Walthree
Full Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:36 am
Location: New York

Need help to save squashes

This is my first garden and something things are going well and some not so much.
My tomatoes are doing great. Blackberry bush is growing along. I am having trouble with the squashes.
I removed Vine Borders from 2 of my plants. One plant was broken at the stem but I don't know how could be from the wind and rain or a cat I've seen in my garden one evening. I have bird poop on some of my leaves so maybe a bird sat on it. Not really sure. Also I have been having the issue of seeing flowers but no fruit. :? And last week I started seeing fruit and this week the little guys are dying. :cry: I'm hopeful that maybe its too early and they will do better. I havent had an pest problems. I have had 2 SVB and some slugs but I think they are under control. I check under the leaves and they are clean. My patio flowers are another story.

The plants are not group together because the wind knocked down my seedling and I could not tell what everything was. So I had to take a wild guess as things started growing I saw that I did not do a good job of putting everybody together. :oops:


[img]https://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/waltreche/7-18-10/IMG_3596.jpg[/img]

I checked inside the stem and no SVB. Its def dying today. Will burying it deeper help?
[img]https://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/waltreche/7-18-10/IMG_3598.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/waltreche/7-18-10/IMG_3599.jpg[/img]

Total gone and I can see other doing the same thing.
[img]https://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/waltreche/7-18-10/IMG_3594.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/waltreche/7-18-10/IMG_3595.jpg[/img]

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I want to say those are cucumbers... I'm pretty sure. Also, the browned flower/baby fruit may not have been pollinated. That's all I have for now.

FieldofFlowers
Cool Member
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:53 pm
Location: MN, Zone 4a

This looks like a cucumber variety. The center photo looks like a squash but the flower on it looks like a male, thus no fruit.

The problem looks somewhat related to my issue with squash:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27910
There wasn't much help available either here or on google.
The squash in my last photo turned yellow, then brown at the blossom end, then dried up and dropped off without growing any bigger than they did.
They did not grow big enough to even bloom let alone be pollinated.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/Butterflyhornet/AfricanViolets/Problems/DSC_9760.jpg[/img]

The only thing that did work was to wait it out. Apparently something with the weather, either heat or rain or something I don't understand, killed all developing squash around that time. But the plant is still alive, and eventually did grow two female new flowers, which did grow out enough to bloom. I made sure pollenation happened, and now all I can do is wait to see if they develop normally.

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/Butterflyhornet/AfricanViolets/Problems/abortedsquashflowerswhealthyoneDSC_.jpg[/img]
Circled are the aborted squash. They are much smaller than the healthy squash. This happens to cucumbers as well as other plants.

Walthree
Full Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:36 am
Location: New York

I found out what broke my squash plant, my contractors were throwing bags outside my second story window and the bag landed in the garden. :evil: After my hubby complained and told them to be carefull in the back yard they admitted to the deed.

I have also taken males and gently squished them into the female in the morning. I hope that helps.

johnnygreen
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:52 am
Location: north texas

that squash plant that is broken...jus bury it alittle deeper above
the roots...should re-take.
as for the dried up baby cucumbers..jus take and pinch off the
dried up piece..another will sprout.
you can also take a q-tip and self pollinate the female flowers(yellow).
Also remember that squash and cucumbers take lots of water during
the first(baby) stages of forming vegi.



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