pumpkin mess

I started cleaning out my Pumpkin patch today, a chore long neglected. Don't believe anyone when they say you can just let pumpkin vines roam over the lawn and they'll shade the grass enough to keep its growth in check. At least mine didn't do that. Under the vines was all choked with grass and weed; the broad leaves covered just enough so I couldn't really see what was going on until I got down on my knees.

What disaster and little bit of joy I found. There are lots of healthy vibrant leaves

alongside those struck with powdery mildew (against which cinnamon seems to have done no good)

and those sickened by the cucumber beetles.

I cut lots and lots of dead/dying leaves out, only to find that some of those same vines were sporting fresh new little leaves.

And even though the two baby pumpkins I had earlier sickened and got disposed of, there are still plenty of buds and flowers

and a few more new little green orbs forming. (Please ignore the awful mess of litter. I'm working on cleaning that up- it only lets the pests hide better!)

But half the plants are in terrible shape. I didn't see this before. Here is a healthy slender vine next to one horribly thickened by disease. It makes me sick just to look at it. I bet tomorrow when I tackle this spot again, I'll find that all the withering leaves come off this sick vine?

But after all that yuck, we do have one very nice Pumpkin! The vine it was on was all withered, so I figured I'd better pick it before something else bad happened. It's the best pumpkin I've grown yet, all smooth and unblemished except for one faded/green spot where it lay on the grass.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was easy to carve, too.