The second disease is bacterial wilt and is evident by a wilting and browning of the leaves. There is no cure and the plant will die. The best is to remove the effected plant before the bacteria spreads to the other healthy plants.
The best way to prevent these diseases is to keep your patch clean from weeds. Water the plants early in the day so the sun can dry the leaves quickly. Spray the whole plant with a general fungicide like Funginex, keep to the instructions and never over dose.
The following are the more common pests and the most likely ones to attack your plants:
The cucumber beetle damage the leaves and transmit diseases to the plants. Major infestation could be treated with Malathion.
Snails and slugs attacks the small pumpkin fruit. Feed these pests snail and slug pellets.
Vine borers eat their way into the vines close to the base. They suck on the juices and
eventually eat the vine away. The best treatment is to spray the vines with a strong chemical such as Chlorphirifos.
The pumpkin fly attacks the small fruit while the skins are still soft. I find Malathion a good treatment against these pests.
The most pests can be scared away by spraying your plants with a mixture of dish washing liquid and water. I use about 1 teaspoon dish washing liquid on 2 liters of water and I spray the plants every 10 days.
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