0
points
Why are my pumpkin plants wilting and dying?

Pumpkin    Florianópolis, Brazil

I have a small garden at my house and I grew pumpkins in my garden for several years without problems, but this year the plant are wilting and not happy. I have have been careful with watering them and this has never happened before. This is a disease? I also want to build a fence for plants to grow. What is the best way to do this?


Posted by: Teresa (1 point) Teresa
Posted: January 30, 2013




Answers

1
point
Wilting that is not due to a problem with water supply can be caused by disease. Pumpkins can be prone to bacterial wilt which is a bacterium spread by insects. Unfortunately there is no effective treatment for this disease and and any sick plants will have to be removed from the garden to prevent it from spreading. You can try and test your plants for this disease by cutting open a stem close to the crown of the plant. The bacteria may ooze out and will appear white. There is a good picture in this information sheet.

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extme...

How long have the plants been like this? This disease is quite fast acting and can kill young plants within a couple of weeks.

With regards to the fence, do you mean trellis? It would depend on the kind of pumpkin you are growing, most grow quite low and have heavy fruit which may not be supported if you have the vine growing too high. You can build a lower support by nailing together some wooden beams into a square or rectangle and overlying some poles on which to place the vines. I would take care of the wilted plants first though!

Let me know how you get on,
Lindsay


Posted by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points) Lindsay McMenemy
Posted: January 30, 2013


Teresa commented,
Lindsey thank you. I am going to check when I go out. I will let you know. Teresa
about 11 years ago.

Teresa commented,
I have been outside to water the garden and one of my plants looks worse. It is starting to turn yellow in parts. I tried to cut the plant but I am not sure if I have done it correct. I was not sure if I could see white on the inside.
about 11 years ago.

Lindsay McMenemy commented,
Another way to check is to put a cut stem into a glass of water. The bacteria will leak out into the water and turn it cloudy after about ten minutes or so. Maybe you could try this?
about 11 years ago.

Teresa commented,
Lindsey I tried this too and the water was not clean. My son will come tomorrow and help me to dig the sick plant.
about 11 years ago.

Lindsay McMenemy commented,
Sorry Teresa, keep an eye on the others for similar symptoms!
about 11 years ago.



1
point
Another possibility is the squash vine borer, which can be a terrible pest. This is a clear-winged moth that lays eggs on the leaf stalks and stems near the base of the plant. Larvae hatch and burrow into the stems, tunneling them out and causing wilting. Look for sawdust-like frass near the base of wilting stems. Below are a couple of links with descriptions and photos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_v...
http://mdvegetables.umd.edu/files/Squ...


Posted by: Charlie B. (5 points) Charlie B.
Posted: March 3, 2013




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