Does anyone know why my pumpkin vines are dying?

[Laffy Kat]

Although it's true I kill almost everything I plant, my pumpkins were doing great, taking over. I have many green pumpkins developing. The last week or two though the leaves are turning white and dying. This is making me very, very sad. Is there anything I can do at this point? Help.

[uppityperson]

1. Days are shortening, autumn happens. The pumpkins will continue to ripen but grow no larger

[Laffy Kat]

2. So this is suppose to happen?

If true: joy, joy, joy! I've never made it to actual pumpkins before.

Thanks so much!

[uppityperson]

3. Yes, like leaves on trees. It's neat to see a field, or garden, with no leaves or vines but pumpkins

spread out. Congratulations on growing pumpkins. What kind did you grow? I grow sugar pumpkins to bake for pies (yummy)!

ETA, first time I grew potatoes I was very concerned when the plants all fell over one day. It turns out that is normal for them. Gardening is great, and it makes you worry when something happens that you haven't experienced before.

[Laffy Kat]

13. I have no idea what kind I planted.

I bought five plants on sale at a garden store and frankly they looked almost dead. I'm a terrible gardener and have no idea what I am doing, but I planted all of them in a very small space and they all took off. The pumpkins aren't very big and it looks like there may have been more than one kind because the pumpkins on one vine are round and the pumpkins on another are more oblong. None of them have started to turn orange yet.

[Lochloosa]

4. Looks that way...

Harvesting:

There are many indications that your pumpkin is ready to harvest. A Jack-O-Lantern variety should be predominately orange in color. If the vine has started to "go away" (meaning dying off and declining) this is another signal. Sometimes the stem is already starting to twist and dry. The most important indication to look for, is that the shell has started to harden. If you can easily indent the pumpkin skin using your fingernail, the fruit is still too immature to harvest. If you harvest it at this stage, your pumpkins will likely shrivel and spoil within days. When the shell has hardened, your pumpkin is ready to cut from the vine.

http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/growing.html

[Kali]

6. where are you?

could be frost/normal die off OR is could be the bane of my squash/cucumber life, squash bugs

http://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-bugs

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/technique-organic-squash-bug-control

[Nac Mac Feegle]

7. I can understand your worries

I have a "Black Thumb"

The best luck I ever had with a plant, it took me 2 months to kill.
It was a plastic cactus.
It jumped out of a second story window.

Explaining any further would be too painful, but it's true.

[Laffy Kat]

9. ....

Totally cracked me up!

[Donkees]

8. Powdery mildew?

[Laffy Kat]

10. OMG! That's it. I have powdery mildew.

Thanks so much. I think it's too late for a spray, though. Hopefully, the pumpkins will continue to mature. Now I know. For next year.

[Donkees]

11. Just diluted milk spray if it's on the pumpkins too :)

[Laffy Kat]

12. Thanks.

The pumpkins look okay so far. I'll continue to observe.