We’re so sorry that you have lost so much of your crops! Problems in the garden can be caused by insects, animals, disease, weather (too much/too little rain or too hot/cold), cultural conditions (such as soil pH), etc. If you are sure that the problems are caused by insects, spraying Sevin, a broad-spectrum insecticide, may help your tomatoes or other plants, depending on what the insects are that are attacking them (for example, Sevin is not labeled to control whiteflies), and how much damage has already been caused. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions, which will tell you about application timing, what insects it will control, and safety precautions, including how long you need to wait until it is safe to harvest (for tomatoes and squash, it is at least 3 days; for kidney beans and similar, it’s 21 days). For information about tomato pests, you might visit: https://www.almanac.com/plant/tomatoes. This video also covers several common pests, diseases, and cultural problems of tomatoes: https://www.almanac.com/video/troubleshooting-tomato-problems. Squash and zucchini information can be found here: https://www.almanac.com/plant/squash-and-zucchini. Also, here is a video on aphid control https://www.almanac.com/video/aphids-pest-control-tips-how-protect-your-plants Hope this helps!

There are main vines (coming from the base/center of the plant), secondary vines which come off of the main ones, and tertiary vines that grow off of the secondaries. All of these may have flowers. Once fruit has started to develop on the vines, some gardeners like to prune the main and secondary vines to 10 to 15 feet (burying the cut tips in soil). Then they remove the tertiary vines completely. Others go a step further and trim the main and secondaries so that each only has 2 to 3 pumpkins developing on them (keeping several feet of vine/leaves past the last fruit).  Hope this helps!

There are several reasons why pumpkin flowers may drop. If you sure that it isn’t a pest, then check to see if these flowers are male. The male flowers appear earlier (a few weeks) than the female ones, and can drop after a while. Unlike the male flowers, the female flowers have a little bulge at the base, which will turn into the pumpkin once pollinated. If these are not pollinated, the female flowers will drop. Also, in high heat (in the 90s or above), or during drought or other stress, the plant may drop its flowers. Be sure that the plant is getting enough water (but is not waterlogged), and check the soil nutrients and pH. If you are experiencing a heat wave, you might shade the plant during peak temperatures. New flowers should form once temperatures or other conditions become better. Male flowers should also keep forming when female flowers start to appear. If you suspect a pollination issue, you might dry dusting pollen from a male flower onto a female flower by hand–heat can affect pollination as well, but this can at least increase the chance for fruit development.

When pumpkins drop their flowers or fruit, it’s usually a sign that they aren’t getting enough water. While they are growing their fruit, they should be watered regularly and kept moist. Extremely hot summer temperatures can exacerbate this problem, too. Using a drip irrigation system is ideal, as it will provide consistent watering right at the soil level.

Thanks, Jason. Your advice, and maybe a few particulars from above, could result in something wonderful! Thanks for your palpable enthusiasm!

Generally speaking, pots for pumpkins are recommended as the bigger the better. Some say 10-gallon is the minimum for a small pumpkin. with large cultivars going into 12- to 15-gallon (20- to 24-inch diameter) pots. Moving it or not is a tough call. It’s great to hear that it’s going well, but it’s early in the season. If you decide to transplant don’t wait too long; and when/if you do, disturb the roots as little as possible so it will not need a lot of time to settle into its new pot. Good luck!