Punkin' Problems

[Stratosman]

What causes the stem of my pumpkin plants to start rotting at ground level, my guess is an insect of some kind and that little can be done to help them now..?

Too bad cause I had some of the 100lbers that the kids were excited about!

[pushbutton]

Look closer for bugs, maybe mites, but my gut tells me it might be a fungus due to all the humidity and rain we have had. Possibly fusarium wilt/rot. Great year to be a fungi.....are they a hybrid or open pollinated variety? Pictures might help, but not an expert by any means.

[Steve Foss]

I was thinking Fusasrium as well.

[Stratosman]

Not sure on the type, bought the seeds from the local garden center....

I pulled off one of the leaf/stems that attach to the main vine and there was a couple of maggot like larvea inside there, dude at the garden center gave me some "eight" brand insecticide to spray then down with to try to kill the buggers. Takes care of those Japanese beetles as well, which I had thousands of on my sweet corn as well. So we'll see if that does the trick.

[Dotch]

Based on your description, one of the other possibilities might be squash vine borer. These are caused by a moth that actually resembles a red and black wasp. They will cause vines to wilt and if not attended to kill the vine. These generally produce frass (worm doo-doo) near the base of the stem. Insecticides on those larva already established inside the stem are relatively ineffective. It may or may not help prevent any additional worms from attacking the vines however. Cutting a lengthwise slit in the stem with a knife near the where the frass is being pushed out and extracting the larva is about the only sure way to get rid of them in season. From personal experience, treatment can be rather unrewarding but at that point, you don't have much to lose. After harvest turning the soil to expose the cocoons will help keep them from being a problem next year.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1209.html

[zzammon]

+1 Squash Vine Borer.

I have been hit pretty hard by them this year, never had them before. I tried cutting them out, but there were too many. I left the plants alone and the first 5 feet or so of the vine has died, but the roots which were put down by the runners have been keeping the fruit part of the plant alive. Squash and pumpkins are growing fine.

[Dotch]

Good to know I'm not alone. Yeah, apparently they're having a banner year. After I posted that I decided to go out and check our patch. The buttercup type squash took a pretty good hit but as you point out, they seem to be maintaining by the roots on the runners. Pumpkins, acorn type squash & gourds seem to be unaffected. A little shot of rain soon wouldn't hurt.

[thatoneguy]

I had the same thing happen to all my zucchini this year, still not sure of the cause

[zzammon]

The vine borer also killed my Zuchini, aka Summer Squash. It was the first to die.