Growing Squash Problems

[hangin'witthepeeps]

So I was told put the squash plant in and later you will be giving them away. Well I said not me, I will freeze every one I get if we don't eat them all first.

Problem #1
I put 2 squash in 1 square surrounded by radish plants. Radish got ate by various bugs, no radish for me.

Problem #2
I use a sprinkler for my raised bed garden, had some mildew. I cut off the worst leaves and sprayed the milk solution on the rest. We did harvest a few zucchini and yellow squash. 2 meals worth.

Problem #3
One squash plant dried up and died. I pulled it up and thought it was not in a good area because my other squash plants are twice the size, later may be this was not the problem.

Problem #4
Blooms were getting this black moldy stuff. I figure not enough light, too many leaves shading the plant. I pruned some leaves.

Problem #5
I pulled up my squash plant to hopefully save my zucchini plant. The squash plants vine/root system was mushy and soft. There was mold on the dirt and I saw what looked to be squash bugs.

So I've pretty much given up on anything from these plants. I have some new plants ready to be planted. My dilemma is I do not want to put them in my garden area with the current mold problem. I can put them in my yard, but I need to keep the chickens off them and then there is watering issues. Money is a BIG problem. I do have some wire and could fix something, but how far apart do I plant each plant. Can I grow them in "grow bags"? I really need squash and zucchini in my freezer. It is the one veggie my kids love. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[vfem]

Problem #4
Blooms were getting this black moldy stuff. I figure not enough light, too many leaves shading the plant. I pruned some leaves.

I am having this same issue. I also had white powdery mildew on my leaves on my squash and zukes.

The back mold... is it furry?

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Yep, and it will creep up the squash "fruit" from the blossom. Black and hairy is how I would describe it.

I would also like to add it is on the BIGGEST squash plant. I have one more yellow squash plant in the same bed (2 squares east) and a zucchini (2 squares north). My tomatoes are literally 3 feet away and not affected. I also have cucumbers in the same bed (4 x 8 bed) and they are doing so well I'm giving them away at work. It's just the yellow squash. The zucchini is not putting on new blooms but the plant looks healthy. Could be the heat or the mold/bug issue.

 

[vfem]

Its over... just rip it out!

The mold actually starts on the flower, and it begins to kill it right away before the flower even gets to open after awhile. There is no known way to get to the mold before the flower would open to pollinate since the mold is rampant once it begins.

I've given up... my squash is done for now. I was worried about the borers, the powdery mildew, the squash bugs... forget it... this black mold just spread like fire and can't be controlled. I will wait to plant again with the winter squash soon... but that is in a different part of my yard, and I'm worried about my pumpkins now.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Well, I believe I will untangle some of my cantalope vines and thin severely so that they get good air circulation. What's really depressing is I have never planted in my yard before. I always had a few rows in my granny's garden at her house. BTW, she does not have this problem. This is new top soil from the nursery, new raised beds, new, new, new everything. I spent a lot of money because of our clay soil and lack of space to put a tractor in to plow. So I believe it is the humidity along with not enough air circulation that is the culprit (giving moist conditions for the mold to flourish).


I will plant my squash like granny, in the ground spaced far apart, single plants. I will put down weed barrier over my spot and mound it up so that the plants are elevated some for those torrential down pours we get around here every so often.