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Garden Gate:  My poor zucchini !!!  |
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LynnMarie
True Blue Farmgirl
612 Posts
Lynn
Staunton
IL
USA
612 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 06:57:24 AM
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Upon checking my garden yesterday, I noticed my zucchini leaves drooping. Looking closer I saw a fungus starting at the base of the plant near the little zucchinis. What organic treatment can I use? Has anyone tried sprinkling flour or baking soda to smother bugs on plants?
I made my garden of raised beds this year and filled them (all four of them along with 6 wash tubs on stands) with 2 year old sheep compost. It rained all Saturday morning so I know they are well watered and yet well drained being in raised beds.
LynnMarie
Bringing the Past Back to Life
www.freewebs.com/decampsettlement
"You may never know what results come from your action. But, if you do nothing, there will be no results" -Gandhi |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 07:15:16 AM
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I lost all my squash and zucchini to the squash bug this year! I just pulled all my plants yesterday so as not to infect my pumpkins with the little buggers. SUCH a disappointment.
That being said, some of my zucchini has a funny fuzzy stuff at the base and even seemed to split a little at the stem but I didnt have any problem with them growing. Not until the bugs got them any way!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 07:05:41 AM
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| It is not only the squash bugs that you can see that are doing damage. I have a problem with some kind of borer bug that is inside the stem and you can't see it at all. You just go out and find your squash plant laying dead. So far, I am having real good luck with all my squash plants. I have 4 varities of summer squash. I don't even bother with winter squash because the bugs usually get them before harvest. |
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Tanna
True Blue Farmgirl
195 Posts
Tanna
Fort Worth
TX
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 07:35:11 AM
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| I have never had a problem with squash until this year. It was aweful. Everything was wrong with them. They are also in raised beds. My cucumbers also had problems. I am pulling it all up, cleaning up and starting Fall planting. Hopefully we will all have better luck next time. |
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Farmers Daughter
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
DiAnn
90 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 08:52:19 AM
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| A friend had told me to sprinkle blood meal around when the plants are just starting. And if lots of rain need to sprinkle again. But she said she has been doing this for years and has have great success keeping the bugs away. But for fungus I have no idea. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 09:15:20 AM
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If you have gotten diseases and funguses in your beds, make sure you kill them by putting down a heavy plastic, perferbly black, and let the sun cook them all to death, or remove all soil and start over with new/fresh soil/compost, other wise you will have it back next season.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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azgardengirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
Camille
Gilbert
Arizona
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2009 : 09:51:31 AM
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| The blood meal is an interesting idea. I wonder why that works for those squash bugs. I have tried using insecticidal soap and that does not work. And this is the second year in a row where they completely dessicate the zucchini and then I pull those out, thinking that I have got them all, and they move on to eating my canteloupe. Lately, I have taken to hand picking them off into a jar which lets me get a lot of them off very quickly. It seems to be working better than anything so far. And if I don't feel like touching them, I just wear a pair of garden gloves or shake them off the leaf into the jar. |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2009 : 10:24:42 AM
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In the new MJF magazine it says to use a solution of Borax and water (can't remember if there's anything else) as a fungicide. I haven't tried it yet and this year has been pretty normal for zucchini and squash. I haven't had any problems with mine.
The chief source of failure and unhapiness is trading what you want the most for what you want at the moment. |
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Garden Gate: My poor zucchini !!! |
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My poor zucchini !!!
