Help?! Flowers/fruit falling/rotting, a weird bug & w/potato eaten!

[secuono]

The first issue is with my pumpkin vines. They flower nice and all, but the flowers are weakly attached. Before or after they are fertilized, flowers fall and the fruit rots...Rain and wind easily makes them drop! I've lost over 10 would be pumpkins already because of this! 1st pic you can see a fallen in the back...

Second issue is an unknown bug is eating my potato plants. One plant showed up as nothing but stems one morning, other is starting to have holes. What is it and what can I spray? I used a dawn and vinegar mix last year, I think? Will it work for this?

Lastly, found these under a pumpkin leaf. Bug and eggs, what are they and are they dangerous?

 

[catjac1975]

The pumpkins need lime they have blossom end rot. The potatoes look like they have been eaten by the Colorado potato beetle. Gross gooey looking orange things? The is an organic spray that works really well-forgot it's name- I will look it up. It may be too late. If they already bloomed you may already have potatoes. The eggs and nymphs in the last photo are the squash bug. Collect them into soapy water before they get big-they will ruin your pumpkins and squash. Rotenone is organic and works well when they are small.

 

[secuono]

I have barn lime, the powder, will that work? How do I add it and how much?

Potatoes have not flowered yet, not signs of blooms at all.

 

[catjac1975]

I don't know what barn lime is. I use powdered limestone or pelletized and sprinkle a small hand full around each plant.

 

[journey11]

Cat, is the bug spray called EcoSmart? A friend was telling me about it this evening.

 

[secuono]

I don't know what barn lime is. I use powdered limestone or pelletized and sprinkle a small hand full around each plant.

'

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/lee-double-strength-hydrated-limereg;-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/waukesha-lime-barnlime-50-lb-bag

 

[so lucky]

Your barn lime may be what we used to call "air-slaked" lime. It is used to cover odors, like a dead animal you can't move. Also used for making lime pickles. It is very harsh and I don't think it should be used on anything growing. Garden lime is what you need. You can usually buy it at a big box store in a 5 or 10 lb bag. I think it is pelletized now.

 

[secuono]

*head-desk*
ugh, why can't a chemical just be the same!!
I'll find my way to a store at some point. Have bigger issues with some other critters and the darned bank stealing money.


Thanks.

 

[catjac1975]

I have used a lot of Gardens Alive products with great results. It's called bull's eye bio-insecicide-it's Spinosad. I 'm sure there are other organic products that work. I used to have a lot of Colorado potato beetles. For some reason I get very few now and do not even spray them. The potato photo looked like they might be ready to eat. Mine are big and lush in bloom and have plenty of potatoes. I saw other threads where people dig there potatoes as soon as they are ready. We leave them in the ground, eating them fresh, and dig them late when the cold weather is fast approaching. They keep beautifully for us

Cat, is the bug spray called EcoSmart? A friend was telling me about it this evening.