What's going on with my crook neck squash?

[codyjp]

I've finally gotten a few fruits off my crook neck squash but so far the results are only mixed. I've got a couple that sort of look OK, but the other two are less than stellar. What am I doing wrong? I'm thinking by the looks of the third one I need more watering and the 4th one I'm going go guess no pollination?

I'm also losing most all of my zukes to blossom end rot when they get to about 3".

I'm currently also battling the white dusty fungus with a milk concentration but I just started treatment so we will see how that goes. Overall though, it isn't doing much damage.

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[jimmykx250]

Please let me know what you find out. All my crook necks look like the bootom one in your picture. I have zuchinni's right next to the crooks and they are doing great. Not sure what to think.

[applestar]

The 3rd one looks like yellow crookneck squash. The top 2 and the bottom one look awfully like some ornamental gourds we get for fall decoration.

[codyjp]

I ate one of the top ones tonight. I wasn't bad at all. The bottom 2 of course where trash material.

I'm hoping for a few more of the good ones that are shaped properly though.

[jal_ut]

That fourth one did not get pollinated. The third one looks like it has been stepped on. How many plants do you have? I think it helps to have several squash plants so it is an attraction for the bees. They may come for 100 blossoms, but not for 3. Bachelor buttons, sage and oregano are also good to have near the garden to attract the bees.
Keep those squash plants watered and they should give you some good squash yet.

Your zukes may not be getting pollinated either, instead of blossom end rot. That is what they do if they don't get pollinated; shrivel up and rot.

[codyjp]

I think the fruits are from the early batch of flowers so I'm hoping that the newer ones get better. There are bees and other small bugs hanging around and each plant has probably 30-50 flower apiece and I have my crooks, zukes and cukes all together so they are working together to attract the bees.

Is there any chance that cross pollination can cause something like this?

[applestar]

Gourds and squash cross easily so the resulting seeds could GROW hybrid fruits. Where did you get your seeds?

[rainbowgardener]

Just for clarity, applestar said it right, but it might not be entirely clear.... if a gourd and squash cross pollinate, the resulting FRUIT will be what it would have been, but the SEEDS inside that fruit may be some hybrid. So for purposes of the fruit (but not if you are saving seed for next year) it doesn't matter if they cross pollinate. It's why she asked about where the seed came from. You could only have some sqourd mixture growing in your garden if the seeds were from a cross-pollination last year...

[applestar]

Thanks rainbowgardener -- I've been here for over an hour and I'm getting sloppy. I think I'll sign off for now.

[codyjp]

The plants were starters from Lowe's so unless they got it wrong then they are pure breads, or is it a pure bread hybrid? Who knows.

They are taking a better shape now so we will see if they get better. So far so good, but only time will tell if the next batch turns out better.