Pumpkin Troubles

I was doing a little experiment growing a summer Pumpkin called Summer Ball (Sahara). I had planned to grow one in a container and one in the open ground to compare how each of them performed.

I was already having trouble with the one in the pot - not sure if it was snails, but something was chomping the leaves with one leaf completely gone. Then to make things worse, when I went out to see how they were doing yesterday, the one in the ground looked all limp and lifeless. On close inspection, I found the stem was completely severed.

I suppose a gust of wind could have just caught it and snaped it off, but it hasn't been windy and I would have though the top bit would have blown away, so I am resigned to the conclusion that something ate it through, even though there wasn't really any damage to the leaves.

Very disappointing.

I have re-sown 3 seeds directly in the ground in the hope they will germinate relatively quickly and catch up.