Zucchini Drooping from the Heat?

About five days ago my semi-large zucchini plant's leaves looked like they were wilting in the heat.  I also thought that maybe I had damaged the stem some when I broke off a dying leaf as a little of the stem came off.  I soaked it well and the next morning around 6:00 a.m. it looked back to normal.  In the heat of the day it wilted again and didn't look like it would make it, even when it cooled down some in the evening.  I checked the stem for any holes or frass and found none.  I decided my choices were to either pull it out or trim it back.  I trimmed it back and made some shade for it with a chair and the pad I kneel on in the garden.  The professional way to shade, lol!  It still has a few blossoms on it that I didn't trim off.  I am thinking that I should trim off the blossoms so the energy goes into making new leaves.  What do you think?



This morning when I went out to water I noticed another plant wilting badly right next to the first.  I picked my sixth zucchini off of it.  My son watered for me yesterday as I went out of town for the day.  He is very good so I kind of don't think it was necessarily too little water but I don't know.  The rest of the garden was doing fine.  I soaked this plant really well and it is still drooping, although today is still fairly hot.  It is not as hot as it has been though.  I do notice that the drooping leaves are yellowing.  I didn't notice any yellowing before they drooped but I didn't look yesterday.  What should I do, help?!



I still have a baby zucchini growing on this big plant.  It is in the back to the right.

It is quite normal for squash plants to wilt in the heat of the day. I believe they do it to preserve water. Typically they perk up again when the temperature cools. They do it when stressed too. What were your day and evening temps? Are the yellowing leaves all over the plant or just closer to the base of the stem? It looks like most of your blooms are males, your could pick most of those off, but leave a few. You may want to slice open the vine, length wise, and examine for borers.

could it be gophers or something messing with the root? That looks more than just normal "heat wilt". Hope you figure it out!!

Camprn:  It looks like the yellowing is more from the lower leaves.  The temperatures have been daytime 98-103 degrees and nighttime 70-73 degrees.  Is there a way to tell if there are svbs without slicing the stem?  Slicing it makes me feel like I will risk killing it.  But if it seems like that is necessary, I will do it.  I have assassin bugs that come back every year, but they were non-existent last year and my squash plants gave me one zucchini and died on me.  Too much was going on last year for me to remember why they died.  The assassin bugs are here this year and when I water they casually walk up the stem or to the side of the boxes so they don't drown.  I have always noticed that my squash and pumpkin plants look healthy when the assassin bugs were around.  That was when I suspected they were beneficial until I was finally able to identify them and I verified that they were.

I am thinking of trimming off the lower leaves that seem to have some damage, yellowing or that it looks like they won't recover, and most of the male blooms.  Could there be a deficiency that could prevent the plants from taking up water?

southern gardener:  I am lucky in that respect.  I haven't seen any gopher for probably ten years.  I have never seen a vole.  Maybe I need to do some more investigating around the soil area.

I checked for hours on this forum and the internet to try to find what could be causing my zucchini to droop so badly.  I didn't find anything conclusive.  So I decided I would maybe go do some surgery.  I went out, armed with a sharp knife, a small spoon to help scoop out the plant if there were svbs inside, a baby food jar to catch a specimen, and my camera.  So I could get a good look at the stem, I started cutting off huge leaves that looked like they would not survive anyway.  I saw an ant on a stem but that didn't seem like the culprit.  I got about halfway done cutting off stems and moved some mulch and soil away from the base of the stem and out ran a few earwigs and sowbugs.  I killed them.  I moved more mulch and out ran more.  I killed anything moving with my knife.  I lifted up the stem off the ground on the other side and there were quite a number of earwigs underneath and next to the stem, and in between the soil and the stem.  I killed what I was able to.  I cut off the rest of the bad leaves and lifted the plant again and used the spoon and knife and killed more earwigs.  I moved around the mulch and soil and kept killing anything moving.  I killed at least 20, probably more.

I checked the stem, moving some soil away from it and as you can see it has been chewed on.  I checked very carefully and did not find any holes so I figure it was the earwigs.  The dark dot is not a hole.  They did a lot of damage last year before I realized what was going on and probably were what killed my zucchini last year.



I made up a batch of fish emulsion and watered around both of those plants since today I mixed the mulch up with the soil quite a bit in going after the earwigs.  I figured also that the plants could use some nutrients after what they went through.  Going from memory I also figured the fish emulsion has some nitrogen in it and will balance out the mulch being mixed into the soil.  I also got my Sluggo Plus and three baby food jar lids and put some it them and spread them out in that bed.  I also checked some other beds for earwigs and sprinkled some in those boxes.
 
Here is today's plant after my surgery.  I did remove lots of male stems.  I did leave the baby zucchini that was growing because I didn't have the heart to remove it.  I won't let it get very big before I pick it.



Thank you Camprn and Southern Gardener for your advice!  It got me thinking beyond just the heat and maybe the plant not being able to soak up enough water and go looking for another culprit!

 If you have any other suggestions, let me know.  My plant looks so sad but I think (am hoping) that it will make it.  The one in the same box that I trimmed back a few days ago seems like it will make it.  I also have another zucchini plant in another bed and it has a few babies on it.  The bees have found my garden and are there every day!

Do not be afraid to slice one side of the vine open. It can withstand such treatment and will heal if you find and remove any SVB.

Yeah I am scared to cut it open!  I did not see any frass as all or any holes.  Would I have seen either one if this was a very new svb getting in there?  I have never had them before that I know of.  I know I shouldn't say "never".

Well, I didn't see any frass when mine was having trouble either, but I sliced the vine and the worm met it's maker...

This year has been my best year ever for zucchini...what have I changed ?
When I first planted the seedlings I dropped an aluminum can down around the plants.
I'm able to fill the can with water, it will soak down slowly.
I am also using neem oil this year, I have been pulling off cucumber beetles, however they seem lethargic and I can get them with needle nose pliers.
This bed hasnt been changed to SFG yet, still dirt, I'm anxious to note the difference when using the mix..
I'll post some pics tomorrow for the cans

I've had a similar problem with earwigs. All my squash flowers were collapsing in on themselves before opening, and I was getting no fruits at all. I opened up one of the flowers and it was absolutely stuffed with earwigs, as if it were a water balloon filled with earwigs instead of water. I killed 'em all. Found the same thing happening with another flower today. From now on I'm going to cut all the ends off the flowers, both so I can see the earwigs and so bees can get in to pollinate the flowers (if no earwigs are crowding them out). Since I'm getting no fruit out of the flowers anyway (okay, I got one zuccihini), I figure I've got nothing to lose. And I'm hoping earwigs will find an open flower less attractive, but realize that's probably a vain hope.

Mark: Those nasty earwigs! so annoying! WE have had really good results with Sluggo PLUS on the earwigs. It doesn't take much, and has really made a difference in our garden.
Tricia: We had a zucchini we had to "butcher" like yours due to powdery mildew. It's coming back nicely with fruit, so I think you still have hope! Sorry about all your earwig problems. Like I told Mark, we have had good luck with the Sluggo PLUS. Keep us updated on your plant!!

I have been following this thread due to similar problems (yellowing leaves, fruit not maturing). I haven't seen any earwigs and have finally gotten my first zuc but this gives me ideas to watch out for.

It seems like I just posted this yesterday, but it must have been on another topic??  Been a little under the weather, and I'm sticking with that!  I've had very good results using Sluggo Plus for snails/slugs, earwigs, and sow bugs.

jimmy cee wrote:
When I first planted the seedlings I dropped an aluminum can down around the plants.
I'm able to fill the can with water, it will soak down slowly.

I'll post some pics tomorrow for the cans

I like this idea, Jimmy, even if only for the watering ease.  We could probably use Solo cups, too.
 
Can we see your pic now?  

CC

Until just now the sun has been behind clouds which has given my zuc plant a little rest and when I went out to water earlier, my zucchini plant looked very good.  I moved mulch around and lifted the plant up.  No earwigs hiding that I saw.  I do have the Sluggo Plus in the box.  I'm using that as per suggestions last year and this year.  I watered my whole garden with fish fertilizer (as per directions) from a watering can and then added more water as they needed.  I still haven't gotten the smell totally off my hands.  It's as if I had gone fishing, lol.  Yes I washed them numerous times already!

Here is my zucchini plant this morning.  I think with the damage there was to the stem, the plant could not support what all the large leaves needed nutrition and water wise.  Now the zucchini plant can regroup and regrow strong again, hopefully.  I still have the baby zucchini there and it looks fine.  You can see its flower still on the tip.



Camprn that is scary that you had no signs.  I am still going to watch them closely!

Marc that makes me cringe and I can identify with it as last year I moved straw mulch around and the ground was crawling with earwigs.  I used oil traps in cut down plastic cups and also tuna cans.  I caught probably 1,000 throughout all of the containers in my garden area.  I used some Sluggo Plus in other beds but not this one until yesterday.  I added more in other beds also and this morning I saw an earwig on a corn plant in the bed where I am growing corn.  I will sprinkle some there today.

Jimmy you do have to show us your picture!

Herblover my first view of my last year's earwig infestation was when I went out to my potato bed at night with a flashlight as was suggested by several people on this forum.  I moved aside some vegetation and the ground was crawling with them.  That doesn't mean you have them and it could be something else.  If you have a first zuc, the bees now probably know where to come to help your plants get pollinated.  If your research on your yellowing leaves does not solve your problem, you could post a picture and ask for help.

wow Tricia! your plant looks MUCH better! congrats!!   

Thank you Southern Gardener!  I sure breathed a sigh of relief.  Today should only get up to 80 degrees but I will be watching that plant.  It's sister in the same bed that had similar problems is doing really well after I did a major trimming on her leaves about 6 days ago.  But the one yesterday was just so much worse.

Wow your plant looks great.  I didn't think it could turn around like that.  
Congratulations you're a good plant nurse 

Oh thank you!  I didn't either.  I did a ton of research and was totally expecting to do the svb surgery.  I even read about one lady never having luck after she did the svb surgery.  But then one time she cut open the stem, didn't see anything crawling but scraped it out anyway, burried the stem and her plant survived.  She figured she caught it before the grubs grew into being.  I was expecting to have to do that.  Then there were so many earwigs and with my experience with them last year, I figured it was them.  It's wierd how the earwigs and sowbugs kinda hang out together.

CC  here are a few pics you may enjoy
Keep in mind, these beds haven't been converted yet..

Top of plants

Kept many bugs off sow bugs especially

Fill up can with water

Not neat looking..but it seems to work
Plants have done much better this year, I will continue using this method..

swiss chard also

zucchini are pretty tough plants.  something cut about half way through the stem of one of my plants earlier this spring.  The wind then twisted it, and there is only about 1/4 of the stem left supporting the plant.  The plant is a bit behind my other ones, but is still producing squash and growing.



the brown powder is cinnamon which i was hoping would fight any fungal infections, and then theres some onion peel to deter cucumber beetles.

Triciasgarden wrote:Marc that makes me cringe and I can identify with it as last year I moved straw mulch around and the ground was crawling with earwigs.  I used oil traps in cut down plastic cups and also tuna cans.  I caught probably 1,000 throughout all of the containers in my garden area.  I used some Sluggo Plus in other beds but not this one until yesterday.  I added more in other beds also and this morning I saw an earwig on a corn plant in the bed where I am growing corn.  I will sprinkle some there today.

How did you put together your oil traps?

Thanks everyone for the sluggo Plus suggestion, too.

JimmyCee, that tin can idea looks cool. It reminds me of reading about people saying to plant your plants in one-gallon containers partially buried in the ground, but with their bottoms cut out. I think I might experiment with that, especially since you're having good results with an idea that's fairly similar.

I love this thread - so informative. Tricia, excellent detective work - what a good gardener you are to take so much time and effort to care for your plants!

Marc, wow what a visual you created there with the earwigs in the flower.   This is my first time growing squash and it's been neat seeing how big the flowers are - I can see those would make a nice home.

Marc Iverson wrote:

Triciasgarden wrote:Marc that makes me cringe and I can identify with it as last year I moved straw mulch around and the ground was crawling with earwigs.  I used oil traps in cut down plastic cups and also tuna cans.  I caught probably 1,000 throughout all of the containers in my garden area.  I used some Sluggo Plus in other beds but not this one until yesterday.  I added more in other beds also and this morning I saw an earwig on a corn plant in the bed where I am growing corn.  I will sprinkle some there today.

How did you put together your oil traps?

Thanks everyone for the sluggo Plus suggestion, too.

I got the idea from great people on this forum!  I cut down plastic solo type cups down to about 1-1/2 inches.  I poured used cooking oil into the cups (you can keep the little pieces of food if any).  Used oil worked better than unused.  I also used opened tuna cans when I ran out of the cups and I think any short container would work and it doesn't have to be small.  I think the important thing is to have something shorter so they find the oil quicker.  I didn't wash the tuna cans out first usually.  I poured in about 1/2 inch of oil and set them around inside the beds and outside the beds.  Some people even suggested putting a teeny bit of molasses and soy sauce in with the oil.  I didn't have any molasses but I did use some soy sauce and I think it helped draw them to the containers.  Here is a discussion from last year that may help you get a better picture of it.  https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t12877-major-damage-from-earwigs?highlight=earwigs

I did take some pictures but they are kind of gross.  Please ignore the dead leaves I still had in the box, last year was extremely crazy and busy!  The two containers do have soy sauce in them and I am not sure if this was used oil or not.  I just left the containers in the garden for weeks, trying to remember to take them out when I watered and then put them back.  The bait containers just kept catching them!