White Mold on Squash, Zucchinis

[SamSpade]

Well, it's back. Every year I grow squash, eventually I find this white mold dusting all over them, and without fail, it eventually kills all of them.

Has anyone else had much success stopping this stuff from destroying your plants?

 

[migtig]

Sounds stupid but have you tried chamomile tea? Brew up a real strong batch of it, let it cool, put it in a squirt bottle and spray on.

 

[SamSpade]

I read about that online; also other organic solutions, such as water and baking soda and so on. I'd really like to know if anyone has actually *succeeded* getting rid of the white mold. It kills pretty quickly - inside a week all my plants will become mush.

 

[migtig]

I read about that online; also other organic solutions, such as water and baking soda and so on. I'd really like to know if anyone has actually *succeeded* getting rid of the white mold. It kills pretty quickly - inside a week all my plants will become mush.

I've used it before for the white powdery style mold and it works fairly well. But your veggies can't already be too far gone. If you do have some like that, toss them now so they don't infect the others. It's a fungus. Thankfully I haven't had to use anything this year. The only things suffering seems to be my roses which were invaded by Japanese beetles.

 

[SamSpade]

I've used it before for the white powdery style mold and it works fairly well. But your veggies can't already be too far gone. If you do have some like that, toss them now so they don't infect the others. It's a fungus. Thankfully I haven't had to use anything this year. The only things suffering seems to be my roses which were invaded by Japanese beetles.

Thanks, I'll try that. I think in the past I've also had some kind of pest - apparently there's a pest that tunnels through the leaf tubes and destroys them. Most of my squash plants *look* ok now - big leaves and yellow flowers. In fact, the only problem for now is they are churning out leaves and flowers and very little "fruit" - so far, one squash and two little zucchinis.

I've always had trouble with squash. They're supposed to be kind of effortless but mine suffer from molds, lack of water, too much water etc.

I have only found three things that work against japanese beetles - frequent use of Sevin, liberal planting of plants like marigolds which repel them and finding another plant they like better. Fortunately, they're only really bad for another few weeks - then they die off.

 

[Crewdawg141]

Thanks, I'll try that. I think in the past I've also had some kind of pest - apparently there's a pest that tunnels through the leaf tubes and destroys them. Most of my squash plants *look* ok now - big leaves and yellow flowers. In fact, the only problem for now is they are churning out leaves and flowers and very little "fruit" - so far, one squash and two little zucchinis.

I've always had trouble with squash. They're supposed to be kind of effortless but mine suffer from molds, lack of water, too much water etc.

I have only found three things that work against japanese beetles - frequent use of Sevin, liberal planting of plants like marigolds which repel them and finding another plant they like better. Fortunately, they're only really bad for another few weeks - then they die off.

I looked at my garden this morning and have found the beginnings of the creeping white death as well. This is the second year in a row for this issue for me. In the past I have not had any of these problem and I had so much zuchini and squash that I was giving it away daily. Last year I had nothing as the mold killed off all of my vining plants. I hope to do some more homework and I will let you know what I come up with. Also I am happy or sad depending on how you want to view it that I am not having a lot of luck with my plants fruiting this year. My zuchini has produced a lot of blossoms but just before the fruit sets the blossoms pop off. I have yet to have any squah or zuchini. I have Cukes which is my small bright spot currently.

 

[SamSpade]

I have Cukes which is my small bright spot currently.

All my cukes are doing great, which is unusual for me - usually only one or two thrive. I have about eight which are doing great. So far, the only down side is they are growing long, but not very thick.

Also green beans. I have so many, I've been giving them away. Every week I get a bag full the size of two loaves of bread.

My tomatoes aren't ripening yet. It may be too early, but I've had some ones ripen with blossom rot. I don't usually get this, and it may be from just sitting on the vine for weeks and not getting red. I may pick a few anyway, and let them ripen inside, in a bag.

 

[Crewdawg141]

All my cukes are doing great, which is unusual for me - usually only one or two thrive. I have about eight which are doing great. So far, the only down side is they are growing long, but not very thick.

Also green beans. I have so many, I've been giving them away. Every week I get a bag full the size of two loaves of bread.

My tomatoes aren't ripening yet. It may be too early, but I've had some ones ripen with blossom rot. I don't usually get this, and it may be from just sitting on the vine for weeks and not getting red. I may pick a few anyway, and let them ripen inside, in a bag.

My tomatoes are in the same boat that you described and my peppers and herbs are doing ok (minus the %^$&*(@ Voles). I already know that what is on mine is not Powdery Mildew and you sound like you have the same issue. So now on to the fun stuff - a little background on me is that I am currently a Master Gardener Intern working towards my full certification as a MG. I tried to call the local extension and got a recorder so I went online to the U. MD. Extension Service website. There is an 800 number for help to diagnose your plant problems so for the first time I tried this out. The wait time was less than 15 seconds and the lady that answered was patient and helpful! The suggestion was made to take pics of the issue and email it to them to guarantee a good diagnosis. But the best part is that the representativethat I spoke with asked another individual for ideas and they suggested a method to "naturally" try to control the white spots that are on my leaves. The suggestion was to mix in a spray bottle 1 part of milk (yes, I asked Milk as in skim, 2%, or whole. Does not make a differencewhat kind.) to 2 parts water. Something is in the milk that help rid the plant of these types of issues. Shake it up and spray it on your leaves. I will see what else I can come up with and post it when I learn more! I will be trying the milk solution later as well as taking pictures to email to the Ext Office.

If you want to look up waht I am checking out here is the link - Home and Garden Information Center

 

[SamSpade]

The suggestion was to mix in a spray bottle 1 part of milk (yes, I asked Milk as in skim, 2%, or whole. Does not make a differencewhat kind.) to 2 parts water. Something is in the milk that help rid the plant of these types of issues. Shake it up and spray it on your leaves. I will see what else I can come up with and post it when I learn more!

Saw that one online too. If it works, I will try it.

 

[SamSpade]

Tried the milk thing before I went to bed last night. We'll see how it works. Funny but the mold was worse in my memory than it really was.

 

[Crewdawg141]

Tried the milk thing before I went to bed last night. We'll see how it works. Funny but the mold was worse in my memory than it really was.

I could not find my spray bottle. I will be picking up such here during lunch. Your issue, is it on one side of the leaf or both. Miy issue on on both sides of my leaves.

 

[SamSpade]

I could not find my spray bottle. I will be picking up such here during lunch. Your issue, is it on one side of the leaf or both. Miy issue on on both sides of my leaves.

It's just on the top, and when I checked it out, it was mostly one plant, and just a few leaves. When I first noticed it a few years ago, I thought it was just dirt or dust, until it spread to all of the plants and they began to die off. I tried frantically to deal with the disease by just cutting off the infected leaves, but they never recovered.

Are we getting a tomato blight? My earliest tomatoes are coming in partially rotted on the bottom, but I can't tell if it's blossom rot, since it looks more brown and mushy than black.

 

[tagryn]

I'm trying the milk treatment as well, here a link to more info on it. I'm pretty sure the mildew is what killed off my cucumbers last year, so I'm hoping this works.

I've gotten one pepper off the plants so far, but mostly its just been small stuff so far that hasn't grown enough to harvest yet. Same with the tomatoes - lots of fruit, but nothing ripe/red yet. Zucchini and cucumbers have been doing well, though.

 

[SamSpade]

I found it had spread to two other plants, and I got them last night.

Now, I'm guessing that the proper application is to spray the PLANT in an effort to PREVENT the spread - not as some kind of 'salve' to cure the infected leaves, right? Because those leaves, some of them, look too far gone to come back.

I'm never sure when to expect tomatoes to actually ripen and come forth. I went through the garden last night trying to pick green tomatoes from plants that had either a) grown far too many tomatoes, such as the roma tomatoes or b) had grown several very large tomatoes that had been on the vine long enough. In some case, I had to just toss several large green tomatoes - they'd been large for some time without ripening and they were getting dried, getting holes in them or showing some signs of rot before turning red. I'm going to try keeping them in a cool dark place to ripen indoors.

 

[Crewdawg141]

I found it had spread to two other plants, and I got them last night.

Now, I'm guessing that the proper application is to spray the PLANT in an effort to PREVENT the spread - not as some kind of 'salve' to cure the infected leaves, right? Because those leaves, some of them, look too far gone to come back.

I'm never sure when to expect tomatoes to actually ripen and come forth. I went through the garden last night trying to pick green tomatoes from plants that had either a) grown far too many tomatoes, such as the roma tomatoes or b) had grown several very large tomatoes that had been on the vine long enough. In some case, I had to just toss several large green tomatoes - they'd been large for some time without ripening and they were getting dried, getting holes in them or showing some signs of rot before turning red. I'm going to try keeping them in a cool dark place to ripen indoors.

Well the milk thing appears to be holding off any more outbreaks. You could fry the green tomatoes!

 

[Cowgirl]

It happens every year. I just normally let them grow until they get really bad or stop producing, then I rip them up and plant new ones!


Or, if you catch it early, you can try to just remove the affected leaves and throw them in the trash.

 

[Crewdawg141]

It happens every year. I just normally let them grow until they get really bad or stop producing, then I rip them up and plant new ones!


Or, if you catch it early, you can try to just remove the affected leaves and throw them in the trash.

I hope to keep that in mind for the future. I hope to try to find a non-toxic preventative measure that I can take to keep this from coming back next year.