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Deer Park, WI

Growers- I'd like to call upon your collective expertise and experience to help me identify "root cause" of a situation Im dealing with, with the intent to not only better manage my own situation but to also archive the outcome for the benefit of other growers.

Setup- I've been dealing with a serious pythium issue for years in my patch. like clockwork, my plants will begin exhibiting tell-tale symptoms in early/mid July and by Day 30 (usually ~ Aug 1), my fruit come to a screeching halt. The bronze/gold leaf color afflicts the foliage, the canopy droops, and by Aug 15 im usually making plans for next year.

This year is slightly different. Im in a "new" patch on my property. The soil may or may not have spores in the ground. Its uphill from the infected patches of year's past. But i've used contaminated tools, tractors, and shoes that have likely spread spores.

Further, this year has seen record moisture. its likely depleted my soil of Nitrogen, the most susceptible nutrient to leaching. The moist conditions are ideal for fungal proliferation, but we havent had the heat that really turns them on yet.

So, with that setup, I offer this diary photo for review. This represents 95% of my leaf canopy on three plants.

Nutrient deficiency? Early pathogen affliction? What's your experience suggest?

For the record, samples are being shipped off for testing and i will report back to this post and my diary regarding the outcome. In the interim, I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts-

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=222596

7/15/2014 9:59:50 AM

Western NY

It is similar to what I've been seeing. I'm betting on a nutrient issue partly from the moisture, and partly from lingering effects of cold winter soil a foot or more deep.

7/15/2014 11:19:28 AM

Central Minnesota

Same here for my plant at the lowest portion of the garden. To wet, to cold and soil to cold. Light colored leaves and slooowww growth.

7/15/2014 11:37:16 AM

Holton, Michigan

So I just posted pics in my diary. I get a disease every year in about half my plants. Never had tested just get yellow vines and tips point straight up and plant stopes dead in its track including pumpkins. So this year all plants have Ben in and out of same look However plants keep growing reel slow. Half my patch on low side is dried lake and this year there is water still standing just outside patch about 12 inches lower elivation. Any how some of my older leaves are showing same as yours. Fun stuff. Good luck to all.

7/15/2014 12:26:14 PM

Bethlehem CT

My guess would be a low nutrient thing. Low nitrogen like you speculated. Too much rain and cool weather The Nitrogen is not available due to the cool soil temp and what N is available gets washed out of the root zone.
On a side note- In years past have you ever had pythium confirmed? You sure it might not have been something else? Like Yellow vine disease.

7/15/2014 4:21:22 PM

wet or waterlogged dirt .no air. does dirt smell like nasty pond muck?

7/15/2014 9:07:13 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I have that on one side of the big patch Don,,,,, nasty stuff and really water logged:( Its the low side of the patch.

And yes, the leaves look like the ones above.

We don't have ponds around this area,,,,, it smells more like " poop " :(

7/15/2014 9:56:42 PM

Deer Park, WI

Thanks for all the input thus far. To answer the queries above, yes pythium has been confirmed via lab analysis for other areas on my property that are downhill from this site. I have not yet tested this ground for pathogens, that is forthcoming.

To Don's question, my soil drains fairly well in this site and does not have a mucky texture despite the rain. Soil does not smell anaerobic, it looks and smells like well hydrated dirt. However, this is only a rough observation of air/moisture ratio. Its entirely possible that oxygen deprivation could be part of the equation.

7/16/2014 8:33:06 AM

BC, Canada

Just curious, what is the soil composition?

7/16/2014 12:26:28 PM

Deer Park, WI

Its a loam clay, with more emphasis on the loam. Beneath the subsoil structure is glacial sand deposit, so despite the more water-retaining clay substrate, it does drain fairly well.

CEC is ~15, OM is 4.0%, pre-spring deluge the macro and micro nutrients were fairly well balanced with the only notable lower value belonging to Manganese.

7/16/2014 1:42:38 PM

Glosta

what was Ph of soil? With a low value of manganese to start and cold wet soil a manganese deficiency could be induced. Higher PH soils tend to lock up manganese into unusuable forms quite easily. I have this issue consistantly. this year I foliar fed manganese early on and didnt see the usually symptoms I get.

If you look at the veins of the leaf they look fairly dark compared to the interveinal tissue. if the deficiency gets more severe it can turn bright yellow with dark green veins. It could be the issue, A tissue test would confirm it.

7/16/2014 4:45:35 PM

Federal Way, WA

I had leaves that looked similar to this on my plants last year. All secondaries slowed to a near stop and the fruit ceased to grow for around a month...went on vacation for a week during hot weather, came back and the plant had exploded back to life with massive growth and huge leaves. Didn't grow anything great :), but the plant definitely came back to life. Part of me suspects that using cold faucet water through the drip line kept the soil temps too low for too long.

7/18/2014 2:57:22 PM