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Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Here is a link to a pic in Rocky's diary:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=88539

I'm having the same exact problem. Every clear sunny day some of my plants get fried. I've never had this problem in the past. I've lost a few leaves here and there but nothing like this year. I've lost more leaves on single plants this year than I have in the entire patch in past years.

I'm not spraying anything differently than in the past and I only spray in the evening. I'm 99.9% sure its not a "hot" spray issue. The ground can be saturated with water and it still happens if the sun is strong.

Any ideas?

7/9/2008 7:38:39 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Would a disease like Phytophthora cause damage like this or would the plant just collapse?

The damage is only occuring when the sun is strong. When the sun is strong the leaves wilt, once the sun is off the plants they return to normal except for the leaves that have been damaged turn crispy after a couple days. This has been going on for a few weeks now. Yesterday I turned on the sprinklers in the afternoon and the plant perked right up, until I shut the sprinklers off. It seems like its just sun damage, but why would I have this problem now and not in the past? I'm sure the plants are just thirsty either. They do this even when the ground is saturated with water.

7/10/2008 1:04:34 AM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

I know a grower having the same problem this year. he hasn't had this in the past. We have had a wet cool spring in our area and his soil was saturated with water. It may be a issue with the root system due to water saturation.

7/10/2008 7:01:26 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Just throwing this out there, have you checked the UV levels each day. A couple of days ago the UV here was 9 or very high although the actual air temperature was a comfortable 80 something. Having said that, Steve may be on to something- same problem here.

7/10/2008 8:47:53 AM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

I have kept my soil moist and wetter than usual, but find it hard to believe that it is from an over watering issue. I have been leaning on the hot weather as the problem as this is when it started. I am putting another pic in my diary today that shows the protection I have in front of my 1402 Bobier plant (which is unaffected) and the non protected 1502 Wallace that this is happening to. Curious if I am doing something wrong, as Kevin is, but I am 99 percent sure it is the wind/heat.

7/10/2008 11:11:38 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Looks like a virus. There is no treatment.

7/10/2008 11:13:58 AM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

I am having and had the same issue you have. It is from the heat. The newer leaves do not have that tap root underneath to help suck up water when needed. With high temps, the leaves dry out fast with no roots to help. Do you notice that the older normal looking leaves do not have this problem (unless they were burned to begin with)?Try misting or just leave it.

7/10/2008 11:25:20 AM

Rocky-r@stny.rr.com

Wow Steve, that is some blunt statement!


What virus does it look like to you, and is it plant bound, or soil bound, in your opinion?

7/10/2008 2:31:53 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

That is one thing I failed to mention. The older mature leaves seem to be okay.

Steve, we also had a cool wet spring. It was overcast nearly every day in the month of May.

Andy, I've looked into the UV index thing and thought maybe we were at a higher level than normal for some reason this year. That could be it, the problem is I don't know what the UV index was in the past and don't know how to find out what it is for my area now. But that could be it, I hope thats it.

Ray, thats what I hope it is. Of course you can also look at it another way. The leaves that don't have tap roots get less water than the ones with roots so they're the ones most stressed and show signs of the disease/virus/whatever first. I don't really have much experience with the diseases that effect these plants. Hopefully it just me getting overly excited about sun/heat damage.

In the past I've had some plants that didn't wilt no matter how hot it was and some that would wilt rather easily. The plants that wilted easily usually didn't have much leaf damage after they perked back up. The big difference this year is all of the plants are this way and the amount of damage to the leaves.

So far it hasn't showed any signs of harming the fruits. Keep in mind the fruits are only around the 10 day stage. But all the fruits are doing fine so far. I think this points toward the sun as the most likely culprit.

I have one shade tarp that is 25'x25'. If I remember correctly it blocks 30% of the light. I'm going to try to put it up in the next few days and see what happens. I may have to invest in some misters as well. I've never used them in the past. Maybe this is why some do, LOL.

7/10/2008 5:55:59 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Steve, how would the virus travel? Do they travel in the air current?

7/10/2008 6:14:59 PM

Sunburn IMO,,,right on target with the high UV days,,,last year I was dedicated to a misting system with timers since I was gone during the heat of the day,,just changed jobs last week and now once again I'm away during midday,,, scorched the first leaves this week because I don't have that system in place this year.

Temps can be in the mid '70's makes no diff if the conditions are right,,,,,,,,,

7/10/2008 8:17:37 PM

Western NY

it's the regular leaf burn we get each year. for some reason, i have had none of it this year, and we've had some optimum burning weather here too.

7/10/2008 8:46:23 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Pharmer.....the leaves without the tap roots are too young to throw a long enough tap root to send the leaf water. I would not sweat it at all. Your season is definately not over, you will just have some ugly leaves. I think we all panic and automatically think something is diseased and start bombarding it with chemicals when it is likely to be something as simple as leaf burn.

7/10/2008 9:34:57 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I hope it is just leaf burn. It it's been overcast & raining for a while & then the sun starts cranking that might be all it is.

CMV is only spread by insects (usually aphids) & there is no chemical control.

7/11/2008 12:45:26 PM

Greenfield Nh

snails in stump. grooves around the stump and then it looks like entry into the stump. soft spot on side of stump with some oozing . can anything be done at this stage? 1502 wallace,very large plant with basketball size pumpkin. thanks for any info.

7/13/2008 7:39:05 AM