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Tasmania Australia

Hi, This might be a silly question, but is it actually possible to be over fertilizing these plants?

The reason i am asking is i think my pumpkin probably isn't growing as well as it maybe should be.

I am doing some rough measurements, basically running the tape over the top until it touches the ground on one side and touches the ground on the other side.
It is growing at about 2 inches per day, and is about 2 weeks old, maybe 2 1/2 weeks old.
Could be wrong, but think they maybe should be growing a quiet bit faster.
The leaves are not as lush green as i would like and have a few yellow bits around the edges or in the centers.

Getting plenty of water i am thinking, was leaf fertilizing every 2-3 days.
I have a couple of pics in my diary that will explain this a tad easier.
Thinking i might have to stop fertilizing and just water for a week of two to see if the leave change back to lush green.

But any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

1/28/2015 11:57:27 PM

Colorado

Its easy to over fertilize. If you think you might be you probably are. If you back off for three or four days and the color looks better youll know you have.

1/29/2015 12:36:57 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Too much nitrogen causes too much vine and leaf growth and limits fruit growth. It can cause small pumpkins to abort. Nitrogen excess often causes real dark leaves and nitrogen deficiency can cause yellow leaves. Too much water can leach nitrogen out of the root zone. Too much potassium can make the pumpkins mature too fast and quit growing.

1/29/2015 1:28:13 AM

Tasmania Australia

Ok, as a guess I might be a tad hard on water, as the most leaf damage is at the base of the main plant (the main plant root)
I use a three litre bottle on a stand with a small hole so it drips out, been giving it 2 of these bottles a day plus the overhead sprinkler for 1/2 hour per day.

1/29/2015 2:38:29 AM

Tasmania Australia

Oh, forgot the link to the pics.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=233115
The ones up close to the pumpkin are the best leaves, with the ones further back worst.
Cheers

1/29/2015 2:56:25 AM

Central NY

Hey blue silver...check the undersides of those leaves...any bugs?

1/29/2015 7:48:30 AM

aurora, IL

I over fertilized my 3 plants last year, 2 pumpkins, 1 squash. The fruits all rotted at the blossom end. :(

2/2/2015 11:53:41 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Your plants look perfectly fine and healthy to me. My #1 advice is to get something in between the pumpkins and those pallets as quickly as possible. The weight of the pumpkin is very soon going to cause a cut to develop along the sharp edges of the planks under the pumpkin. When that happens it will be game over very quickly. Not knowing the output of your overhead sprinkler, I would also suspect that you are not watering nearly enough.

2/2/2015 3:48:24 PM

Tasmania Australia

Cheers, will have to look at those pallets then.
Yes, been trying to figure out how much water i should be giving each pumpkin per day.
The ground is moist around the vines still the next day, but i am guessing there is a rough figure or way to work out how water to give them per day

2/2/2015 4:49:34 PM

stoughton WI

could you take pics standing by the main looking out, we might be able to help better. are you burying your vines. it will help with better rooting, incase you need to chop off the stump. myself I use about 120 to 150 gals every other day for my kins

2/2/2015 4:59:44 PM

Tasmania Australia

Will take some more pics.
All vines are buried, i did forget to remove all the third growth until someone reminded me.
So have removed them now, opened the plant up a bit.
So far 3 weeks in, just running the tape over the top, from one side to the other, putting on only about 2 inches per day

2/2/2015 5:29:07 PM

Tasmania Australia

Got a few photos, not the best, the stump in the first one is where the brown bottle is
Just had 1/2 watering
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=233238

the second one is a side on view, plant looks small in the photo
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=233239

2/2/2015 5:44:09 PM

Torrance, Ca.

150 gallons every other day Rick. No wonder your Kins are dang near 1800 pounds!!!!

2/2/2015 5:44:43 PM

Omaha, Ne.

hate to say it, but it looks bad. Are the ends of the vines looped down ward. like this one ( That is healthy)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=219945

or Are they bunch up looking like

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=203955

It looks like what I had 2 years ago I believe to be to much nitrogen eary on and stressed the plant and now disease is taking over. Time will tell if the plant starts to slow to a craw and the pumpkin slow then stops. I blame mine on to much love. and feather meal.

2/2/2015 9:14:13 PM

Tasmania Australia

They are more like the last one except the leaves are not drooping.
It is all a good learning curve either way.
If i can find out what i have done wrong this season, next season can only get better.
I did water them for an extra 1/2 hour late yesterday and the growth has increased slightly from 2 inches per day to say 2 1/2 inches per day.

2/2/2015 10:06:06 PM

stoughton WI

maybe try a different type of sprinkler that would give you more coverage at a faster rate would help. im no expert like some of the folks on here. just throwing out suggestions that have helped me...with trial and error you have to find what works best for you.

2/4/2015 7:13:34 PM

stoughton WI

the roots of the plant will most likely be out past the ends of your vines.

2/4/2015 7:29:38 PM