Bacterial Wilt and winter squash

blevinandwomba
blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in Pest & Weed Problems/Solutions

So we have four plantings of winter squash, in five different places. I pulled up a plant on Tuesday, because it had many wilted leaves, some yellow, and I found several striped cucumber beetles on it. Since then some of my other squashes, in a different planting, had a few yellow leaves near the base. I could find no evidence of borers, and the plants otherwise looked healthy. I hoped it was just stress from our very hot weather and my having to re-direct the vines. This morning, I opened up some wilted blossoms and found the cucumber beetles. I also found them at two other plantings. I stomped all the beetles I've found, but I'm afraid the damage was already done. Is their any hope for my squash?

Comments

  • angelapete06
    angelapete06 Posts: 6 ✭✭✭

    Hi! I'm just responding because I've discovered cucumber beetles on all of my squash and cucumbers for the first time ever. I've done a ton of research and it sounds like the beetles deposit bacteria into the plant when they feed. Once the plant is infected there's nothing you can do. Best bet is to avoid getting the beetles. Sounds like they can be hard to kill, especially organically 😓

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    Yeah, that's what I read too, @angelapete06.

  • I planted what was labeled as an acorn squash. None of them turned green but started out a pale yellow and matured to an orange color. The problem is that they are as hard ad rocks...you can't cut them with a knife. Are these some other type of squash or maybe a diseased acorn squash? I don't know what to do with them. Does anyone have any suggestions?

  • water2world
    water2world Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭✭

    @blevinandwomba and blevinandwomba YIKES!! Not aware of that--Wonder why there seems to be more now?

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have been fighting cucumber beetles on my brussel sprouts this year. I haven't seen any on my winter squash at the other end of the garden but my squash did not preform this year. I wonder if they are the cause.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    Welcome to the forum! Please give us a general idea where you are from in the Introductions section.

    There are supposed to be newer varieties that are holden yellow, although I don't know about hardness. I don't know if a picture might be useful here or not. Maybe?

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Caleb Blankenship My guess is that these squash were mislabeled. Squash crosses (hybridizes) very easily, so the seed seller probably had an accidental cross that it didn't know about.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    I just bought one at the market that was shaped like an acorn but yellow. My husband cut it in half. I forget what they had it labeled but I have the sticker at home and the seeds. I really liked the taste of it, but it needed to be cooked longer than normal acorn squash. @Caleb Blankenship I will try to see what this was called when I am back there.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I have some volunteer squash plants that have squash fruit. One looks like a spaghetti squash and the other looks like a butternut squash. I haven't harvested them yet so haven't cut into them or tasted yet. They are still too young to harvest so I am waiting to find out.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2022

    @Caleb Blankenship The squash we purchased was a Red Kuri squash.

  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭

    I got yellow squash seeds and planted them and they grew some giant cucumber looking thing. Fortunately it was still edible and deliscious- made a good zucchini au gratin.😋