By Canalhopper
Denbighshire,
United Kingdom 
Questions about pumpkins, please
This is the first time I have grown pumpkins.
Below are three pictures; one of a leaf, two of the pumpkins.
Please could I have advice on what has happened to the.leaf and if I should be doing something about it. I have cut off most of the leaves today, to let the sun in on to the pumpkins. I have three pumpkins growing.
The next two pictures are of the pumpkins. One is beginning to turn orange, the other two are still green. Should I put something under them, to stop them going rotten? If so, what should I use?
Many thanks.
14 Sep, 2018
Answers
It's powdery mildew. It's very common on courgettes, cucumbers, etc. It particularly thrives in mild, damp weather.
Always water into the soil, cut off any badly affected leaves & spray with a mix of water, bicarb, a little vegetable oil, a couple of drips of washing up liquid , there's hundreds of recipes online.
You won't get rid of it because it's in the soil but your pumpkins will reach maturity with a little TLC
14 Sep, 2018
Thanks so much!
14 Sep, 2018
Almost forgot, have a read up on using aspirin on young plants as a preventative against this kind of problem. Worked fairly well for me in the damp North West
14 Sep, 2018
Previous question
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Burn those leaves if you can. Do not put them on the compost heap. Put straw under your pumpkins as you would do for strawberries to keep them off the soil.
14 Sep, 2018