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Cheyenne, Wyoming

At about day 55 my leaves were beginning to get Powdery Mildew. I cut out about 20 of the worse PM covered leaves. Then I sprayed the rest of the garden with Bonide Copper Fungicide.

The pumpkin had been growing about 15 pounds per day before this. After I did the spraying and cut some leaves, the pumpkin growth went to zero for 6 days.

I was beginning to think of taking down the greenhouse and pulling the plant out. Then this morning I noticed what had been a 3/8" gap between the stem end of the pumpkin and the main vine had closed to no gap this morning, which would be about 7 days after spraying for Powdery Mildew.

So I measured the pumpkin again. In the last 24 hours (since I measured it yesterday) the pumpkin went from zero growth to 3" CC, 1" SS, 1" EE for over 40 pounds of estimated growth. There is no way I screwed up measuring the past 6 days and it was really growing slowly all along. I measure the exact same way every time.

Has anyone ever seen something like that before?

8/23/2017 4:36:01 PM

Colorado

Ive never seen something like that.The only time for growth surges typically is from big shifts in temps or soil moisture. If it keeps growing on like its seemed too then plant was shocked by leaf removal or the fungicide time will tell.

8/23/2017 5:32:23 PM

ive had pumpkins sink in soil side to side front to back got less each day- the 24 hour ott will make ya drink with both hands once a week - no one prank you,cut off few inch of ruler?

8/23/2017 7:15:49 PM

Partlow,Va

I had a 1756 Lancaster that stopped growing twice for maybe 4 or 5 days, once in late july and then again sometime in august, but would do 80+lbs in the next 4 or 5. That year I had 2 others going(one was my 2nd 1756) that did not stop. It was still growing doing good Oct1 when I cut it. Never knew why?? But this is something I will never forgot... keep growing til you smell something :)

8/23/2017 8:37:53 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I had one do that. Stopped for about a week, then we got a rain. It started growing again, then a groundhog chewed on it and it split in a perfect circle all around. Grew some more, then split another circle 90 degrees off the first. Sometimes these pumpkins do things beyond explanation.

8/23/2017 11:28:16 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I have seen ott increases due to the pumpkin actually starting to rot after getting sick. The sides bulge out. This happened to me the first year I got some actual big pumpkins in my patch in 2009. I'd be checking the lower parts of the pumpkin very carefully for softness. If that is happening you leave it on there too long and you end up needing a snow shovel to remove the disgusting guts.

8/24/2017 10:52:41 AM

Grittyville, WA

I have noticed an increase in perceived growth when the pumpkin starts to lose its shape the diameter increases faster but the height does not increase. The only other growth affecting factors I can think of would be moisture, temperature, sunshine, root damage, and accidental measuring errors. Maybe it slouched down or outward?

8/24/2017 1:06:12 PM