Problems with pumpkins
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on pumpkins.
Common problems with pumpkins
The problems recorded on pumpkins, the most common first.
13 problems
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Poor pollination
Flowers but no fruit, or small, misshapen fruit that shrivels at the tip. -
Powdery mildew
A white, powdery coating on leaves that spreads in dry weather, weakening the plant. -
Bacterial wilt
Whole runners or plants wilt suddenly and die within days, without yellowing first. -
Cucumber beetles
Yellow-and-black striped or spotted beetles chewing cucurbit leaves and flowers, spreading wilt. -
Cucumber mosaic virus
Mottled yellow and green, puckered leaves, stunted plants and warty, mottled fruit. -
Squash bugs
Flat grey-brown bugs and bronze egg clusters on squash; leaves speckle, yellow and wilt. -
Aphids
Small, soft insects clustered on new growth and under leaves, leaving sticky honeydew. -
Blossom end rot
A sunken, dark, leathery patch at the flower end of the fruit. Caused by uneven watering. -
Grey mould (botrytis)
Fuzzy grey mould on fruit, flowers and damaged leaves, rotting them in cool, damp weather. -
Slugs and snails
Ragged holes in leaves and seedlings gone overnight, with silvery slime trails. -
Blossom drop
Flowers yellow at the stalk and fall before any fruit forms. Usually heat or cold. -
Cold and frost damage
Blackened, glassy shoots after a cold night. Tender plants collapse; hardy ones grow out of it.
