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Old July 18, 2013   #1
Siberian
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Default Who else struggles with summer squash?

Am I the only one? Every time I grow summer squash, there are always dead, diseased-looking leaves on the lower half of the plant and they fairly quickly make their way up the plant. Some leaves have brown splotches with yellowing, and others just yellow and die. Sometimes the process is quick, other times it works it's way up slowly. The fruit often rot at the very young stage (I think this is lack of pollination as I am nearly positive it's not blossom end rot). Then there's always the lovely squash vine borers.

I'm in Northern NJ, zone 6b. Plants are started safely after last frost, are inoculated with mycos, beneficial bacteria and are fertilized with fish emulsion, seaweed and occasionally with molasses.

This is partly to vent, but partly to ask what am I doing wrong? I know they generally are more disease-prone, but mine seem to be on their way to dying well before they have ever hit peak production. This is the only plant that gives me consistent troubles -- nearly everything else grows well and is very productive and disease-resistant.
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Old July 18, 2013   #2
Crandrew
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happens to me each year. Some kind of mold or powdery mildew.
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Old July 18, 2013   #3
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My squash plants live to bear just a few fruits before drying up. I pick a variety that gives small fruits so I get to pick and eat them before the plants die. Summer squash need a lot of sun and watering at least twice a day. My plants gets attacked by whiteflies easy and end up dying from whatever diseases the flies pass on to the plants.
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Old July 18, 2013   #4
ScottinAtlanta
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Did you try this? http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_lt1rizwrh_b
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Old July 18, 2013   #5
kath
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No, you aren't the only one, Siberian. I choose the earliest varieties I can find (Raven and Noche have been my favorites) and plant out with protection asap in the season and then I replant every few weeks until the beginning of July. That way when one plant is dying I can rip it out and there's a new one producing. Some people choose to wait until the beginning of July I think so that they miss the squash vine borer altogether.

I usually just add some organic fertilizer and a shovelful of compost to the planting hole and then they're on their own except that I check frequently for bugs & eggs and water if we haven't had an inch in a week.

You're right about the lack of pollination causing the fruits to rot and not develop.

kath
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Old July 18, 2013   #6
LDx4
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I used to struggle with squash - they would go down quickly with powdery mildew every year (along with the cukes), but last year and this year have been good squash years for me. I grow them in 20 gal pots, placed close together. I still have some problems with lack of pollination and rotting fruits, but the majority do get pollinated by the bees and we end up with a good amount of squash. I've used GreenCure a couple of times when the powdery mildew was especially bad on both the tomatoes and the squash. But -- the main thing I do is spray the squash every week, without fail with Neem oil. I make sure I don't miss a week - even if it means spraying a few days early. In SoCal we don't seem to have as many problems with the squash vine borer (or maybe that's just my area). The Neem oil is the magic bullet, for my garden at least.

Lyn
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Old July 18, 2013   #7
b54red
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The two secrets to having good squash production for me are spraying weekly with the diluted bleach solution to kill mildews and keeping the lower stem dusted with Sevin to prevent squash vine borers from ever getting started. I also hit them with whatever fungicide I am applying to tomatoes. I also put down a heavy layer of cypress mulch to keep the vines and fruit from ever touching the ground which also helps with disease prevention.

Bill
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Old July 18, 2013   #8
Siberian
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While I know the pain that struggles with the garden can bring, I am comforted to know I'm not alone here

I also spray all my plants with Exel LG and they get a spray with Actinovate every 2 weeks, though I don't do a ton for the mold/mildew diseases. I used to use GreenCure on other plants with success, will have to try on my squash.

LDx4, your squash look amazing! I am envious, in a friendly gardener sort of way

Thanks for all the other reponses. All feedback is appreciated.
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Old July 18, 2013   #9
TigrikT
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Siberian,
I grow Grybovsky the second year in a row. It needs a lot of watering and I use aquacones to avoid watering the leaves, and mulch heavily with compost. Compost helps with water retention and with BER too. I prune it to one main stem till mid-summer to be able to control SVB. I use Spinosad and BT to control SVB. This year I used tulle over hoops till july 15th. And hand pollinated. So far got 3 big ones, proper for ragu.
I trim old leaves on the stems off as soon as the flower/fruit is done. I trim any leaves as soon as I see powdery mildew on it. It is hard to control and better to remove it ASAP.
There are squsg bugs too, later in the summer, just remove egg clusters and kill adults. They are afraid of water. Check every 5-7 days, they hatch in about a week.
I let it go wild in August.
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Old July 18, 2013   #10
peppero
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i sympathize with you. usually the svbs and the squash bugs get them with almost no yield. this year i have virtually no bugs of any kind and virtually no squash. so far disapointment has been the boss.

jon
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Old July 20, 2013   #11
frankbenjones
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This year I've been very lucky with my zucchini. I'm growing Burpee Sure Thing. Have three plants in a 4x6 raised bed and they are going strong (seeds planted 3/9). I have not sprayed with anything and the plants look very healthy. This is my first year growing them. I also planted Burpee butterstick. It was healthy but only gave 1 fruit a week so I pulled it; didn't do well last year either. Grey Zucchini seems to be doing ok and is healthy but not as productive as Sure Thing. Last year I planted Burpee Hybrid, Black Beauty and a few other varieties and they didn't do nearly as well as Sure Thing is doing this year.
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Old July 20, 2013   #12
Doug9345
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I'm sorry for those who have troule growing squash. Around here by mid august people have so much zucchini and sometimes yellow summer squash that you'll see it free alongside the road.
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Old July 22, 2013   #13
Rideau Rambler
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After all three of my zuke plants failed to produce fruit last year this year I had a plan: seven plants, all different - yellow, green, hybrid, heirloom, straight neck, crook neck and saucer. Six came up, three promptly died and the remaining three are small with only four or so puny leaves each. Sign. But the winter squash and cukes are coming along nicely. Makes no sense.
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Old July 22, 2013   #14
peppero
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i think i have gotten 5 summer squash from 9 plants:ZERO from my winter squash out of many plants. the plant world never fails to amaze me.

jon
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Old July 22, 2013   #15
Tormato
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Soil well amended with compost is what I start with. Getting those delicate roots growing is half the battle. Vigorous plants seem to ward off disease better than weak plants, in my garden. SVB though, will get the strong and the weak. As long as I keep the SVB away, my vigorous plants do extremely well, and the weaker ones still do OK.

It's almost all moschatas this year, and the weakest plant...attacked by SVB.

Gary
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