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pumpkinlover_gw

Big Max with yellowing leaves and burned areas?

pumpkinlover
16 years ago

Hopefully someone can give me some insight here!

This is my first garden. The place where I planted it was a hayfield long ago but has not been mowed in at least ten years. I mowed it and tilled it, and tilled in compost and well rotted cow manure.

I have several cucurbits growing - my babies the Big Max's, Jack O Lanterns, Jack be littles, and crookneck summer squash. In between rows I have sweet corn.

Everything looks great with lots of fruit. My Big Max's have large fruit, some already very large (bigger than a bushel basket.)

The leaves are yellowing though. Around the edges of some of the leaves are brown, dry, dead places that look almost burned. I have not had any cucumber beetles, but "tested" for bacterial wilt by cutting an affected leaf and looking for the gluey strings (as suggested by a website.) Nothing.

The thing is, the plants are thriving despite looking bad. None are stunted, the fruits are big and symmetrical. I only water when the soil feels dry an inch or so down.When i do water, I use a soaker hose that "sweats" rather than sprays, and I only water in the morning.

I applied bloodmeal before the onset of the burnt looking areas, to help green them up, but it had no effect on them.

I have not applied any pesticides or fertilizers otherwise.

Does this sound like something serious? I really don't want to lose my first pumpkin crop ever.

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions!!

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