Q: Diseased Squash Plants
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009PVFS Customer question – PVFS employee answered
Question:
Last summer all four of my squash plants came down with a whitish-gray spotty/moldy disease. They grew beautiful and healthy for most of the summer but several weeks after the disease set in, they started to shrivel and die. I’m wondering if anyone can give me some insights as to why this happened and also if its something that is likely to happen this year and/or how I can prevent it.
Thanks so much!
Answer:
The symptoms you described could be a few things. My first thought is Powdery Mildew, or maybe Botrytis. You might consider consulting with your local Master Gardeners office or nursery in more detail. If it is one one of the two I mentioned, you could increase the air circulation around the plants (plant them farther apart, thin the leaves, etc.). Compost tea is a great thing to use if you have local access. It will increase the overall health of your plants and soil, and inoculate the leaves with microbes to battle fungus.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for growing organically,
