Pumpkins look beautiful in a field with multiple rows of big and healthy pumpkins. However, sometimes, the pumpkin leaves turning yellow turn this beautiful sight into a nightmare for a gardener. But the yellow leaves are actually an indication that something is wrong with your pumpkin plants. The possible causes may include inaccurate sunlight, pests and diseases, inaccurate watering routines, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
If you have a garden full of pumpkins and notice some of the pumpkin plant leaves turning yellow, you are reading the right article. We have covered the complete information, symptoms, causes, and solutions of pumpkin leaves turning yellow and brown. Let’s get started!
What Causes Pumpkin Leave to Turn Yellow
When gardeners see yellowing pumpkin leaves, it is often a cause for concern because there may be underlying plant health problems. Some reasons include insufficient moisture, severe climate, nutrient shortage, pests, and bad growing conditions.
It is important to identify these causes to take necessary steps toward the growth of healthy pumpkin plants that ensure a successful harvest. There are different causes and reasons for a pumpkin to turn yellow; some of the most common and related causes include the following:
1. Lack of Sunlight
Pumpkins like to grow to full sun exposure and need at least 6 hours of continuous full sun exposure daily. If the sunlight is not according to the requirement, they will not be able to photosynthesize, and the optimal sugar level will not be there for the plants to grow naturally.
If there is a lack of sunlight, you must find the cause and the problem blocking the sun rays from coming down on the field. There might be several reasons that are causing the sunlight to shade the pumpkin patch, including:
- Overhanging trees
- Shadow of a house on the field
- Nearby bushes take up the sun
- Taller plants nearby stop the sun’s rays
2. Excessive Heat
The required temperature range of the plant is between 65 degrees to 95 degrees F. If there are some climate changes, you must ensure the climate does not foster the plant’s growth. In the daytime, the temperature should not exceed 95 degrees F.
If the temperature increases more than this temperature, your pumpkin plant leaves will get heat scotch, and their leaves will turn yellow. Excessive heat can also burn the leaves and damage the whole field. You need to ensure that the plant is under some shade, and you might need to mulch or provide the plants with water more often.
3. Genetic Type
If you notice yellow leaves and stems of a pumpkin plant, but the growth is normal, and you are getting normal output from the plants. You should remember that some genetic problems are causing the plants to grow like this. A slight yellowing of leaves and stems with average growth is not harmful. However, you need to monitor the growth closely; if the growth is slightly affected, you will have to find the problem. Because a standard genetic type of a pumpkin cannot affect the growth of the whole plant.
4. Plant Diseases
You need to ensure no plant diseases in your pumpkin plant, as some plant diseases commonly affect the plant. These diseases include:
- Downy Mildew
Downy mildew is a disease in which you will see yellow and gray spots on the top of the leaves, and the growth is also abnormal; this accounts for the downy mildew.
- Verticillium Wilt
Discoloration on the leaves and their green color changes into dark red on the edges indicates verticillium wilt. This verticillium wilt affects the plant badly, and no nutrition is left for natural growth.
- Sudden Wilt
If a plant is contaminated by sudden wilt, the roots will become dark, resulting in the pumpkin plant’s sudden death without giving any chance to remove or treat the disease.
5. Insufficient Water
If you notice vine drooping, wilting of vines and leaves, and feeling slightly soft to the touch. There is no water for the plant to keep the plant healthy and fresh, the plant will start to wilt, and its leaves will turn yellow. To keep your plant healthy and stop it from wilting, you must ensure sufficient water in the pumpkin field for perfect growth.
You need to check the soil for moisture by dipping your finger. There should be moisture 2 inches deep; if you feel any moisture less than this space, it needs more water. If the water is not present in the 2 inches of the plant, the plant will wilt, and the leaves will turn yellow.
6. Insect Attack
Multiple insects are ready to attack the pumpkin field, making the plant turn yellow and wilt. Some of these pests include:
- Squash Bugs
Squash bugs are like stunk bugs; they gather inside the leaves. The eggs of these plants are red, small, and round and are found in groups.
- Squash Vine Borer:
If you notice dark insects with metallic green and clear wings and orange and red abdomens, they are squash vine borers. They attack the stems of the plants, go to their roots, and take away all their nutrition; this will make the pumpkin leaves yellow and wilt the whole plant.
7. End of Natural Life Cycle
When the plants reach the end of life when they are big and colorful, they will naturally turn yellow. When the pumpkin plant is at the end of its life cycle, there is some yellowing and wilting of the plants. You don’t need to worry about the health of these plants as it is natural for them to wilt due to the end of their natural life cycle.
8. Nutrient Deficiencies
One of the major causes of the pumpkin leaves yellowing is nutrient deficiency. Pumpkin requires nitrogen for the growth of roots, and potassium is needed for the perfect growth of the whole plant. To ensure proper growth, you must add trace minerals to the plants. If there is any deficiency in the nutrients of a pumpkin plant, it will endure stunted growth. As a result, you will face yellowing, discoloration, and many other problems to deal with. Some issues resulting from the stunted growth include:
- If the leaf is yellow, it needs nitrogen to grow fully.
- Pumpkin plant leaves turn yellow on the margins, it needs potassium.
- If the yellowing is near the central vein, it needs iron and magnesium.
| Why do Pumpkin Leaves Turn Yellow | Symptoms | How to fix |
| Lack of Sunlight, | Slow Growth, and Yellowing of leaves | Put the plant in direct sunlight for 8 hours straight to ensure photosynthesis. |
| Excessive Heat | Yellowing and scorching of leaves | Add shade to the field by covering it temporarily, mulch the ground, and add water more frequently to keep the plants cool. |
| Plant Disease | Root rot and yellowing of leaves | Cut the damaged part and add fungicide to prevent the attack in the future. Use different fungicides to keep various bacterial and fungal diseases away from the plant. You need to be careful and find the attack of these pests. |
| Not Enough Water | Leaves drooping and yellowing | Give water to the plants more frequently, and make a watering schedule for your plants. |
| Lack of Nutrients | Yellowing of leaves and stunted growth | Provide the pumpkin plants with enough nutrients that balance all the plant requirements and support proper growth. |
How to Prevent Pumpkin from Turning Yellow?
You can prevent the yellowing leaves in your pumpkin plant by following these steps:
1. Water the Plants
You need to make a watering schedule for the plant and water the plant as per the schedule. Make sure that at least one to two inches of water is needed each week for the pumpkin plants to grow well. Your plant always needs 2 inches of water at the very least to be able to grow properly. The soil type is a practical factor that affects watering in plants.
You need to consider the water needed for any of the soil types if it is clayey or sandy. Your soil type affects the amount of water required to grow your pumpkin plant perfectly, as well you need a soaker hose that keeps the soil moist.
2. Add the Right Fertilizers
To guarantee healthy growth, test the soil and determine what nutrients are required. If the soil is deficient in nitrogen, add nitrogen to the fertilizer; if the soil is deficient in potassium or phosphorus, apply the appropriate amount of fertilizer. You may give the plant all the nutrients it needs for optimal growth by adding NPK fertilizer packages that include all three of these ingredients in the ideal ratio.
3. Increase Exposure to Sunlight
The plant will grow to its full potential and you will not experience any issues with photosynthesis or leaf growth if it is kept in direct sunlight. It will be challenging to expose the field to the sun if there is a home close by or a large tree that blocks the sun’s rays. You may need to prune the tree’s branches to allow some sunlight to reach the field. To directly connect the field to the sunshine, you may also trim any bushes and big pants that may be there.
4. Avoid Too Much Heat
It is important to keep the field from receiving too much sunshine. If the plant is exposed to a lot of sunlight, it should be shaded; if it is a field, it should be covered. Other methods to maintain a reasonable temperature for your plant include:
- Water More Often: Plants benefit from the cooling impact that occurs when water is applied in a warm environment because it permits evaporation.
- Add Shade: You must add partial shade on the pumpkin field to protect the field from direct sun.
- Add Mulch Around Plant: Water the soil to keep the temperature steady and mulch the field to keep the soil’s moisture content stable.
5. Infestation
To stop insects from harming plants, pesticides and other bug killers are used on the field. To guarantee appropriate and healthy plant growth, you can use a sharp knife to cut the affected plant portion if you see pests in your field.
Tips to Keep in Mind to Prevent Pumpkin Leaves From Turning Yellow
Along with the above-mentioned detailed steps, the following tips will also help you prevent your pumpkin leaves from turning yellow and brown:
- Give the plants plenty of room so that their large vines can reach their full potential. For the wiggle vines to develop properly and reach their full size, you must allow them some space.
- Make sure to give the plants no more than eight hours of direct sunshine for them to be healthy, they must remain within an ideal range from sensitive to cold temperatures. The ideal temperature range is between 65°F and 95°F.
- Maintain a neutral pH and rich soil; the soil should be loose and loamy. To guarantee soil richness, you can also add compost and other additives.
- For optimal growth, give the plants plenty of water and keep the leaves moist.
Conclusion
Pumpkin plants give a vibrant and delightful look to your lawn and fields. Many reasons can cause your pumpkin plant leaves to turn yellow. You can figure out how to resolve the problem, bring the plant back to life, and cultivate it correctly. A list of ways to stop pumpkin leaves from becoming yellow is provided in this post, along with a number of suggestions to make sure your plant will not have any yellow leaves. I hope all of your questions on the pumpkin field may be answered.
FAQs
1. Is It Ok to Cut Off Dying Pumpkin Leaves?
You can easily cut off the dying pumpkin leaves, and there is no harm in cutting them. Cutting the pumpkin leaves is important for pruning in every season, and this pruning keeps the plants healthy and promotes their growth. If there is some root rot or other disease attached to the leaves that are turning their leaves yellow, you can also cut them to ensure proper growth of these plants.
2. What Is the Reason Behind My Pumpkin Leaves Are Turning Yellow?
Your leaves may be turning yellow for several reasons, some of which are listed in this article. Diseases, pest assaults, and a lack of sunlight and water are common reasons. Even though all of these variables cause the plant’s leaves to turn yellow, you can still save them by using the solutions and advice in this article.
3. How Do I Save My Pumpkin Plant?
You can save your pumpkin plant by looking for the different symptoms, such as the water in the plants being adequate, the temperature being optimized, and the soil is well-drained to ensure proper nutrient transfer. If you see any pests and other fungal diseases, you must treat or cut that part of the plant.