Zucchini Fruits With Holes. Help Solve The Mystery

15 years ago

I tried posting this yesterday and I can't find the post today so, I'm trying again.

I live in Hawaii and I'm growing Zucchini in my containers. The plants themselves have looked better, I've got some yellowing on the leaves and some are turning brown. I think I can correct this.

What I can't figure out is the cause of my fruit being eaten. I don't know what my enemy is so I don't know how to engage him. This is the third fruit that has grown to about six inches, then developed two tiny holes towards the end of the fruit, turned yellow, gotten soft and then I pulled them from the vine to investigate.

I'm attaching a photo of the inside of the fruit with little worm like larvae having a feast.

The reason I mention Hawaii is that I don't think it's the dreaded SVB as I see no other evidence on the vine. I do have small ants hanging out but not many after I provided them a cornmeal snack.

I've got new blossoms on the vine right now and I would love for them to develop into a zucchini that I can throw on the grill or make some bread out of. Please help stop whatever pest is getting to my zuchs before I do

Thanks for your help.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
You didn't attach your picture, but it could be blossom end rot (BER). BER is caused by a lack of Ca in the soil, or a cultural condition that prevents the plant from taking up Ca. The possibilities are:
A) a true deficiency of Ca
B) too much P, or Mg in the soil (interferes w/Ca uptake)
C) high container/root temperatures
D) drought stress (wilting)
E) too little air/too much water in soils
F) high humidity
I may have forgotten something, or it may not be BER, but it's a good guess, based on the info provided. Are you using a high P fertilizer or adding Epsom salts by any chance?

Al
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
PS - if the holes/worms/maggots are on the proximal (vine) end, instead of the distal (blossom) end, suspect it is the larval stage of the squash vine borer, a wasp-like moth that lays eggs in early summer on the stem base of squash/zucchini/pumpkins/gourds.

Al
Related Discussions
GW Members, need help solving a mystery-----------)
Q
Comments (2)
Some of the berries, blueberries and raspberries, and certain low chill apples, yes two harvests per year. But with most other fruits, like stone fruits for instance, it's once a year unless you have a very unusual setup. Like the ability to provide chilling twice a year.
...See More
green zebra mystery solved, sort of
Q
Comments (6)
Hey Cindeea, The farmer's market tomato was nice and tangy, but small, and it completely fell apart when cut (that's how all the seeds ended up on the cutting board, and then in little envelopes that I sent all over the place!) The mystery red is larger than the green zebra parent fruit, and much firmer. It cut up nice. And it's tangy. Beyond a more tangy than sweet tomato, I couldn't really identify the taste as green zebraish. The mystery red had a nice flavor, so I'm happy to have it producing in my yard - there's more on the vine. And heck, I'll save seeds from it again and see what I get. But it didn't fulfill the "I want a striped green tomato" need. A need I didn't know I had until I bought those green zebras. Aaah well. This is what open pollinated is. Do let me know what yours does. This was the first plant to bloom in my yard, and it set fruit right away, so just that aspect of it pleased me. (of course, that might be because it's growing next to the golden dewdrop, which has been covered with bees since about the time the tomatoes started blooming... maybe that's the trick I should try to replicate.) We'll see how everything survives. Or if anything survives the recent murphy's oil soap massacre. I've got new growth on several badly damaged plants, and I'm gradually cutting down plants (back to the most recent fruit) to get my gangly and murphy's oil soap decimated jungle back under control. It's all an experiment. The one that I thought was the unnamed yellow appears to be producing cherries.... so none of this open-pollinated stuff is working out as expected. Maybe that's just a spray of big yellows? We'll see. I'm far from complaining about taste or texture at this point in my little trial runs at farming. That said, the free dombito seeds seem to be my happiest of all! I recently looked back at the packet and it said it should be planted out in a nine-inch pot, which is what I accidentally put it in. Fancy that! Seems kind of small for a big tomato, but it's got a gorgeous tomato on it that just keeps getting bigger. In such a tiny pot! Plus it's got several littler tomatoes on it. Of course, it escaped the murphy's oil soap massacre because it didn't have whitefly. It was far enough away from the tomato jungle that I can't say it's resistant. But it makes me happy. And that's what this is all about, right? Susannah
...See More
Need help solving a tomato mystery - curling, chlorosis, spots, more
Q
Comments (17)
gorbelly Yep, they're my grandfather's plants from that other thread. Who would've thought that that sickly seedling on the brink of death would have gone on to become a thriving (regardless of its current issues) monster in the making. Maybe 'thriving' is a relative term in this case, but it's certainly come quite a long way. I've found a space outside where I can grow maybe 2. My friend doesn't know if she'll be staying where she currently lives or if she'll be moving, but she expressed a willingness to take some plants if she ends up staying. But, even if she doesn't, I'll be able to get a couple in the ground. You asked where I am: 6B (southwestern Pennsylvania) stevie Thank you for posting that picture. Goodness gracious... looks like I should hold off on clipping suckers for a while, otherwise I'm just going to end up with the same problem!
...See More
Please help me solve a somewhat gross mystery
Q
Comments (88)
Update: I contacted a water scientist from Penn State, and he was very helpful. He hasn't seen the faucet debris, but he thinks some of the "hair" might have come from insulation, which is spilling out of the large pipe that houses the pipe that carries water from the well to the water tank. His recommendation is to have the water tested before I do anything. He gave me a list of labs in the state, and three of them are within driving distance so i can easily get water samples to them within the 30-hour window, and save myself some of the cost of postage besides. If the tests show no bacteria, I can do nothing. If the water is positive for bacteria, I could order the shock chlorination. But if I want to avoid chlorine, I could instead have a whole-house UV light filter installed. I'm going to explore that possibility tomorrow.
...See More
rjgrippin
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks A1 for the response. I wasn't able to figure out how to post a picture. If I had, the photo would show two pencil point size holes on the blossom end with yellowing around them. I really wish I knew how to post pictures. I've added calcium to the soil about two weeks ago because I was experiencing blossom end rot with my tomatoes and figured everything was in the same soil.

As far as the other nutrient deficiencies, I'm using an organic potting mix with steer manure compost on top every couple of weeks.

The temps here stay in the mid 80s during the day and my plants see about 6 hours of sun. I water for 20 minutes before the sun comes up using a sprinkler, and occasionally in the evening depending on how the plants look.

The trades have been blowing regular. The wind is calm in the morning but blows throughout the day on a consistent basis.

As far as the SVB, I don't even know if they are present here on Oahu. I've seen no other evidence and I'm looking every day. The only insects I see is the small ants and even those are on the decline.

I appreciate your thoughts. If you tell me how to put pictures here, I have some quality ones.

Thanks
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
Scroll down to How do I include images ...?

Al
rjgrippin
Original Author
15 years ago
Here's links to photos.

{{gwi:46531}}

{{gwi:46532}}

{{gwi:46533}}
mchubbers_msn_com
12 years ago
I live on the Big Island and have the same exact problem. I cut open a fruit and found a small worm like larvae in there. I am not sure what is getting my zucchini either. I was successful some years back growing it in a different spot in my yard no problems. Not sure what is going on I am going to call the Ag dept and see if they have any answer. I pulled all my plants and put in new seeds. When they are mature I will be ready to combat whatever is after them!!!!

Zucchini Fruits With Holes. Help Solve The Mystery

Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

Related Discussions

rjgrippin
Original Author

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

rjgrippin
Original Author

mchubbers_msn_com

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Zucchini Fruits With Holes. Help Solve The Mystery

Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

Related Discussions

rjgrippinOriginal Author

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

rjgrippinOriginal Author

mchubbers_msn_com

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

rjgrippin
Original Author

rjgrippin
Original Author