What's wrong with my pumpkins!

[superoz]

Have been growing a pumpkin patch since late May, they have flowered and started to fruit. A couple of weeks ago the leaves on one of the plants started to turn yellow and now going brown and dying back. It now looks like it's spreading.

What's happening? I have taken a photo and put it in my gallery if anyone would like to look. I've only taken up gardening this year so a complete novice really. dd is wanting pumpkins ready for Halloween so I need to save them!

[LottienHuw]

It could be a few things, I can really see too well from your photo.

It could be Mosaic Virus which is caused by greenfly. If it is you will lose the whole crop. You need to destroy all the plants infected and disinfect all garden tools you have used on the crop.

The other possibility is Stem Rot. You get a yellow halo on teh leaf which turns brown and shrivels up. Again you need to remove and destroy all affected parts of the plant.

Try googling the above 2 and see which pictures look most like your plants. If its stem rot you may still get a crop.

[LottienHuw]

Forgot to say, if you wanted pumpkins for October you really needed to plant them in July for the best chance of them being at just the right stage to be carved

[superoz]

Hi LottienHuw, thanks for the advice. It looks like it might indeed be Mosaic Virus, I've added a close up pic. If it is then boo hoo!
It is definitely not stem rot.

[LottienHuw]

It does look like Mosaic virus on the close up. I've had it myself, it devastated my entire crop of both marrows and pumkins.

You can try and save them by burning the affected leaves, you may be able to keep them going especially if you are just carving them rather than eating them.

Good luck.