I think my pumpkins are rotting on the vine. Input, please! *added pictures*

[Rikki Jean]

I have sugar pie pumpkins and howden pumpkins. Both have been fine every time I've checked them on the vine, but all of a sudden, the howdens each have a large discolored spot, and the texture is different than the rest of the pumpkin.

I was hoping to get more time out of the sugar pies, and maybe a few more pumpkins (there are only three on the vine, I think), but the vine has suddenly dried out completely (no doubt, with help from the 109 degree weekend that we had).

I'm going to try to get pictures of the howdens so that I can get some insight here. In the meantime, should I just plan to harvest them all, and can them right away (cutting off/out the possibly rotten parts, of course)?



ETA: Here are some pictures. Sorry for the TERRIBLE quality, but they're from my phone.

This is one of the sugar pie pumpkins. There are two, and they both look like this.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...piepumpkin.jpg

Two or three of the Howdens look like this
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...a/Picture3.png

One Howden has a spot like this on it. It's softer than the rest of the pumpkin.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...a/Picture7.png

This is the only Howden that doesn't have the discoloration on it. However, I took a picture of it to show you how dry the vine is.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...a/Picture5.png

[Rikki Jean]

[janey99]

Did your vines that withered wilt first? I'm wondering if it could be squash bugs (anasa tristis). They are gray bugs about the size of stinkbugs. They will eat the vines of squash, pumpkins and cucumbers and when there are a lot of them, they will eat the fruits too. Have you seen these in your garden?

I have them. They didn't bother my zucchini too much because the plants were on their way out, but I notice now my Dill's Atlantic giant pumpkin vines are wilting and withering, and young new fruits are deflating.

There are checmical treatments, but I don't now too much about them because I'm letting this year go with an eye towards being more proactive next year.

Good luck!


Jane

[pampered_mom]

You can also try sending in your pictures to your local county extension office. If you go to California Gardening you can search for a local Master Gardener volunteer who can also help you. I've had somewhat mixed results with our county's extension office - one quick reply and one where the MG volunteer didn't get back to me, *but* I still think they're a fantastic resource.

[Rikki Jean]

Originally Posted by janey99

Did your vines that withered wilt first? I'm wondering if it could be squash bugs (anasa tristis). They are gray bugs about the size of stinkbugs. They will eat the vines of squash, pumpkins and cucumbers and when there are a lot of them, they will eat the fruits too. Have you seen these in your garden?

I have them. They didn't bother my zucchini too much because the plants were on their way out, but I notice now my Dill's Atlantic giant pumpkin vines are wilting and withering, and young new fruits are deflating.

There are checmical treatments, but I don't now too much about them because I'm letting this year go with an eye towards being more proactive next year.

Good luck!


Jane

I just looked at some pictures of squash bugs. I'm almost positive that I've seen those. In fact, I'm sure that I saw a ton of litlte ones on and under one of my howdens when I was out there taking pictures.

I didn't see them wilt...however, now I know what happened to my crookneck squash too. Those plants wilted at the same time that this happened. I thought that it had to do with the intense heat that we were having (I didn't mention before that I missed a day of watering, and our water is rationed, so I had to wait a few extra days, through the heat, to water again), but I guess that there were squash bugs and I just didn't realize it.

I planted dill near my squash to help keep the bugs away, but it didn't get enough water, so it didn't do anything. I guess I'll have to be more proactive about that next year (I hate being on soaker hoses! Ugh!).

Do squash bugs like melons too? I have a cantaloupe that is slowly but surely developing, and I was really hoping to eat it. My stupid chickens (who I normally love, but I'm a little ticked a them right now for various reasons) ate all of my watermelon, honeydew, and other cantaloupe seedlings, so this is all I get this year (which is really frustrating, since last year I had seven gorgeous 30lb Moon and Star watermelons!).

Anyway, enough rambling from me. One last thing- can I cut off the gross parts and still use the pumpkin? Or, am I going to find more little friends inside (I'm pretty squeamish about bugs; makes for a great gardener, I know! )?

Originally Posted by pampered_mom

You can also try sending in your pictures to your local county extension office. If you go to California Gardening you can search for a local Master Gardener volunteer who can also help you. I've had somewhat mixed results with our county's extension office - one quick reply and one where the MG volunteer didn't get back to me, *but* I still think they're a fantastic resource.

Thanks for the reminder! A friend of mine is a master gardener, so I guess I could have asked her (duh!).

[janey99]

Originally Posted by Rikki Jean

I just looked at some pictures of squash bugs. I'm almost positive that I've seen those. In fact, I'm sure that I saw a ton of litlte ones on and under one of my howdens when I was out there taking pictures.

I didn't see them wilt...however, now I know what happened to my crookneck squash too. Those plants wilted at the same time that this happened. I thought that it had to do with the intense heat that we were having (I didn't mention before that I missed a day of watering, and our water is rationed, so I had to wait a few extra days, through the heat, to water again), but I guess that there were squash bugs and I just didn't realize it.

I planted dill near my squash to help keep the bugs away, but it didn't get enough water, so it didn't do anything. I guess I'll have to be more proactive about that next year (I hate being on soaker hoses! Ugh!).

Do squash bugs like melons too? I have a cantaloupe that is slowly but surely developing, and I was really hoping to eat it. My stupid chickens (who I normally love, but I'm a little ticked a them right now for various reasons) ate all of my watermelon, honeydew, and other cantaloupe seedlings, so this is all I get this year (which is really frustrating, since last year I had seven gorgeous 30lb Moon and Star watermelons!).

Anyway, enough rambling from me. One last thing- can I cut off the gross parts and still use the pumpkin? Or, am I going to find more little friends inside (I'm pretty squeamish about bugs; makes for a great gardener, I know! )?



Thanks for the reminder! A friend of mine is a master gardener, so I guess I could have asked her (duh!).

Glad I could help but sorry I was right.

I don't know if the bugs will be inside - my zucchini was near the end of its season when I noticed the squash bugs - I guess it can't hurt to cut a pumpkin open and check it out.

Aren't they gross??!! Like you, I saw TONS of them - when I was pulling my dead vines out to compost, they were flooding everywhere, all different sizes, it was so skeevy! I don't know much about chickens, but wouldn't they eat bugs like that? I guess not if you have chickens AND squash bugs.

I'm so jealous of your moon and stars watermelon (even if they are from last year!). Mine are double softball size, and starting to split open, but when I cut them, they are barely pink - we could hardly wait to eat them, but now it looks like we won't get any.

Jane

[herbanmama]

Another consideration is the squash vine borer. They were the end of my husband's giant pumpkins - very sad. Slice a vine lengthwise and look for a grub-like while larvae. Once they are in your soil, it's almost impossible to get them out. So while the squash bugs are obviously present, I'd check for borer larvae as well, just so you know what you are dealing with.