pumpkin vines dying

My pumpkin vines have started dying in the last week or so. I had a tiny pumpkin about the size of a golf ball, but that is now black. I've never grown pumpkins before and wondered if anyone knew what may be the reason for this.

I'm in southern Indiana, and we have been experiencing unseasonably cooler weather lately. Could it be due to the cooler temperatures? Or too little or too much water? I have noticed beetles on the plants, which I have been trying to pick off - could they be killing it?

Thanks for any ideas.

Meagan

Reply to
Meagan M Eller
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There are both insects and diseases that attack pumpkin vines. You could have anything from powdery mildew to vine borers. Low probabilty that it due to cooler weather or rain.>

Reply to
FarmerDill

Sounds like a fungal disease like black rot. This link may help you get started at figuring out how to prevent it next year.

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Reply to
Rick

those beetles brought you bacterial wilt. The vines are doomed, burn them. It is off and on for many of us (I am in SE MI), some years they find them and some years they don't, but if you have a single small garden they will find them most years and the only way to get anything is to grow them under cover.

I have had luck this year because I started a new garden 250 ft away from the previous one, and I enjoyed three months of good growth and one month plus of abundant harvest. But the previous two years I got nothing. On top of that I get vine borers galore (those have finally found some zucchini plants, one of which has already stopped producing).

Reply to
simy1

Thanks for all the info. I think the beetles spreading disease is probably it. I'll have to try to spread things further apart next year and find some way to keep the beetles away.

Reply to
Meagan M Eller

Actually I have been told that pumpkins like cool and wet weather even though it is not good for them in some ways. If you can, let them root on the ground and it may take longer for such things vine borers to kill the plant. That may be the only reason I still got pumpkins.

This happened to me somewhat. I saw the moth that started my vine borer infestation, for several days in fact. It looks sort of like an elegant wasp, black with red trimmings. I was totally fooled!

My vine's gone now too, but I'll try again next year. If you see anything that look something like a ladybug (has spots) but isn't round enough, that is definitely an enemy. It feeds on powdery mildew and yep, spreads other diseases besides.

Good luck with next year! :)

Reply to
Liashi

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