Hi again,
I thought I should add that I amended the soil with miracle Grow Organic Choice garden soil and organic compost. I will try to up load a pic today.
thanks for everything,
Darcy

I would ease up on the fertilizer. You may be killing them with kindness. I thought you may be over watering them until I saw the zone your in. Summer squashes & cukes like moist soil, but not too soggy and not too dry.

Thanks so much.
I had fertilized them right before I posted this so I was a little scared.
However, the problem seems to have work its self out. I don't know if they needed fertilizer, or maybe the weather became more conducive to their growth, but now the squash is looking healthy as ever- they even turned a darker green.
The cukes, on the other hand, are still retarded, however they are looking a little better. I'm worried about mosaic virus because the leaves are blotchy...
but I'm going to see if time cures the problem :) I am a little over watchful, this being my first vegetable garden in CA and all.

Thanks again!
Darcy

I wonder if you could have a potassium deficiency?

With a potassium deficiency, leaves start to crinkle and die along the edge and it moves inward. It starts in the older leaves first. Discoloration (black) on the stalk around the internodes also indicates a potassium deficiency.

A sulfur deficiency shows as a light green or yellow color appearing first on younger leaves. If you hold a sulfur-deficient leaf up to the sun, it may show thin yellow lines.

Sue

Thanks again. I haven't noticed any discoloration on the stalk, but I looked up a potassium deficiency and that could be the problem. The leaves effected are the older ones.
I think I will try seaweed.

Darcy-- no one has mentioned the evil squash vine borer. look up some photos of what 'frass' looks like, and also the moth itself (it's black & red & you will see it flying all over your plant laying its evil eggs). if it has gotten your plants, the eggs may have hatched and the little grubs eat away at the inside of the plant, working their way down to the base. and leaves wilting & turning yellow around the edge is the first sign... eventually you will go outside and your whole plant(s) will be dead overnight. you have to act fast if you want to save them. let us know if you see the signs (the moth &/or frass) & you need more help.

I looked up the SVB before I posted this and the website said that they don't live on the Pacific coast. I did check the stalks just in case and I didn't see any legions. I'll check again.

Darcy -- I planted yellow straightneck squash and it looks like I am having the same problem that you are with the leaves generally yellow in color (compared to my zucchini) and the edges are turning dried and crispy. Also, I have about 5-6 small fruits growing but once they reach about 4 inches long they begin to shrivel and die (seems like they are rotting from the inside out). There is no evidense of SVB either. Could the fruit problems be a consequence of Potassium or Sulfur deficiency also?

For a couple of years in the Great Lakes area we've had the leaves of cucumbers turn a golden colour as they are flowering, then go brown and crispy. Only a few survived.

Similar problem with squash and melons.

Others have suffered similar problems and some say that it's a virus that's been getting them.

No garden for years on this grass/beef farm, till three years ago.

I've been considering not growing any this year .. but got some seeds, so we'll try it again.

ole joyful

I uploaded some pics of my cucumber leaves below.

bradleyus- my squash just started to die- they are about 4 inches long like yours. I have 2 left that are still growing. The Seaweed definitely did something good b/c the leaves are green and growing. I am having a big problem with the blossoms dropping. Everyday I pick a few off the ground.

joyfulguy- what you described sounds EXACTLY like what is happening with my pickling cucumbers. The Japanese Cucumbers next to them are growing really well. I think I have a virus, and it may be effecting my squash. I have a few pics of the leaves of the cucumber plants in question.

Does this look like CMV?

Very difficult to see detail on the small photos.

Even though I can't see much detail, they don't resemble this photo of CMV posted by Clemson University.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/graphics/2206/cmv700.jpg

It's likely that your various problems are cultural rather than disease of any sort.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:48392}}