sawdust anywhere on the vine or secondaries. From there you will usually find a small hole...cut it open within the same direction as the vine and dig a bit ...Ive got about 5-6 of the buggers this year...but my plant is still growing. Just be careful to try and lesson the damage when you pull them out. I have been using ambush about once a week. It seems to be doing the trick for now. The biggest thing I learned this year so far. Is VISUAL INSPECTION of plant everyday. If it werent for checking and watching and looking Id be beat. Take care and wish you well

8/9/2006 3:09:05 PM

Halifax, Nova Scotia

There's no SVBs in Nova Scotia, are there any in New Brunswick? I'm just taking a guess here but looking for SVBs might be a little off the mark.

8/9/2006 3:27:36 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

My leaves were doing the same thing. I found aphid underneath the leaves. Sprayed and cut leaves.

8/9/2006 5:02:56 PM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

How old is the plant? How long has the pumpkin been set? Maybe pumpkin is dying of old age?

8/9/2006 5:39:40 PM

Miramichi, New Brunswick

Sent a pic of the worm to Tremor and he has identified it as a wire worm which is usually not interested in pumpkins so I don't think that is the problem.
The pumpkin is about 60 days old. Leaves continue to "curl up" and die and the vine is yellow instead of green.

8/9/2006 7:08:18 PM

[email protected]

Correct....wireworms usually are a sign of something already starting to decay. Perhaps Fusarium? Do you see any orange/brown staining of broken leaf stalks?

8/9/2006 10:06:40 PM

Miramichi, New Brunswick

No staining has been noticed Tremor.

8/10/2006 7:30:09 AM

Montoursville, PA

At sixty days some of the early leaves are going to go down from natural aging. The first to go are usually closest to the stump. They are your oldest leaves. Once they start to fail all of nature's clean up specialists go to work to remove the weakend folage and return it to the patch.

8/10/2006 11:02:53 AM