Ugg squishy squash and the bells have weird tan spots

[PitbullVamp]

Ok this is my first year on this garden and currently its driving me nuts. My yellow crook neck lost alot of leaves and the squash are coming in squishy. The leaves currently are making a comeback. My orange bell and red bell have black stem bases and every other pepper I get soft tan spots on the pepper. Any ideas on what this could be?? Recently sprayed with an organic natural bug killer seems to have helped.

[rainbowgardener]

Not sure about the squash, but the translucent tan spots on the peppers are just sunscald. Although peppers are basically sunlovers, the fruits don't like direct sun on them, that's why they grow under the leaves. In very hot climates (like Vallejo, CA), peppers do better with some protection from hot afternoon sun. Is your plant not very leafy and bushy? If not some extra nitrogen based fertilizer might help. Coffee grounds, composted manure, or whatever kind of fertilizer you use. I think the dark coloration at the stem base is natural and nothing to worry about.

Maybe someone else will come along that can answer the squishy squash question...

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hey PBV,

Squishy sounds fungal; had a lot of blossom end rot on my crookneck this year (water/milk sprays (3:1) and copper spray occasionally kept me pretty clean). Little tan spots are going soft? That might be fungal too (darkening at stems is just pretty standard stuff for a lot of peppers; describes my jalapenos, Anaheims and purple bells right now). Or is it a soft tan color?

HG
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Scott Reil
The Helpful Gardener
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