Well…I’m calling it, guys. Pumpkin patch time of death: sometime in July. Maybe late June. I’m not really sure. I just know that after a month of trying to revive my little pumpkin babies…it’s a goner.
See, this is why I told myself it was all going to go to hell in a handbasket in that first post. So I wouldn’t be so disappointed when it actually did.
Here is the most recent look at my pumpkin patch:

Sad, right? An expert would probably tell me all the things I did wrong.

My first turn into a dead pumpkin patch, or so I thought, was not being around the week my blossoms finally opened. You’ll remember from my first post, I planted this in my parents’ backyard since I have no outdoor space. I had confidence their yard have enough flowers and bees visiting that they would easily find my pumpkins and pollinate for me.
That also happened right around Memorial Day when no one was at the house for nearly a week – meaning no one could have intervened and self-pollinated instead.
Even with no pollinated blossoms, I hoped my plants would carry on and the next round of blossoms would give me that opportunity to self-pollinate.
Instead, they just took a turn for the worst.

At that point, I worried we had planted them in too shady a spot. Then I thought maybe the hot Texas summer and sudden lack of rain, despite watering them, but doing them in. I spent a lot of time Googling pumpkin pests and plant diseases, swapping ideas with my dad (my unofficial master gardener in this project) and wondering where we went wrong.
In the end, I think my issue was crowding.
Pumpkins like to have space to spread out, and planting too many plants together without thinning them out can cause the plants to compete for nutrients in the soil.
I think that’s exactly what happened to mine.

That’s four Big Max plants thriving early on – and probably at the point where I should have separated them a bit.
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What happens next
For now, I’m letting my pumpkin patch live out its days as a failed experiment. We’ll see if anything comes of it. I do still have some seeds tucked away, and I’m half-tempted to plant one or two in a pot and see what happens. That will have to wait until mid-August, however, meaning I definitely wouldn’t have full grown pumpkins in time for October 31st. (The least of my worries now!)
So for now…learn from my mistake and don’t crowd your pumpkins!
Rest in peace, spooky little pumpkin patch. We’ll try again next year.
Happy haunting,


Chelsea Celaya
Awwwwww~ So sorry to hear that they didn’t make it. :( Crowding is a good theory, could it also be the soil too? It could just be how the photos look, but the soil looks very….grainy? Maybe not enough nutrients to be absorbed from the ground either?
Anyways, there’s always a next time! At least you can say you tried. An experiment is a great one when you’ve at least tried and then can try again until you gain the result you hoped for. :)
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
We added some mulch on top to keep them mounded, but maybe that was a mistake? But you’re right – if nothing else, I tried and learned some things!
Hellen Die
You are in good company. My pumpkins, while notnovercrowded, fell victim to the raccoons this year. They ate every damn blossom and tore most of the vines in half before pooping on everything in a final gesture of f*u. Thanks, raccoons. I’ve salvaged my vines which are thriving in a new, safer spot, but it’s been over a month and no more blossoms have even begun to appear. So…looks like next year is going to be my try 2…in a raccoon safe spot.
Grr.
Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween
If it makes you feel any better, the squirrels probably would have gotten to mine after they started to grow. They are EVERYWHERE in my parents’ backyard, and the patch was around the back of the garage out of sight.
I’m thinking I might give it one more go and plant another seed or two in a pot. If nothing else, it’ll be fun to try one plant and see where it goes.
Autumn
Oh man! Sorry to hear that!
Mr. and Mrs. Halloween
Sorry to hear that too! I’ve had many failed attempts so far with pumpkins.
My grandpa eventually succeeded and grew 3 huge ones for me once when I was in high school. No homegrown pumpkins for me since, but that gives us something to try again next year!
RIP, Spooky Little Pumpkin Patch! :(
Dinah
Awwww, R.I.P. little pumpkins. Definitely try again next year!