skip to main content

Vegetable Gardening

Zucchini dying suddenly

15 years ago

My zucchini plant has all of the sudden wilted and died within 48 hours. I've cut open a couple of stems and have seen no worms. The weather has turned extremely hot here in the last 2 days.

Upon looking closer, I have seen some type of mold growing on some of the branches, and more importantly, what appears to be some heavy rot at the core branches. Also, there's a number of large bugs crawling around.

Here's some links to pics:

The heavy rot at the core branches

www.berry-tech.com/pictures/Stem1.jpg

The bugs I described:

www.berry-tech.com/pictures/bug1.jpg

The overall plant;

www.berry-tech.com/pictures/plant.jpg

A single stem with the mold on it I mentioned:

www.berry-tech.com/pictures/singlestem.jpg

Any help greatly appreciated!!!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

lexilani
15 years ago
Hi jtberr,
I've lost some of my zukes too. And the few I have left when they get a small zuke on it, the poor thing seems to get rotten right away. We had so much rain when I first planted them that I'm wondering if that had something to do with it.

The pic you had of the bug, I'm not sure but it almost looks like an "armor bug". Not sure of the real name...but I thought I read somewhere that they were one of the good bugs. The picture isn't real clear so I can't tell but it sure seems to have the same shape.

ok just found a link with a picture of the bug I'm talking about. It's called a Spined Soldier /stink bug. Is that the same bug on your plants?
Scroll down till you see the name:

Here is a link that might be useful: Spined soldier/stink bug
jtberr
Original Author
15 years ago
The bug looks like this. It looks like I have Squash Bugs, although I'm not sure this explains the rotting on the main stems that I pictured.

Here is a link that might be useful:
Related Discussions
Schefflera suddenly dying - help!
Q
Comments (11)
Hi Dave, Thank for this. I did the second option with re-potting, though I lightly pulled apart the roots and removed excess soil, then added new mix at the bottom and then filled in around the three plants as I went up. I don't exactly follow why this would be the cause? Are schefflera very sensitive to re-potting? I definitely haven't overwatered. I examined the plant and its roots yesterday and the soil is very dry. Fungus gnats are a constant problem in the Netherlands and I have some ferns also in the house that prefer to stay moist so it is a challenge to get rid of the gnats entirely. As to the sand, I'm surprised to hear this, though maybe I've been doing things wrong for a long time. Strangely in the Netherlands bagged potting soil doesn't contain vermiculite or other materials to lighten it, so I have generally amended with sand to improve drainage, and also placed clay balls in a two inch layer at the bottom of pots to help with drainage. Anyway, please let me know what you would advise now? Thanks! Oh, also, the plant was repotted two weeks ago, but only starting going down hill maybe a week ago, though I guess it could be that the first lesion started sooner and I didn't notice it.
...See More
Watermelon seedlings bending and dying suddenly
Q
Comments (2)
Spraying is an ineffective way of watering. You need to thoroughly soak the medium until water runs out of the drain holes. Then don't water again until the medium start to dry out. Daily is probably unnecessary. It depends on the temperature and how thirsty your plants are.
...See More
container and in-ground plants suddenly dying after rain?
Q
Comments (11)
Ken, I think you’re referring to the Joe Pye in the green planter? They were small plants from Bluestone received this year in early May. I was tiding them over until we finished regrading our yard and installing drain tile and a dry bed to put them in the ground. They looked lovely last Monday morning lol. Re the weather, it’s been hot and dry, for MI anyway. Very dry. I was watering deeply ~3x per week. For fertilizer, I haven’t added anything since maybe the Fourth of July weekend. I’ve read you shouldn’t fertilize after July as it encourages new growth that may not have time to “harden off” before the frost comes. Prior to that, the blueberries, azalea, viburnum and hydrangeas got some HollyTone in April. Blueberry and azalea also had some Ericoid mycorrhizae watered in around April and May. Viburnum had a foliar iron spray in June as it was looking chlorotic. Otherwise, they’ve all had a few waterings with diluted orchid fertilizer. I sprayed most all of my plants with pre-diluted copper fungicide in May or June. I can’t think of anything any of them, healthy or the currently unhealthy/dying/dead, have had since late June/early July. Prior to these two rain showers, some looked a bit droopy but seemed to perk up after a good watering. The only plants I had concerns about prior to this last week were the blueberry bushes. They all had some dark spots developing and 1-2 canes of the dry silvery-bronze foliage that’s overtaken all the leaves now. Those canes were pruned out roughly 3 weeks ago.
...See More
Plants Suddenly Dying
Q
Comments (3)
it probably doenst matter here.. but i dont think anything needs fert every `10 days ... especially if water doenst flush old nutrients out the bottom of a pot ... they are plants.. not children ... they dont need to be fed constantly .... unless the way you water.. washes excess out of the soil or media .... and water when they need water .. taking into account rain ... not on some random schedule ... lets plans near dry before the next deep watering .... and you have to figure out how that works in your soil ... wherever you may be ... add big city location to every post ... when discussing outside plants ... could we have a pic of the whole planting .. instead of just individual plants?? ken
...See More
jtberr
Original Author
15 years ago
Can these bugs just suddenly kill a plant in 48 hours?

Any help greatly appreciated...
:)
wvtomatoman
15 years ago
Your picture of the bug you have is a little fuzzy, but it still looks like a squash bug to me. Squash bugs don't really do a lot of damage, but they are a nuisance and I don't like them around. You can look up how to control them but hand picking or the board method is what I use.

When squash/zucchini suddenly wilt and die the first thing to check is for squash vine borer. But, you say you slit the stem open length wise close to the soil and saw no SVB larve. The other types of problems are fungal diseases (such as verticillium wilt etc.) or bacterial wilt. So you might want to research these a bit (google) and see if anything fits the bill. However, it seems to have happened too quickly for it to be a disease.

OBTW, another thing you can do is to check with your local extension service.

Good luck.

Randy
minirose1
15 years ago
I told of our problem on another thread, but we have always had a problem with our squash literally dying overnight. We garden in a spot that has been a garden for a very long time and we rotate every year. We could never find evidence of any vine borers, so cam to the conclusion after some research that we had a bacterial wilt problem. For the last several years we have planted our squash in other areas, such as an empty spot in a flower bed and have three large containers that we plant in and do not experience this sudden death anymore. The plants do quite well even in the containers, so long as we are careful to keep them watered and fed.
chunter
15 years ago
Have you seen cucumber beetles in the area?

Related Stories

LIFE When You're Suddenly Solo at Home

Whether you stay in a home alone or move on, these strategies from professional organizers can help you with the process

ARCHITECTURE Trailblazing Architect Zaha Hadid Dies at 65

By Mitchell Parker

In 2004, Hadid became the first woman to win architecture’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Glam Central Home Office

By Lemonade Makin' Mama

A little bling, a few ruffles and suddenly that workspace is fit for a luxury-loving femme

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Squash

By Marianne Lipanovich

Almost foolproof and with cheerful flowers, squash comes in a wide range of varieties to plant in spring

HISTORIC HOMES Wright Sized in Alabama: The Rosenbaum House

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Get lessons in Usonian living from the design and evolution of a historic Frank Lloyd Wright home

FARM YOUR YARD 6 Things to Know Before You Start Growing Your Own Food

By Abundant City

It takes time and practice, but growing edibles in the suburbs or city is possible with smart prep and patience

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Edible Flowers Offer a Sweet Taste from the Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Flowers that beautify the landscape can also pretty up the plate or sweeten a spread

HOME TECH 7 Ways to Charge Up and Connect After Disaster

Products and tips for communicating and keeping essential items running till the power's back on

LIFE 10 Ways to Cope With Grief During the Holidays

By Shelly Miller Leer

If you are experiencing loss, take it from an experienced griever — life has changed forever, but it does get better

LIFE 10 Ways to Work Through Grief Triggers During the Holidays

By Shelly Miller Leer

A year after losing her sister, she was facing another holiday. Here’s how one woman learned to find joy again

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

Hardening seeding temperatures

17

Al's Potting Mix-pine bark fines

6

Corn seeds during a frost?

15

Veggie Tales >>> May 2024

19

Does sevin work on bare dirt?

14