What's going on with my pumpkin plants?

Hi everybody! I'm a complete novice when it comes to gardening. In fact, these pumpkin plants are the first plants I've ever grown, so please forgive my naivety! 

I planted my pumpkin seeds on July 25th. They sprouted on July 30th, one full day ahead of schedule. The little guys couldn't wait to get started!



Everything was looking good. Then the rain came. When I stepped outside to check on my seedlings, I discovered that my gutter had a serious leak. The seedlings were growing directly underneath it. It would only be a matter of time before the heavy sheets of rain destroyed them. I had no choice. I had to transplant.

When the seedlings were two weeks old, I transplanted them to a new spot in my garden. I dug my shovel deep into the soil and moved the mounds in one swift motion. Some of the mounds broke apart and exposed the seedlings' roots. I watered the seedlings immediately afterwards with a mixture of sugar, urine, and water.

Sadly, they were never the same.

They are almost three weeks old now. Their leaves are turning yellow. Every morning they look wilted and shriveled but - and here's the interesting part - by the end of the day they look healthy again.



1:00pm - droopy, shriveled, and downright depressing




5:00pm - perky and ready to party

I don't understand this phenomenon. It's as if they've suddenly developed a heat intolerance. But pumpkins love direct sunlight, and I planted them late in the season, so it's not very hot outside. They were fine before I transplanted them. What gives?



I water my pumpkin plants every day at noon. I realize the sun is hottest at this hour, but this is the most convenient time for me. I cover the plants with a bucket so their leaves don't get wet. Would it help if I started watering them earlier in the day?

In addition to their daily watering, it has rained here several times since the day they were planted. I doubt they're getting too little water. Maybe they're getting too much? 

Another possibility is fungus.



I found several patches of brown, splotchy grass on my lawn. Several people have said that it looks like fungus. I'm worried that it might have spread to my pumpkin plants. Take a look at the leaf I found this morning:



Questionable, no?  I didn't want to take any chances, so I cut the leaf off. Hopefully that was the right move.

What exactly is going on with my pumpkin plants? Is all of this due to transplant shock? Am I over-watering? Under-watering? Is it some kind of fungus, or nutritional deficiency? 

Your insight is greatly appreciated.

Hey there   Welcome to the SFG Forum!

Simply put, squash doesn't like to be transplanted.  BUT, the good news is your transplants look pretty good!. The round first leaves will soon yellow and fall off and that is normal. I see new green growth, that is normal!

Also, water the growing medium (soil) and don't give your plants a shower. Water every few days unless it's terribly hot. Little plants have less need for water. As it gets bigger, you can go ahead and trim off the oldest leaves so you can water without getting the foliage wet. This will help to minimize the conditions that encourage fungal infections.