From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Southern Illinois

every year i have alot of pumpkins turn white and die,could some body tell me why that happens,they only do this when they are small.

7/18/2002 10:55:34 AM

Edmonton, Canada

It could be heat stress, or improper pollination. Make sure that you do all of your pollinating by hand, don't leave it to the bees.

7/18/2002 11:33:55 AM

Indiana

It means the fruit is aborting. (Out of your control)

Tom Beachy

7/18/2002 3:33:22 PM

South Hill, Virginia

For some reason the pollination was not successful. Has it been very hot up there? Do you do pollinations by hand or let the bees do it?

7/18/2002 3:41:20 PM

Stafford, Virginia

Nobody really answered this question!
I too am having the same problem. Pollinations are all done by hand and are successfull. This seems to happen when the fruit is about "softball" size. Even at this stage I already have them on styrofoam. Leaves are shading the fruit but it has been in the 90-97 F temp range. When the fruit starts to go the first indicator is that growth slows/stops and then a couple of days later a discoloration appears (spots in question are never on the bottom). I have 19 fruits now and have removed 4 in the past week. Rain is nonexistant - and am watering via drip system. Am stagger spraying with:
Sevin/Ridomil/Bayleton/Aliete/?Fungicide/Isotox/Seaweed-Fol

It is possible that the fruit recieved too much Nitrogen at some feeding as the fruits lost seem to be mostly the same cross and of similar pollination dates(age)- I have older and younger fruits looking ok but..vine growth is 10-14"/day
Leaves are in good condition and healthy looking.

7/19/2002 8:47:04 AM

Long Island,New York

John and nancy....the fruits didn't set...they are aborting.

7/19/2002 3:59:05 PM

Kansas

Just wondering...but if the fruit didn't set..then why did it even grow to a softball size?

7/19/2002 8:05:30 PM

Deer Park WA

It tried to set initially, but was either stressed by environmental conditions or the pollination was in suffcient to continue growth. Environmental conditions could include to hot, to cold, to dry, to wet, but my favorite (from experience) is to much nitrogen and the plant isn't ready to set fruit yet....

7/20/2002 1:38:41 AM