Squash problems

HouseofWool 7/18/2011, 2:32 pm

I've notice that some of the leaves on the bottom of my butternut squash have been getting yellow and dying. I attributed it to the fact that the plant is growing out of control and not enough sunlight was getting down to the bottom leaves. But yesterday I found two immature fruits that were yellowed and have obviously died.

Today I found an earwig inside one of the vines I had trimmed back. I don't know if this is what is causing the damage or what. It appears to be on the majority of the plants, but for most of them it is isolated to the leaves at the bottom.

Squash problems %3Ca%20href=

>

**camprn** 7/18/2011, 4:12 pm

My first reaction is that the plant leaf symptoms are related to a nutritional deficiency. I have to poke around and research what exactly may be missing. Are the rest of the effected leaves showing the same yellowing progression?
The shriveled squash is most likely a result of not being pollinated.

HouseofWool 7/18/2011, 4:39 pm

Since these are still in the beds that haven't been converted over to MM, I may just dump some miracle grow and see that helps.

sceleste54 7/19/2011, 1:06 am

Same thing has happened to mine. I had Butternut sprout up from some compost I spread and they had done quite well. To date I have gotten I think 10 or 11 decent butternuts. The vines escaped the bed and went running down the driveway. I'm thinking its just been so hot here lately that maybe the vines on the driveway just burned up..maybe I should check them out for earwigs...

thill 7/19/2011, 1:09 pm

I had 2 squash plants that looked gorgeous but started getting dead leaves on the bottom on up. I originally thought it was the heat. Since I had already decided to just start working on a fall garden I pulled both and sliced the stem open and they had the SVB larvae in them.

I sure hope that's not the case with your's. Good luck!

HouseofWool 7/20/2011, 9:48 pm

I don't think the fruit are dying because of lack of pollination. The flowers haven't bloomed yet and I have been trying to hand pollinate just to ensure fruit set.

Today I found a squash that had obviously been pollinated as the bottom of the squash was nearly 3" across, but the neck portion of the fruit was soft and yellow. I opened it up to see if there are bugs in it, but I don't see any.

I've spent a bunch of time trying to google causes of this to no avail. I am thinking that I will be calling up the local ag office to see if they have any ideas.

**camprn** 7/20/2011, 10:22 pm

That sounds like a good idea. Let us know what they say. I am curious.

HouseofWool 7/21/2011, 7:25 am

I sent an email to the ag office last night. Hopefully they will get back to me quickly. I found another one this morning where the fruit had set but the neck is dying.

We've had the heinous heat wave here and I'm wondering if that could be part of it. I haven't watered because the garden is so well mulched that the soil is still damp. I think the 75-80% humidity might have something to do with it.

**camprn** 7/21/2011, 12:30 pm

Oh yeah, I bet it's the heat. It has been terrible out your way and now it has arrived here.

HouseofWool 7/25/2011, 3:27 pm

Well, my game of "stump the ag extension agent" was a success! She has no more idea than I do as to what is happening.

The miracle grow (what was on hand - but not my preference) helped the yellowing of the vines. I am not really seeing much more of the fruit not making it, which leads me to believe the heat had something to do with it even though they were hand pollinated in many cases.

But today I a think I saw a SBV moth fly by me... This evening I will be dousing everything with soapy water and tomorrow I will try a dose of B. T. (which worked miracles on the cabbage worms). It never really ends, does it...

**camprn** 7/25/2011, 3:29 pm

HouseofWool wrote: It never really ends, does it...

Nope, not until it snows and then it's only a matter of time before the seed catalogs arrive! Wink

Goosegirl 7/25/2011, 7:43 pm

camprn wrote:
HouseofWool wrote: It never really ends, does it...
Nope, not until it snows and then it's only a matter of time before the seed catalogs arrive!

+1000

Sponsored content

Squash problems

Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems

Re: Squash problems


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.