From

Location

Message

Date Posted

New Zealand

Hows the last half off your season going? my patch looks like a war zone. A week ago I had very little pm and this week it ran riot. I took off all my old leaves that were infected maybe 500 or so on 2 plants. hopefullly the pumpkins are still growing.On the upside no vines to bury and not to much i can do other than try to keep vine healthy, whats left.

2/23/2012 3:44:03 AM

New Zealand

In a similar situation here too. Most of the growing done now, so just trying to get the most out of the vine for the last few pounds.

2/23/2012 10:27:10 PM

New Zealand

wish i was in your guys shoes... im just passed 30days and hoping the pounds keep packing on and the weather and temps hold out for another 60 days..... or more!

which shows are you guys entering?

2/24/2012 1:18:08 AM

Pimpama Australia

Hey guys we need to get together to work out how to stop PM in NZ, at least in our pumpkin patches. I haven't found anything that has worked as yet. The leaves get to a certain age and they just seem to pick PM up. Have tryed all they organic stuff and have tryed systemic rose stuff, again without success. Any ideas out there?

2/24/2012 1:55:50 AM

New Zealand

hi patch,
i went to miter 10 mega and bought a product called lime sulfur, its a liquid and when mixed is an orange colour. when sprayed on the plant it "stains" what is hits.
since i have been using this i have knocked pm on the head.
i still have pm in the patch..... its just not possible to spray top and bottom of every leaf in an unkempt patch. but i have to say it is sooooo much better than the copper sprays i had been using.

i used it on my 15 year old bonsai oak tree 2 weeks ago as it was going "white" with pm. it is now a healthy green.

im just an amateur grower, but the results from the lime sulfur have amazed me.

i will use this product at the very beginning of next seasons grow. it is also very good with overcoming rot as well. re.... the big problems with the foaming stump the vine has been battling.
i truly believe that this one product has saved my season, and is giving me enjoyment again in growing giant pumpkins.

2/25/2012 2:46:32 AM

New Zealand

Patch. I was all organic till a week ago when I found a little bit of pm so I decided to use some myclobutanil as well. Within 3 days 70 percent of the older leaves were infected. Bad move I killed all the good biology that was keeping the pm at bay. My Dads plant next door fared far better with the odd lazy bit off fish I was spraying on, And he had pm show up 3 weeks earlier than me but the pm is progressing slowly. Anyway lesson learned. The local biosea guys gave me a biological product they reckon fights pm and should knock it back so will be interesting to see how it works. I think fish oil was also really helping cause I stopped using that a week before the pm took off. also the areas I took off the oldest leaves and opened The plant up stopped the pm.

2/26/2012 4:21:45 AM

Pimpama Australia

Thanks guys. I'm happy to try these ideas out. I know from last season sulphur helped with fruit weight. But I had used dry powder and let the rain wash it in. I wonder if you can combine liquid sulfur with fish. Anyone tryed this?

2/26/2012 4:43:44 AM

New Zealand

the sulfur is a good fungicide popular here with vineyards. But even organic fungicides kill good fungi. My advice is if you use it spray the fish seperatley after the sulfur a day or 2 later to re establish the good fungi.

2/27/2012 4:38:20 AM

Pimpama Australia

That makes sense. The packet I bought of the sulfur said not to mix it with any mineral oil. Not sure if fish has mineral oil in it but I wouldn't be surprised.

2/27/2012 2:50:34 PM