Garden Guide: 3 problems with squash and zucchini plants
By: Alex Calamia Jun 26, 2024, 10:55am Updated on: Jun 26, 2024
Blossom end rot
- The tips of the fruit are black and mushy.
- The problem is an issue with calcium absorption which is sometimes caused by irregular watering.
- Add calcium to the soil with produces like bonemeal or install a drip irrigation line so plants can drink water slow and steady.
Flowers but no fruit
- If you are getting lots of flowers but no fruit, it could be because your plant is too young.
- Zucchini plants produce male flowers about 8 weeks before the female flowers develop. Then they will produce male and female flowers simultaneously for the rest of the summer.
- Male flowers have long and skinny stems. Female flowers are usually larger, closer to the stem, and have a small immature zucchini behind the bloom that looks like a thicker stem.
Sudden death
- if your healthy plant suddenly starts to wilt and die, the problem is probably a bug called squash vine borer. These moths lay their eggs inside zucchini stems and the caterpillars eat their way through the plant.
- Usually the plant will have damage close to the soil line that almost looks like rot.
- The best treatment is prevention. Lay a mesh cloth over your plants in June. This is the month these moths are most active in our area.