Squash Question

[Lammie]

My yellow squash aren't doing so well this year. They get to the baby squash stage and then seem to dry up and die. It has been rainy here. I can't see bugs on them and I dusted them with sevin. What's going on here? Summer without squash isn't summer at all.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

They may not be pollinating. They will still get a female (baby squash) but if it's not been pollinating they will fall off. You can hand pollinate and that should take care of the problem. Just take the boy squash part and rub it on the girl squash's thing inside (pistil/stamen?) the flower. Clear as mud?

 

[msscamp]

Might also be some type of fungus from the wet weather, or possibly blossom end rot.

 

[stocky]

if it is the squash bug, they will kill the entire plant within a couple of days

 

[iowahawkeyes]

if it is the squash bug, they will kill the entire plant within a couple of days

Sevin is good for the little striped bettles or squash bugs. Squash vine borer is a different story. You usually don't see them and yes you will have a healthy plant one day and a dead one the next. Not much fun to deal with.

 

[Jogeephus]

When they "dry up", are they mushy like or do they dry up like a raisin? If they dry up mushy like you probably got a fungal problem like blossum end rot. I'd lean toward this especially if your weather was real dry and then you got a bunch of rain.

 

[Lammie]

When they "dry up", are they mushy like or do they dry up like a raisin? If they dry up mushy like you probably got a fungal problem like blossum end rot. I'd lean toward this especially if your weather was real dry and then you got a bunch of rain.

More like a raisen. But the garden soil is moist.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

I still think it's lack of pollination.

Lammie, I love the signature. That is one of the greatest bits on SNL!!! :banana:

 

[Lammie]

I still think it's lack of pollination.

Lammie, I love the signature. That is one of the greatest bits on SNL!!! :banana:

Yes, that is one of my top five SNL bits. Others include Kevin Spacey impersonating Christopher Walken auditioning for Hans Solo, and the famous Bass-O-Matic sketch done by Dan Akroid in the 70's.

"Umm! Good bass!"

 

[iowahawkeyes]

My cousin went to South Dakota State Univ. and I was visiting with him and he had a "Gotta have more cowbell" Tshirt on. Apparently the student body has adopted that as their slogan. I got a big kick out of that.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sorry, I'm stumped then. Never had lack of pollination but sounds possible.

 

[msscamp]

Correct me if I'm wrong here - but I am thinking that if pollination does not happen, the plant does not produce - period. So how can a lack of pollination be responsible for the squash dying? :help:

 

[Jogeephus]

Correct me if I'm wrong here - but I am thinking that if pollination does not happen, the plant does not produce - period. So how can a lack of pollination be responsible for the squash dying? :help:

I'm thinking the fruiting body of a squash is formed from what I think is an inferior ovary. This will look like a little squash with the florescence on the end of it. If not pollinated, it will just shrivel up or abort.

I've never seen this happen but see it could be possible. I'm interested in finding out the reason why.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like Iowahawkeyes is the squash master. Here is something I found.

As with all other members of the family, the flowers come in pollen-bearing male form, and the ovary-bearing female form, with both forms being present on the plant. Squash has historically been pollinated by the native North American squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, and related species, but this bee and its relatives have declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and most commercial plantings are pollinated by European honey bees today. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture. Gardeners with a shortage of bees often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated female squash flowers will usually start growing but abort before full development. Many gardeners blame various fungal diseases for the aborted fruit, but the fix proves to be better pollination not fungicide.

Side note: Weren't some areas of the country having a demise in bee population?

 

[Beefy]

yes. the cell phones are killing the bees.

 

[msscamp]

Sounds like Iowahawkeyes is the squash master. Here is something I found.

As with all other members of the family, the flowers come in pollen-bearing male form, and the ovary-bearing female form, with both forms being present on the plant. Squash has historically been pollinated by the native North American squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, and related species, but this bee and its relatives have declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and most commercial plantings are pollinated by European honey bees today. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture. Gardeners with a shortage of bees often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated female squash flowers will usually start growing but abort before full development. Many gardeners blame various fungal diseases for the aborted fruit, but the fix proves to be better pollination not fungicide.

Side note: Weren't some areas of the country having a demise in bee population?

Thanks Jo. Yes, they are - apparently due to cell phones.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

Sounds like Iowahawkeyes is the squash master. Here is something I found.

Thanks I do have a little experience.

As with all other members of the family, the flowers come in pollen-bearing male form, and the ovary-bearing female form, with both forms being present on the plant. Squash has historically been pollinated by the native North American squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, and related species, but this bee and its relatives have declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and most commercial plantings are pollinated by European honey bees today. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture. Gardeners with a shortage of bees often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated female squash flowers will usually start growing but abort before full development. Many gardeners blame various fungal diseases for the aborted fruit, but the fix proves to be better pollination not fungicide.

Side note: Weren't some areas of the country having a demise in bee population?

I didn't know what they came up with an answer.

 

[Lammie]

Guy across the street from me has about 20 hives he keeps, so there should be plenty of bees around here.

 

[Jogeephus]

Lammie, can you get the extension guy to look at it. I'm really interested in the cause. I got squash coming out my ears right now and I'd hate to have a summer without it.

 

[Lammie]

I had so much squash last year I was complaining about trying to preserve it. I think it was too wet and cloudy, pure and simple. I have heard similar complaints from others around here. Tomaters aren't getting ripe cause there's no sun and it hasn't been hot enough to ripen them. They won't even ripen on the windowsill. It has started to dry out now and I got a couple of almost decent sized squash last night.

The other reason is this. I have had some time to think about it. My husband got his hands on the garden, and bless his heart, every time he messes with it something goes terribly wrong. I have already told him, from now on, garden's my project. You can look at it, weed it, eat from it, but the actual planting and tending is mine. He put some more danged donkey manure and straw on it early this spring. I think it would be okay to do that in the fall and till it in, but not in the spring.