From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Indiana

I have lost about 8 plants in two weeks. It has been extremely hot upper 90 and 100s. No real measurable rain for at least two months. I do water daily and fertilize and spray fungicide and insecticides weekly. All plants look great big green and healthy. I come home from work and next thing I know there is a plant turned yellowish and leaves are wilted. Withen 24 hours the plant has shut down and i remove it from patch in order not to infect other plants with what ever is infecting the dead one. I have a pumpkin that is probably close to 100 150 pounds. Best looking plant in the patch until today. I come home and plant has symtems of others that I have lost. Oh ya no signs of squash vine bore either. I have grown pumkins for 21 years and never have seen such a thing take down a plant in 48 hours. This is very frustrating any one have any ideas?

7/9/2012 10:38:55 PM

Connecticut

Hi cucurbit-

Sorry to hear about your pumpkin problems, a picture would help with the diagnosis, but reading the description my initial guess would be yellow vine disease. This is a bacterial disease and in hot weather can spread very quickly. The main vector is squash (stink) bugs. The reason why it may be spreading is due to insect feeding. Also, my guess would be that the pumpkins on the infected plants have stopped growing no matter their size.

Post a picture and I will try and take a look at it.

7/10/2012 7:31:41 AM

Lexington, Ky

I second Matt's opinion. I too spray frequently but the mighty squash bug can do his magic before/while ingesting a lethal dose. I'm beginning to wonder if we are dealing with a strain of squash bug that has some tolerance to our sprays.

In my experience with YVD, my plants have been attacked in early growth stage, about 50 square feet. It seems like it takes about a month or so before the disease takes the plant down.

7/10/2012 9:27:00 AM