Celebrate “culture” in agriculture & share skills like growing, cooking, canning

Garden Problems

The last two years I have tried to grow pumpkins from seed. I planted the seeds, they sprouted and looked great, beautiful leaves, lots of flowers and then they died. I have bees, so the flowers were pollinated, but they didn't make it far enough to start forming fruit. The vines just shriveled from the base and died. Does anyone know what happened?

Tags: bugs, control, pest, pumpkin, seed

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kurt on December 2, 2008 at 4:03pm

Have you ever tried the Natural Way Plantproducts when you put your seeds down? Its an all natural fertilizer comes in liquid as well as a dry formulation.It will give balance to your soil as well as a support to grow a nice and healthy plant.Your soil might be laking something.If you want to try the Natural Way led me know.
I had the same things happening to my tomatoes a few years ag.Since I'm using the Natural Way products, my tomatoes are exellent.You also can visit my website to get some information.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by d. savage on June 24, 2009 at 7:43am

It sounds to me like squash vine borer, which is just as nasty as it sounds. I had to cut the vine where it meets the soil, just a small slit, and look for a white-ish worm with a brown tip. And, there it was. (I swear it was looking at me!) Then, i squished it. When that's done, you need to add fresh soil at the base where the slit is, and water good. It will delay the growth for a week or two, but mine came back healthy in no time. I have Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and use it every year. It's easy to understand, and has helped tremendously.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by kim bennett on June 24, 2009 at 6:45pm

pumpkins need lots of poop, and water

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Pat on June 26, 2009 at 6:21pm

I will try that next year. I gave up on them this year.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carol on June 29, 2009 at 10:53am

It sounds like squash vine borers. Several things you can do to outfox them. Wrap the stems with panty hose or masking tape to keep the borers from getting in to the stem. You can make a slit in the stem and remove them, then tape it closed again. Use BT injected into the stem. Plant resistant varieties like Cushaw. Maxima varieties seem to be most vulnerable, so plant moschatas, mixtas and pepo instead. You can also buy nematodes that attack the SVB in the soil early in the season and with the right conditions, they will stick around and multiply and keep working for you year after year.