Comments on: Q: Diseased Squash Plants

By: A J

A J — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:08:40 +0000

We side dress with compost, use a foliar seaweed or fish emulsion spray, and prior to planting cover the area with black plastic to “cook” the soil which seems to reduce our disease problems. The only problem we ever seem to have is with squash vine borers and have never found anything that works other than physically removing the larvae from the stem and applying rotenone. We also seem to have less bug trouble when we plant nasturtiums around each summer/winter squash plant.

By: Amber @ Peaceful Valley

Amber @ Peaceful Valley — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:23:16 +0000

Worm casting tea is great stuff, but I’d say to also use a broader microbial tea such as what you’d get from a high quality Compost in the brewing process.
Check out the “Soil Foodweb” website: http://www.soilfoodweb.com/03_about_us/approach_pgs/a_01_benefits.html
for information on the different types of tea there are (look on the left sidebar “Understanding Compost Tea”).

By: Erik Hovland

Erik Hovland — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:02:32 +0000

Thanks for the reply. Is it OK to use worm compost tea or strictly regular compost tea? I have loads of the former, less of the later.

By: Amber @ Peaceful Valley

Amber @ Peaceful Valley — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:36:09 +0000

The compost tea itself would act as an inoculant, since it contains beneficial microbes that fight fungal diseases, etc. An oil based spray would help if it were a fungus such as Powdery Mildew, but be careful about spraying oil when it is hot and sunny. Here’s a great link on the subject of Powdery Mildew: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7406.html. Check it out to see if that is indeed what you are dealing with.

By: Erik Hovland

Erik Hovland — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:44:46 +0000

What should one inoculate the leaves with? Neam oil?