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milford, CT,

My first 2 years my pumpkins stopped growing in early August. This year the only big change was I increase my Organic Matter using cow manure and got good growth through the end of August but are beginning to see growth slowing to a crawl. What variables cause pumpkins to stop growing. I ask this so I can have a plan for next year to hopefully get growth into September. Thanks Mark

8/30/2006 4:17:07 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

This year it seems that a lot of pumpkins have very suddenly slowed to a crawl or stopped dead prematurely. I believe that the cause is related to growth regulators in the plant/fruit getting out of whack. Why this happens is a mystery. One would think that it would be due to nutrient deficiencies, but in many cases it only affects one or more plants in a patch where the soil is the same throughout. It also seems to have happened about the same time in various places so it would seem to be temperature/weather related. Perhaps with very large fruit, the regulators where out of whack in the first place and external conditions sometimes trigger a return to a more normal regulated control of growth of the fruit. If we ever determine the cause, the next question would be, can it be reversed. We may have to pick the brains of some PHD's out there for some answers.

8/30/2006 4:49:40 PM

Simi valley, ca

Same happened here ,There was a record heat wave for the longest ever 100*pluss days in row but dispite the heat & even some days as hot as 113 my pumpkins were doing great. 3 main plants they were doing 25 a day or more- before the 30 day old mark then suddenly cold spell ( not that cold maybe 75 days & 55 nights ) for over a week ,, well i was expecting 30-40 lbs a day at 30-40 day mark ! but what i got was aprox 15 lbs a day never had any pumpkins grow that slow at that point , & they never did recooperate!! the 522 ceja was at 370 lbs on day 30 but now on day 65 only 760 lbs , I think it might have been as much as 300 lbs more if it grew like a pumpkin should have !!

8/30/2006 7:16:26 PM

Ri

i have not seen growth in four days. it was doing good then slowed and now stopped. we got cold rain (65degrees) or three days, but now it is nice again. i do not know why this happened but it could be what is explained above. i hope it picks up agin because there is over a month left to grow!

8/30/2006 7:33:28 PM

Nashville, TN

I've had several 'kins slow/stop growing... Some were due to rot issues - some appear perfectly healthy... I've got up to Halloween for growth - so unless they're rotting - I'll leave most of them on there.

From some of the research I've found - it seems that the Environment has the MOST effect on a 'kins growth and development. The researchers believe that you can grow a wopper just as easily from 400lb 'kins - as you can from a record-breaker - Providing you have PERFECT soil/water/weather/Temp conditions.

Unfortunantly, the ONLY way to really verify this theory - is to grow several hundred different GP varieties in a fully climate/environment controlled setting. Unless One of you guys has a 5-10 acre greenhouse w/climate control to spare - I don't believe anyone will be able to do that experiement..LOL

8/31/2006 7:14:32 AM

Ray, North Dakota

What about sudden death syndrome? It happens in soybeans, sunflowers, wheat etc. What happens is the plant just dies. Not real common, but it does happen in ag row crops.

8/31/2006 8:24:54 AM