I'm not sure why, but our cucurbita is failing all over the garden. Don't get me wrong. We'll have squash, pumpkins and melons, but that's only because we planted a million plants, in whatever corner of the yard we thought would work. I think we've lost at least half, maybe more, to various kinds of disease, heat exposure, who knows what else. Here's a few pictures of the good, the bad and the ugly.
First the main garden.
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| Happy spaghetti squash attached to a very unhappy plant. |
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| One butternut plant on this fence is doing well. |
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| The other butternut on the same fence, not so well. |
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| Rotting fruit. |
Next the upper hillside.
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| This watermelon plant, along with another one near it took a complete dive today. |
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| Right next to it, this cantaloupe plant is doing great. |
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| A very happy squash plant on the hillside trellis |
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| A very happy seminole squash on the same plant |
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| Just left of the good seminole on the same trellis, this seminole plant died this week. |
Now on to the south wall of the house.
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| Congo watermelon doing great |
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| Congo plant doing great too. |
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| Moon and stars doing the best of all! There are several large fruits growing now. |
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| Moon and Stars plant growing large! These are Robin's seeds. Thanks Robin. |
And to finish on a good note, here's our tree climbing pumpkin plant!
that's alot of squash and melons! Too bad some caught desease but looks like you still have plenty to harvest
ReplyDeleteWe're just hoping the stuff that's still alive stays alive. It's got several weeks to go.
DeleteLove your tree climbing pumpkin plant! I'm having some issues too. The cucs at the house are doing well. Then there are two different varieties at the plots that are not. The pumpkins & watermelon are very happy. But the cantaloupe are about done. I pulled all of the plants but one today. It's been a very strange gardening season.
ReplyDeleteI hate when despite the best attempts some plants inexplicably don't survive while other do. Although the tree climbing pumpkin is quite cool!
ReplyDeleteI try to keep my mind on the ones that do survive. Otherwise I might go crazy! The pumpkin squash seems to be doing quite well on the tree. To bad it has only one pumpkin so far. Hopefully one or two more will form before the weather changes.
DeleteHum, those first few look like squash bug damage. And yes you can get squash bugs on butternut squash. Not sure where that rumor you cant, got started. They can suck the plant dry very quickly. Melons look good.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about squash bugs. We don't see any bugs on them, although there are bug eaten leaves. I wonder, do they somehow give the plant a disease to kill it?
DeleteThe squash bugs will suck all the moisture out of the plant until it is limp and crunchy brown on the leaves. You have to look close since they hide under the leaves and base of the plant. The adults look like stink bugs and the nymphs look like little tiny grey ticks with black legs. Very hard to see. And having a plant that is just very wilty before it dies could be squash vine boreres which have taken out all my zucchini and pumpkins in just the last few days. It is a war with those bugs.
DeleteAh, yes! I've seen them, both adults and nymphs. I crush them when I see them, and their little golden eggs. Sorry to hear about your squash, and thanks for replying.
DeleteMy cukes are being taken down by wilt. One melon plant seems to be too, but the rest seem OK. I've got my fingers crossed. I hope your healthy ones stay that way.
ReplyDeleteYou know exactly how we feel! Yesterday I saw signs of trouble in our cucumber patch. Ugh!
DeleteI really like that tree climbing pumpkin plant. Great idea!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dorothy. We got the idea from The Engineered Gardener
DeleteWe are having the same problems as you. We have lost our zucchini, butternut squash and some pumpkins. And now it's spreading to the pat a pan squash!!! :(
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