From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Kansas City

This is my first year ever attempting to grow pumpkins, or for that matter anything. I got a late start (first of July) and had 5 seeds sprout and grow. We finally started getting pumpkins about a month ago. The problem is that they grow to about the size of a football (and they are really yellow), then they stop growing, begin to turn a darker shade of yellow and then brown and rot away. What am I doing wrong? Did they not get pollinated correctly? I know that it's probably too late for this year but I'd like to know for next year.

9/15/2009 8:34:39 PM

Rhode Island

could be any number of things.i suggest you buy some books on gardening, soil maintenance, pumpkin growing books, soil and plant disease control, etc. etc.
there should be plenty of farmers in your area to help as well.

9/16/2009 9:34:11 AM

Western PA

Spend some time searching on this site ,their is tons of great info. on here. I'm sure you will do better next year.

9/16/2009 5:17:03 PM

Ray, North Dakota

anacthrose??

9/16/2009 5:58:19 PM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

One thing not to worry about is the yellow color the pumpkins started out with. They are pretty much all yellow in the beginning and some stay that color up to several hundred pounds.

9/16/2009 9:14:46 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/cucurbitproblemsolver/fruit/

Check these images.

9/16/2009 10:37:40 PM

Kansas City

Thanks everyone for your posts. From the website Tremor posted it looks like Southern Blight. So far three for three on my larger pumpkins rotting away. It also appears that this fungus is very difficult to remove. Can stay dormant for up to seven years. Could this also explain the powdery mildew on the leaves of my pumpkin plants?

9/17/2009 7:09:29 AM

Franklin, Tennessee

Shane- the powdery mildew is not the same as the Southern Blight. Powdery mildew is common on all kinds of cucurbits, including pumpkins. I might be wrong but I think the main problem it causes is limiting the photosynthesis, resulting is poorer fruit production.

10/15/2009 11:56:18 PM