newbie tale: the pumpkin giant that wasn't

Hello,
Im Marc from San Jose and have been lurking here for a month, reading and
learning from your advanced techniques. Thanks. Im a first year grower and
have had an amazing fun ride in my first season. Unlike your 500+ pounders,
my giant is now about 5 pounds, yellowing and turning soft. Not to fear: I
have two baseball size beauties gaining an ounce per day.

Id like to tell you my story and see if you have any helpful advice for
salvaging the season.  My journey started in April when I attended a
workshop by Stuart Shim (http://bit.ly/9r6J0o) in San Jose, CA.  He
motivated me to dig (by hand) a 4x4x4 hole and fill it with delicious
amendments, manure etc.  I sprouted the seeds he provided in a peat pot and
was so excited to sink the finest baby into its special mound on May 30.
Quickly it established and began spreading its vine briskly. Each day, with
excitement, I interrupted my work at least a dozen times to check in. Soon
flowers came and I read up on the advanced techniques for just-right
pollination. I decided to let the pumpkin have its own sex, and Id keep the
most desirable.  Thats when the forementioned giant started and once it
was softball-sized, I started breaking off the other budding babies.

It was late June and all was good.  Confident, I began trashtalking that (no
matter what!) I was gonna grow a pumpkin that weighed more than me.
Currently Im at 200lbs but vowed to lose whatever weight it took to make my
goal.

During a San Jose heat storm, I first encountered wilting leaves (though I
had just watered), and a very friendly guy taught me about misting. Rigid
leaves left me pleased I had mastered this advanced technique. Every few
days I mixed some fish emulsion with water and treated my beauty vine to
this stink juice. I buried a few of the vines, My daily dozen visits
continued, and loved my new sport.

Then, things went horribly bad. I got busy in life, didnt pay as much
attention, and somehow latched to the notion that if a little water was
good, a Niagra was better. I watered every day, sometimes for hours, spewing
it up and overhead. To compound matters, I didn't think much about
fertilizing or snipping tertiary sprouts.  Eventually my Prize stopped
growing, and over time all the plant's leaves yellowed. Eventually I got a
clue and stopped the incessant watering.  But the damage is done. The once
yellowed leaves haven't really come back. The leaves near the tap root are
dead or drying up. But the growing ends of several vines are delicious dark
green and growing and producing flowers and baby pumpkins. Is there hope?

I'd appreciate any advice on where to go from here, for this season, or next
year, especially information on watering schedules. I'm not embittered but
enthused. This hobby is SO COOL.
Yours, Marc

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