Would a flower stalk with no buds look like it was cut straight across? All the stalks that I'm assuming were eaten through look like they were sawed with a serrated knife.

Only one stalk got flowers at all, and then got "sawed." For the rest, the sawing happened during the bed stage.

Definitely no rabbits here on our second story deck in the middle of the city. Would squirrels do this? Something else?

If I were able to get to a garden store and buy an appropriate product, would that make enough of a difference to possibly allow these plants to produce pumpkins? If it weren't for the stalking-sawing problem, I'd be more inclined to try to work harder to save the leaves!

I think I'm as baffled as ever. Other ideas?

Hi weirdtrev,

Thank you so much -- this is really interesting! Maybe the reason I'm not finding this problem in Google is because it's really a case of pumpkin-growing-beginner cluelessness?

Our sawed-off stalks do look quite a bit like the ones in your photos. Only one is long like in your photos (that's the one that had two flowers) -- the rest are quite short, only an inch or two long -- the buds had been forming very low, down under the leaves.

I'm confident there were no flowers that we missed. We are growing 3 plants in one large container that we can see right out our kitchen window, and we're on the deck looking at the plants at least 1-2 times per day.

Two new questions:

1) Is it possible that buds are falling off without flowering?

2) In some of your photos, I can see squashes (zucchini?) growing with flowers still attached. But in others there are the clean-break stalks where flowers fell off, but nothing growing there. I'm confused. Shouldn't they all be the same -- either the squash starts to grow right where the flower was, or the flower falls off and no squash grows there? Maybe I need a lesson in the basic way squashes and pumpkins grow.

I cut off the worst of the mildew leaves but the whole plants are pretty affected -- lots of mildew on stems, too. So sad. Although there's still that one bud, so I hate to give up hope entirely!

Hi there. I am fairly new at this too and at one point had the same questions as you.

Are you aware that there are male and female blossoms?
The female is the one that produces fruit and the male does not.

Here are some pics I just posted
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg0812071810192.html?2
The female has the purple ribbon.
:)

Re question 1, at first several females fell off before they blossomed but now many females are developing well. I gave fish and seaweed fertilizer and also buried several of my vines as suggested here. My plants do seem healthier now.

Re question 2, the squashes with flowers attached are the females the stems with the clean break I would guess are mostly males or females that did not make it though so far my females are growing closer to the vines.

Good luck

J

Ah, that makes more sense!

I don't see where there's info about burying vines -- tell me more! Or send the link!

I broke off the leaves in worst shape, bought organic fungus treatment, and have wiped off and sprayed for mildew! And I sprinkled red pepper on the buds. And today I fertilized. I'm not giving up! The plant actually does look a bit happier -- though it's still a sad-looking thing.

The one bud seems to have shriveled up and is all brown, but there's a new fat juicy one that I am pinning my hopes on. But do we need at least two flowers to grow a pumpkin? It's getting late in the season for this poor sad plant.

Should I spray the anti-fungal stuff repeatedly? Can I over-do it? I'm thinking I'll spray again this evening since it's rained a bit since I first sprayed two days ago.

Thanks for all your help, everyone!

Here is a link to what I posted about females dying off and above posted suggesting burying vines and why
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg081128315294.html?5

Ooh, very helpful stuff. Thank you. I'll try some vine-burying, too.

It's interesting to read that mildew is to be expected! Mine was pretty out-of-control, but it makes me feel better to realize it's not 100% because I'm an irresponsible waterer. :-)