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Riverside CA

I'm growing giant pumpkin vines which haven't had very many problems. I have sprayed daconil as needed and I have taken care of aphids when noticed. The leaves are starting to have mildew in many areas and from past experience, when I have had new pumpkins growing under the foliage and spray, they seem to abort. It has been hot here in Southern California (Riverside), however I want to overspray the entire patch and I think I should cover these little guys (some are socker ball size) with foil, etc to protect them. Today the temperature should be in the high 80's (80 now).
Please advise.
Thanks so much,
Pauline

10/2/2008 12:30:12 PM

South East

Pauline,,since you got mildew and its hot, your gonna have a hard time growing a decent pumpkin. The mildew cant be stopped just slowed down and aphids arent very good either.
You can put a sheet over the pumpkins you do have, or a shade cover,And pumpkins aborting that could have been from the heat instead of spraying. when it gets hot, is wise to cool the female flowers down before and after pollination. Shade, icecubes,,whatever works. As for the mildew, daconil is good, you can try to alternate with immunox wich is pretty much the same. Next time you grow, use two or three fungicides and alternate them, to try and prevent the mildew instead of fighting it. Milk and composttea can help prevent it to.

10/2/2008 2:54:31 PM

Riverside CA

Tina and Frank, thankyou very much. I did go out and wrap most of the pumpkins in saran wrap before spraying with Malithion. I also included new female flowers. I wanted to get the aphids under control now. Although the evenings cool down, I have found that the mildew forms on the leaves if they hold any moisture from overnight and I thought it was due to the leaves not all drying from spraying. Perhaps I have been misleading myself with this thinking. I was using a small sprayer and hitting the leaves when it first started but now it's too large an area. I have also noticed this morning I have aphids under the leaves. It would be an impossible feat to spray under them as directed. How is this accomplished? Even the Ortho hose end sprayers that I use, have a nozzle at the end that can be turned up to do this but you would have to be laying on the straw and shooting up which I can't do. Next year I will be more diligent and follow through with the preven-
tive applications including systemic products at the beginning of the season. I do have a hugh white pumpkin out there and others not so big that are orange. I planted my seeds late and this is why the vines are still growing strong. It's like a forest out there with the stems and leaves growing straight up with the deeped green color. We will have pumpkins ready to pick in "November".
My seeds came from a 400 - 600 lb pumpkin last year and what a difference it makes in the size and growth of the vines and leaves. When should I use Daconil at night?

10/2/2008 4:00:47 PM

South East

miss paula,,spray always after sundown, but not to late. You want your leafs dry as wet or moist leafs promote the mildew. Next year get a 1 or 2 gallon sprayer, and your gonna have to spray under the leafs. When you feed them or spray for bugs, then the underside of the leaf is probably the most important spot. First signs always show there first. So daconil after sundown.
your seeds came from a 400 to 600 lbs pumpkin?
If your interested we got some seeds from our pumpkin for you we grew a 897 lbser this year.
f.finders@hotmail.com

10/3/2008 9:57:34 PM