From

Location

Message

Date Posted

NW Ohio

This is my 2nd year attempting this crazy hobby. Last year I had no idea what I was doing. Had like 8 plants in a 20x20 area and never sprayed or supplemented them with anything. This year. I did a ton of reading, spent a lot of money on fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. I tried to follow Holland's fert plan and some other good advice. However, nothing. I think I only had 2 female flowers, that never materialized into anything other than a golfball sized pumpkin. Now the plant seems to be dying. Very frustrated. Any suggestions as to what happened are more than welcome. Thanks

7/26/2014 9:45:58 AM

Germany

With some (or much more) additional info from your end, many growers will be happy to share their knowledge with you, but your current cry for help doesn´t give us an idea of what the plant might have been through. Some questions which come to my mind are (for example):

Which type of soil?
How much water during May/June?
Temperatures (soil and air) in May/June?
Any pics of the plants from various stages of their (under)development available?

7/26/2014 9:58:59 AM

BC, Canada

Pics would be helpful. Plants in the squash family just seem to grow. My largest pumpkin until mid June this year was a volunteer out of the compost with two beautiful Rouge Vif on it. I am growing a plant from seeds that came from a 700 year old squash found in a cave.
Either you got some mean arsed disease factors or could it be a case of too much love?
The difference between growing any old pumpkin and Atlantic Giant is that the folks on this list here are crazy and a bunch of fanatics that are going for the extreme limits of what is possible (except me), but just growing a pumpkin plant should be easy. Hopefully someone on here can help you. In Ohio I bet there are some world class experts near by that would offer some advise.

7/26/2014 12:44:15 PM

East Jordan, MI

Besides basic growing knowledge, you need:
1. Good seed
2. Good soil
3. Good luck

did you do a soil test? you are randomly adding unknowns without it.
what did you add to the soil prior to planting? Adding the wrong thing can be worse than adding nothing at all.

where did you get your seeds?

How big were your plants?

You say they are dying. What kind of disease and insect control are you using?

you might try reading my blog I made for beginners.
http://how2growags.blogspot.com (click the beginners link).

7/26/2014 5:50:48 PM

NW Ohio

Thanks Rob, I did do a soil test at our local ag bureau. They gave me what was recommended. The seeds, some were from the cville pumpkin show, Christy Harp, and a local guy. Main vine is about 20- 25 ft long. Lots of male flowers but only 2 females. Disease and insect, I've used daconil, Ridomil, merit. Thanks

7/26/2014 6:58:39 PM

Home of happy lil plants

Cec can spare some of that luck for me and socal...can't forget the Napa guys hoarding as well

7/26/2014 8:14:44 PM

East Jordan, MI

so you have this on multiple plants? Did you add anything for Organic matter?

If so you must have a nutrient deficiency or way too much Nitrogen. Describe your watering and feeding schedule. Were the leaves dark green?

email me at cntryboy764@gmail.com

7/27/2014 8:37:23 AM