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Cleveland, Illinois

I am a newbie on this site and a relative newbie growing pumpkins. I have tried growing big ones for the last three years, and every year is the same thing. The pumpkins are doing great and then they fairly quickly start turning a light green and then dying starting at the base and working out. I spray them about every week to 10 days with seven and Daconil fungicide. I don’t see any spots or patches on the leaves, they just start changing color completely. I don’t see any infestations, holes in the stems or anything like that. I cut open the stems and there is nothing inside. My guess is it some kind of virus or something eating the roots.

[Last edit: 07/13/26 11:01:00 AM]

7/13/2026 10:49:05 AM

Grittyville, WA

A root issue is a good guess, no nitrogen would do something like that too. Pic needed. Root issues may or may not have wilting as well.

7/13/2026 4:25:05 PM

Grittyville, WA

Pics? I dont live in your area, so I dont know what other issues it might be, sorry.

7/13/2026 4:26:12 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Do the leaves turn yellow then brown? If so I’d guess general nutrient deficiency

7/13/2026 4:41:24 PM

Ironton, ohio

Agree with LK it's gotta be soil/nutrient issues, soil test or tissue test would give you a chance to understand what's going on. There may be people on here that can help based on pics if you post to a diary. Best of luck to you

7/13/2026 5:13:13 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

A severe nutrient uptake problem caused by damaged roots

7/13/2026 8:50:18 PM

Cleveland, Illinois

Thank you very much for your input! I am not sure it’s a nutrient problem as I put 10 1010 on them and a chicken manure tea. Also because of this problem I have started keeping two plants per hill. The other plants are just fine. I have four different areas that I am trying to grow them with eight different plants and so far three of them have died in the last week. It seems awfully rapid to be a nutrient problem also. I have tried to find pictures but nothing seems to match what is occurring. I see no disturbances in the root area either. I also have two daughters that grow them and they have the same problem here in West Central Illinois. I need a solution to this problem very soon or I’m going to lose them all.

7/13/2026 8:55:50 PM

Grittyville, WA

Cant have a solution until the problem is identified, but I hear ya...

7/14/2026 1:47:26 AM

Springfield, VT

It could be a trace mineral problem a water-soluble tomato fertilizer might help. Typically, it has all the trace elements plus calcium with the good fertilizers. Also a bloom booster could help with high phosphorus
Also keep the chicken manure away from them while fruiting the excess nitrogen is a problem.
Heat in the 90's can also cause the little pumpkins to fail as described

7/14/2026 9:30:08 AM

Cleveland, Illinois

Thank you. I will try that as well. I did upload a video to grower‘s diary of a dead vine. I cut open.

7/14/2026 1:06:49 PM

Connecticut, USA

You cannot upload videos. Upload a photo in JPG format.

7/14/2026 1:18:39 PM

Cleveland, Illinois

So you are also saying that heat in the 90s can kill them? That’s all we’ve had for most of July, and do for most of the summer. This problem does seem to always occur in the middle of summer, I know they grow them commercially all around me, but not the big ones. i’ve been trying the Wallace whoppers, maybe they are not heat tolerant.

7/14/2026 1:20:18 PM

Upa Creek, MO

It isn't his heat. I am next to you and further south in Missouri and 90s eevry single day. He posted a diary pic... looks like YVD

7/14/2026 5:57:46 PM

Cleveland, Illinois

Thank you all so very much. I will try spraying every 2 to 3 days. Is there anything else I could do?

[Last edit: 07/14/26 10:04:55 PM]

7/14/2026 9:54:57 PM