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South Yarmouth, MA

For two years now, my pumpkins start growing the at about 20-30 pounds they just turn to mush and flatten like a souffle. Any Ideas? I'm getting NEPGA seeds use miracle grw and do a lot of yelling at them. Ranger

4/16/2002 9:46:00 PM

Ga.

You cant be yelling at them....They get upset....Sounds like maybe they didnt pollinate.....

4/16/2002 10:19:29 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Ranger did you get a soil test done. I had the same problem with miracle grow over fertilizing with it puts off fruit set. The vine grows like crazy but the pumpkins refuse to take. Cool off the nitrogen when your ready for pumpkins set. but i would still get a soil sample. also do the plants look healthy or show signs of wilt. what is your regimen of insecticide and fungicide. Any grubs in the ground that eat the roots? Plenty of things to look for. chuck

4/17/2002 7:27:58 AM

Cologne / Germany

Take a look at last years grower diaries (eg. Ken D). Some growers probably had problems with fusaria, a soil based fungus that turns your plant and fruits into mush completly. It will remain in the soil so that the same thing can happen again the next year. Then you should look for another patch.
Ingo

4/17/2002 12:25:13 PM

South Yarmouth, MA

Hum, lots of ideas. Did not get a soil sample last year. It was 6.9 two years ago. In general, plant looked good. After pumpkin "mushed", plant continued to grow and flower. Eventually I got three 20 pounders out of it. Not exactly what I was looking for. Two years ago I got a 200#. I prepped soil this year by digging 3' below hill and filled with leaves, lime and fertilizer. I spread and tilled in 2 yards of horse manure last year. Lawn has cut worms and have found some in pumpkin garden. Used an insecticide last summer.

4/17/2002 9:33:00 PM

walton n.y.

it sounds like pollination to me if the plant is growing and wants to set fruit pollinated fruit stay shiny while poorly or non pollinated fruit get a dull color and drop off

4/19/2002 6:15:13 AM

South Yarmouth, MA

I've had lots of that. Lots of flowers and bees. Fruit gets to 3" diameter and rot off. I figured that was early "abortions". I wasn't prepared for the fruit to get to 20 pounds or so and then abort. Do liquid fetilizers (Miracle Grow, etc) work? If so, how often? I don't get as much sun as I need, so I realize I'm in the tall weeds right off the bat. My neighbor's tree needs to have some creative "storm" damage some winter. As soon as I figure out how to tell him the storm broke the tree off with a clean cut, I'll get right on it.

4/19/2002 10:04:52 PM

walton n.y.

depending on how much nutrition the plant can get sometimes fruit can get pretty big before it aborts i've used miricle grow in the past and wasn't all that impressed with the results on any plant i've had better luck with kelp and fish emulsion

4/20/2002 6:46:33 PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

Dampness and heat might have done it to the pumpkin.
Did it to mine.
It could be a soil disease also.

4/22/2002 3:59:40 PM

South Yarmouth, MA

I'm on Cape Cod so there isn't a lot of heat. I did water often, so moisture could be a culprit. Soil disease...can I fix that? Nuke it? Sell the house & move?

4/22/2002 9:46:44 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

I'd get a soil sample test right away..Find out if your on cape cod I would assume that you planting in sand and the water runs right through. I hate to assume!! what is the soil type..A mixture of leaves and grass cuttings is perfect for cut worms and they can Knock your roots down till they can't support fruit..what did you root system look like when you turned it over..chuck

4/23/2002 8:11:17 AM