Leaves wilting during sunny days- help!

14 years ago

Did a search, didn't find any advice as to why this is happening, I have some galeux de esynes (sp?), and they are in very good soil, but they wilt something awful during the sunny days, but don't wilt during cloudy days. The leaves aren't mildewed or have any visible fungus on them, they are very green, but very wilted! Even watering them does nothing to the wilt, and now they are dropping their new pumpkins! I want to scream...AAARGGGGH!!! Ok, done with that. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with these pumpkins? They are growing like crazy, but dropped almost all their fruit. I made sure to add even more hay over the root systems, but this hasn't done anything to help. I notice that once the sun goes in, the leaves start to recover. Heeeeellllp!!! Thanks in advance.

Signed, a very sad pumpkin.

Featured Answer

sitting_boy

14 years ago

Do what the above poster said, but also put dirt on top of each node (where a leaf and flower comes out of the vine) so that secondary roots emerge into the soil and help gather moisture and fertilizer. If you want to take full advantage of this, get a miracle grow hose spray nozil that can liquify soluble fertilizer and put use that to soak the whole plant and dirt, which will get absorbed by the secondary roots. After doing that, I recommend applying fungicide or pesticide if you need it. How much are you watering it? And where are you? Try leaving the hose dripping slowly into the soil at the base of the plant over night and see if it still wilts the next day.

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Comments (6)

terrybull
14 years ago
hi very sad pumpkin, they probably have a very small root system compared to the plant size. so what you need to do is give them fertilizer with a high middle number, like a fertilome 9-59-8. its for rooting and blooming. then after you get your fruit set go to a more even number like a 10-10-10.

signed the great pumpkin.
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mersiepoo
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm in Pennsylvania, I'd do the drip irrigation thing but we don't have water that far out, we end up lugging it there in buckets, lol! I will try covering it with soil, hopefully that will encourage the rooting. :) The plant is really sprawling, and doesn't have any cover from the sun(I have another pumpkin but it's enmeshed with some really tall corn plants, and they aren't wilting, but I almost killed them by 'fertilizing' them with milk. I think that sucked the nitrogen out of the soil, lol!
Thanks for the advice! Is it best to plant corn and pumpkins together? It seems to be, lol! Thank you again! :)
sitting_boy
14 years ago
Once you cover them with soil roots should start in a couple of days. I did hear that corn and pumpkins do well together fertilizer wise, but it would be better IMO to keep them apart for the sun. If I had a drought as long as has been in most of america and my hose didn't reach the vine, it would be dead in 3 days probably. I don't know how even when the rain does stop back east your plants still survive. Is the water like coming through the ground? There is no water in the ground here.
mersiepoo
Original Author
14 years ago
I have some pumpkins (and a volunteer type growing from a compost pile) as well as some luffa vines here and there, and some pumpkins and melons growing in a patch of corn. Seems like the only wilting problems I have is when the pumpkins (and even luffas) are in direct sun. Even the pumpkins growing out of the compost pile do wilt when it gets hot out, so who knows what's going on, lol! I always did hear that it's good to plant pumpkins and corn together.
As for the drought, so far we haven't had a very bad one this year (had BAD ones for the past decade!), though we never get any long rains anymore. This is the first year where I've actually had a good garden and didn't have to water very much. Just spot watering some plants. We've been improving the soil for years, so that probably helps keep the moisture in the ground as well.
weirdtrev
14 years ago
Pumpkins wilt in high heat, and as you have discovered they do great interplanted with corn and I'd add to that beans as well. 3 sisters gardens really work. If it isn't a squash vine borer attacking your vines the wilting is likely unavoidable at this point.

I noticed you said they drop almost all their fruit. Does this mean you have some? Every female flower will not make it to a full size pumpkin. Most die and never open. Once your vines have fruit they will stop producing until they are picked or the plants get big enough to support additional fruit.