My Pumpkins Have Fungus

In June, my best friend Tammy and I decided we wanted to grow pumpkins on the land her family owns in Fayette. We put the seeds in the ground the second week of June and by the first of August, green and orange gourds dotted our one-acre patch.

We've learned a lot about planting over the past two months but we still find ourselves in a cloud of uncertainty. Are they getting enough water? Did we plant them too close together? Do we cut the leaves back to allow the fruit to get more sun? Should we fertilize again?

Over the weekend, one of our biggest concerns was realized when it was confirmed that our pumpkins have a fungus. Also known as 'blight', the fungus grows as a result of mildew and can infect the entire field and even poison the soil for next year's crop if not treated.

We can already see the fungus spreading through the field:

The bad news is, I don't think the infected leaves can be saved but the good news is that (hopefully) after four treatments of fungicide, we can prevent further spread. As of now, the fate of our patch hangs in the balance.