Something is killing my pumpkins

[Philip]

Call around to your local nurseries and see if they'd be willing to let you
put one of the leaves in a plastic ziplock bag and bring it by for them to
look at. Failing that, contact the agricultural extension for your county.

Philip

There's a white substance on my pumpkin leaves,
and over the last two weeks has destroyed most of the
leaves, over two thirds. This white stuff has also

[Henry Cate]

x-no-archive: yes

Try the power of Google, as no one seems to answer this newsgroup.
common insects and diseases in pumpkin crops
Just keep adding qualifiers describing the symptoms until you get about a
dozen hits.
That should find something.
All that comes to mind to me is either powdery mildew or whitefly. You might
need a lens to get a better handle on what's on the leaves, other than
simply *white stuff*.
Good Luck

Try [pumpkin + mildew + treatment] as a search string in Google, and
you'll come up with lots of sites.
The Sunset Western Garden Book suggests sulfur as a treatment for powdery
mildew. Ask your nurseryman for the best approach.

Thanks. I did take a leaf in and was told it was
a fungus and ending up buying a spray. We'll see how it goes.

How and when are you watering your plants? It's possible that the mildew
growth might be encouraged by (a) wetting the foliage and (b) watering in
the evening, both of which cause the foilage to stay damp, and thereby
encourage the mildew. I think it's better to water the roots only, and to
do so in the early morning, if possible.

We have a drip system and almost always water in the morning.

Another good place to post your questions is <http://www.gardenweb.com>;
they have lots of discussion groups, some of them on vegetable gardening
and California gardening.

[Henry Cate]

Thank you, that was a great suggestion. It never
occurred to me. I took a leaf into the local Orchard
Supply Hardware store and a guy there said I had a fungus,
so hopefully the spray will treat it.
Thanks again.

Post by Philip
Call around to your local nurseries and see if they'd be willing to let you
put one of the leaves in a plastic ziplock bag and bring it by for them to
look at. Failing that, contact the agricultural extension for your county.
Philip

There's a white substance on my pumpkin leaves,
and over the last two weeks has destroyed most of the
leaves, over two thirds. This white stuff has also

[Philip]

Glad to hear you've found the answer you needed. Good luck!

philip

Post by Henry Cate
Thank you, that was a great suggestion. It never
occurred to me. I took a leaf into the local Orchard
Supply Hardware store and a guy there said I had a fungus,
so hopefully the spray will treat it.
Thanks again.

Post by Philip
Call around to your local nurseries and see if they'd be willing to let you
put one of the leaves in a plastic ziplock bag and bring it by for them to
look at. Failing that, contact the agricultural extension for your county.
Philip

There's a white substance on my pumpkin leaves,
and over the last two weeks has destroyed most of the
leaves, over two thirds. This white stuff has also

--
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"Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what
little chance you have in trying to change others." -- Jacob M. Braude

[Slipstream]

It's powdery mildew. Pray for dry windy conditions, it spreads by
sporesm touch and splashing water, so water at the base. There are
plenty of fungacides out there that are perfectly safe to use .

[Dotting Doyler]

Slipstream,

It's normal for squash plants to get the white fungi. Make sure the plants
are in all day sunny spots. Dampness and shade promotes the fungi.
Try not watering too much and especially not on the leaves.
Eventually as the heat fades the plants succumb to the dreaded white fungi.
Don't try saving with nasty chemicals. Chemicals interfere with natural
organic processes of healthy soil.
The best thing is to prepare the soil properly before planting. Not too much
mulch or humus in the soil. Sand is very good in the top layer, because of
drainage. Water only in the morning, not every day. Plant on high mounds
three foot diameter and water at the perimeter. Fertilize very sparingly at
planting and not directly near the stem. The mature roots will reach out for
nutrients.

Later

Post by Slipstream
It's powdery mildew. Pray for dry windy conditions, it spreads by
sporesm touch and splashing water, so water at the base. There are
plenty of fungacides out there that are perfectly safe to use .