My latest gardening "issue" is that some of the huge leaves on my zucchini plants have "dirty" spots. It looks like they were splashed with dirt...but it's not dirt. I am growing these in EARTHBOXES, so the soil should be OK and the fertilizer situation should also be right. Any ideas?
Oh and for what it's worth, each plant has 4-5 zucchini on them and the fruit seems OK. Looks like I might be able to pick my first one in about
7-10 days.Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.
From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley
What's THAT?
Yes. Squashes and cucumbers are likely to get borers. I usually sprinkly a little rotenone around the new plants and later on, along the stems.
If you do get a borer, you'll see orange stuff like sawdust. Take a pocket knife and split the stem until you find and kill the borer. If you bury the stem at the split, it may send out roots from that point.
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen. This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on all sides.
I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX on my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.
I didn't say that was what was going on. I simply responded to your question about borers. :-)
And, the fact that you're capitalizing EARTHBOX repeatedly would seem to indicate that you want us to think it's somehow isolated from certain garden problems. It is NOT. You said the "soil should be OK" and the "fertilizer situation should also be right". Why???
OK, you make valid points. But MY point is that at least with the EARTHBOX, there is SOME expectation that the soil and fertilizer are at least somewhat standardized. Anyway, my lower leaves seem all "dirty" but the fruit continues to develop nicely.
Jeeeeeeeez.......relax. They'll go away when they're ready. You're talking about living beings, not computers. Go read a magazine. :-)
Well, the materials may be standardized when they're brand new, but when the bugs want you, they find you, and they laugh at whatever precautions may have been taken. Meanwhile: How is the fertilizer applied with the system you're using? Powder? Liquid? Sprayed? Poured? Lobbed in from 20 feet away, like a basketball?
Sprinkled on the soil from the top at the beginning of the season...seeps in all season long.
Hmm. Are those big leaves in contact with the soil at ANY time? Something's fishy here.
Nope, the big leaves are proudly soaking up the sun every day. Now looking "dirty", however.
Do a google search using the name of your state along with the words "cooperative extension". Find a phone number on the web site and call them.
The moth that lays the eggs of a nite don't care how high they are. I use BT on the stems of mine up until July when the moths are done. I know what is BT. It is emzine that kills catrpilers. You can get it at any big garden store, great for keeping tham off of cabbage also.
From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley
emzine???
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