Problems with growing summer squash
by
Joanne G
+11
This is very hard to believe and very hard for me to understand. For four years now I have planted summer squash and have not harvested a single one. One year or two years it was the borer. This year, I cannot tell you what was wrong, maybe some kind of bug. I sprayed but eventually they all died. What should I do for next year and is it too late now to plant more from seed?
14 answers
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@Joanne G do you have other vegetables in the garden that are fine? If not, I think I would start with a soil test. You can call your local county extension office to get the information on how to do this. They will also interpret the information for you. The summer squash has somewhere around 50-65 days to maturity, but I don't know if that is long enough in your zone or not. This is a good question to ask your county extension agent as well.
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Jul 20, 2013
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@Joanne G do you have other vegetables in the garden that are fine? If not, I think I would start with a soil test. You can call your local county extension office to get the information on how to do this. They will also interpret the information for you. The summer squash has somewhere around 50-65 days to maturity, but I don't know if that is long enough in your zone or not. This is a good question to ask your county extension agent as well.
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Jul 20, 2013
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Thank you Donna. We take soil samples to our extension service every year. All the garden needed was lime. Same answer we get every year. Thank you for responding so quickly.
Joanne G
on Jul 20, 2013
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Is is just the squash?
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Jul 20, 2013
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Yes, it is just squash.
Joanne G
on Jul 20, 2013
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Do you buy the same seed every year? Maybe you should try getting it from a different source, or try a different variety.
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 21, 2013
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I order my seed from Burpee catalog or biyBurpee seed in a nursery. Thanks for your help.
Joanne G
on Jul 21, 2013
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I think I would try planting them in a different area next year and also maybe purchasing plants and see how it goes.
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Jul 21, 2013
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Joanne G, sometimes changing where you purchase your seed or seedlings helps, sometimes not. The soil test is a good starter, but there are also other things you need to think about, like the size of your vegetable garden and what other crops you are trying to grow at the same time. While planting multiple crops together helps the others, some are beneficial and some aren't. Some rob moisture and nutrients from others. This could be the reason. It's best to also ask you local extension office about what kinds of crops would be best planted in your soil and ask what crops would benefit others, also tell them what side of the yard your garden is on, and what direction the garden is facing. All in all, it could be as simple as moving what you are growing to the other side of your plot to get the right amount of water and sunlight, or next to something that better gets along.
Jill
on Jul 22, 2013
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Thanks, Jill.
Joanne G
on Jul 22, 2013
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The first year I planted squash, I didn't harvest a single fruit. After doing some research I found that my plants weren't being pollinated. Now I go out every morning and hand pollinate any new female flowers that have bloomed with the male flowers.
Miranda
on Jul 24, 2013
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Thank you. I tried that too. The problem is the plants are dying.
Joanne G
on Jul 25, 2013
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@Miranda, it's easier if you just go out and buy a tub of ladybugs and let them do the job for you. Keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them, or somewhere nice and cool. Then take them out after dark and sprinkle them on your plants. It will take a while to wake them up and they tend not to fly off after dark. Then in the morning they will crawl all over, flower to flower and do the pollinating for you. You can store the ladybugs for a while following the direction on the tub. They can be purchased at a local nursery. They can also tell you what other insects you can use.
Jill
on Jul 26, 2013
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Thanks! I didn't think of using them as pollinators! I purchased them earlier in the season as predators to my aphid problem however once they cleaned that up they all left:( unfortunately since I live in Vegas I can't find them again because its too hot.
Miranda
on Jul 26, 2013
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