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Massillon, Ohio

check out my diary and give your expert opinion on my 846 jutras....

thanks for joining us for another edition of bad day in the life of basebell7

5/23/2005 3:21:32 PM

Follansbee, Wv

I don't know if it's fungus or not, but my first guess is dead roots. Most likely, something has been nibbling below the soil line. Unless you want to wait and see if it comes back, you could dig it up carefully and check the roots. I don't know about AG's but every other plant I have ever grown that wilts like that has sustained severe root/stem damage.

5/23/2005 3:35:15 PM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I'm guessing a cutworm. You could carefully remove the dirt around the stem, and see if the plant is severed below the soil line. If so, you'll likely find a cutworm in the vicinity.
Or could your plant have gotten damaged from too much heat under cover? If so, take the heat structure away, or at least open it up. I'd water the plant this evening. Make sure the plant is protected from wind though.
I hope we determine something, as my plants are at, or near the same stage as yours is(was?).

Doug

5/23/2005 4:30:45 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Christy I just lost 600estEngel04 plant a simular way. It was cutworms. I checked the soil surrounding and there was 8 of the little green and brown #$&*@ing things. I have never had a problem with them before.

5/23/2005 4:51:49 PM

Springfield, VT

It might be root maggots. Dig down to the root ball and look for little white grubs around 1/4 inch long on the roots and in the stem. I have had seven plant with the same look this spring.

5/23/2005 5:20:42 PM

Butler, Ohio

Bummer On that 846 Jutras plant Christy. I'm guessing a cut worm too. If you want, I can grow your 1016 Daletas down here so the cut worms dont get it. :) lol

5/23/2005 7:42:02 PM

Massillon, Ohio

lol seriously i AM getting nervous about that mike !!

thanks for all your helps guys; we'll go investigate soon and see if i can find any of those buggers.

5/23/2005 8:48:40 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Pythium or Bacterial Wilt. Got Cucumber Beetles?

5/23/2005 10:27:12 PM

Ohio

I had one do the same thing to me last year, the same exact same size as Christy's plant. I then replanted a back up in the same spot and two days later it wilted up same way. No sign of cutworms or any root problems from what I could see. It was really weird,one day It looked like it was going to be one of my best plants and in less the 15 hrs Its dead.

Tremor,
Would she have to have Cucumber beetles this year to get the Pythium or B.Wilt,or could it be something that was left last year in the soil? Tpythium or B.Wilt cant survive winter in the soil can it?

Brooks

5/27/2005 9:19:25 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Pythium does indeed live year over year in the soil. That would be the likely culprit in your case. Other soil borne disease like Fusarium & Rhizoctonia act the same way but come later in the year.

5/27/2005 9:34:13 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

I just lost a couple of small pollinator plants doing very well that just basically wilted and died for no reason, while plants right beside them are doing fine. I noticed small yellow "worms" in the soil, looked like the mealworms I buy to fish with.....but they don't look like the typical cutworms that I think of which remind me of a caterpillar type insect.
Ideas?

5/27/2005 11:35:28 PM

Eugene, OR

Hey Kyle, Check this link out. This is exactly what caused the loss of my first plants and it sounds like what you have as well. A soil drench of something like Triazicide should take care of them for you. You're the 4th or 5th person I've heard of that lost plants to these little turds. Weird.

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/veg/ef309.htm

5/27/2005 11:43:26 PM

Eugene, OR

One thing I forgot to mention. I found my 783 Daletas completely wilted just as you are describing. I pulled the plant and split the stem to find 8-10 of them feeding on the inside of my young seedling. I hope that's not the case in your patch!

5/27/2005 11:45:55 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Thanks Brian...I searched the Internet for other photos and that's just about what they look like, root/seed maggots of some kind. Thanks again for the link.

5/28/2005 9:10:42 AM

Follansbee, Wv

I just love those seedcorn maggots.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=33521

5/28/2005 5:40:21 PM

Long Island,New York

Its my opinion that no AG seedling should ever go out to the soil until its had a dose of admire or a sprinkle and watering of grubbex....

5/29/2005 9:32:27 AM

Eugene, OR

Lisa, I just watered in the recommended dose of Triazicide to kill any that were in the area and replanted. The new plants seem to be growing well so far so I guess things are OK.

Glenn is absolutely right though.....an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I had never heard of seedcorn maggots before they cost me my plants so I didn't plan for them. I'm blaming the unsterilized seed starting mix I used this year considering the sorry shape the seedlings were in when they emerged.

Two valuable lessons learned, sterilize your seed starting mix and give the nursery the proper dose of an insecticide to prevent any unforseen problems. All we can do is learn from our mistakes, the mistakes of others, and try not to let the same mistakes get us again!

5/31/2005 4:25:24 PM

Deer Park WA

I bet it's a soil born disease, or Tom B. came over and got all jelouse because of your superior pumpkin growing skills and cast a spell on it! LOL....

5/31/2005 4:30:39 PM

Long Island,New York

Brian..after seeing so may plants go down to seed maggots and cutworms,grubs,wireworms etc this year you HAVE to do something. Not to belabor another ongoing thread but if you see so many people losing to the same fate you have to use preventatives...it only makes sense.
And don't get me started on the sterilized seed starting mix. Im glad I'm not the only one to see a big change lately in the quality of "growing mediums" this year. Seems theres so much more bark and BS in the mix now...can't even find bagged manures anymore..its almost all "recycled forest products"...aka the dead for a reason tree limbs etc that you drop at the dump that the municipality leases to commercial entities....that grind up the diseases and bag them as "compost" . At 400 bucks a seed, sterilized is the only way to go......just my two cents
(fine print: The opinions expressed are in no ways the ONLY opinion out there and being so implies NO responsibility of the reader to agree (or reply).By starting the thread and asking the question the writer and voluntary readers have opened themselves up to hearing things they don't neccessarily want to hear, be it right or wrong. Its an opinion, and not neccessarily that of Big Pumpkins.com, the average readership, or Gordon. )

5/31/2005 6:12:02 PM

Eugene, OR

Agreed Glenn. I learned my lesson after losing my first round of seeds this year. I had honestly never heard of seedcorn maggots before it was too late so prevention was something I didn't think about. Luckily I was very generously given a few plants to make up for my stupidity. I won't be making that mistake again. "%$@# me once, shame on you. $#@%^ me twice, shame on me."

Love the legal stuff at the end...LOL

5/31/2005 7:49:07 PM

Montoursville, PA

Pythium was rampart, in our neck, of the woods. Common name Damping Off. Cold weather, to much water and tender transplants a good combination do not make.

True the spore are always there in most if not all patches.

Only solution I know is to remove one or more of the three common elements. Some of us solved it with transplants that were along into third leaf showing or plants that were hardened off a bit more than the tender normal transplants.
Some of us moved our plants to dryer patch conditions. Some of us replanted into a whole bag of pure none additive containing starting potting soil placed in our patches.

Those who did not heed the three key elements and make correction are claiming whatever other reason they can think up for not being able, to get a plant started.

5/31/2005 11:19:06 PM

Utah

LOL @ g ...

this is the best disclaimer that I have seen attached to the end of an email ...
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6/1/2005 9:43:44 AM