I have a similar problem with my zucchini and cucumbers. My zucchini have gotten white spots on the leaves and some of them had died. I kept getting the fruit and as a new gardener, I didn't worry about it. After a week or two I noticed that most of the branches were dying and when I lifted some, the stem broke just above the ground. It was rotted through. All three of my plants have died and I removed them all from the garden. We have had a wet summer and I may have over watered them, though my soil drains pretty well. Next, my neighbor's cucumbers (which are separated from my garden by a link fence) have all withered and died. I am now noticing spots on my cucumber leaves, some have even become holes, and the vines are beginning to wither. Is there anything I can do to prevent further damage or what can I do to prevent this problem next year? Should I spray milk on them?

You also may have picked the fruit prematurely last year. What was your signal that it was time to pick. I'm amazed at how many people arbitrarily choose when to pick ALL of the fruit on a tree and then complain about the quailty of the fruit. It would never occur to me to do that. Ripening times vary from year to year. This year where I live is several weeks ahead of last year. Were the seeds brown when you picked the green apples last year? Did the apples come off easily? Were some mature apples dropping on the ground? Were the apples any good? Were they starchy? If in doubt of what they are like ripe you may choose to leave some on until there are signs of being past ripe and then you will have seen the full development.

Toxcrusadr, While never having spoken (conversed) with you before I have read some of your posts and am happy to be able to share a few thoughts with you. As has been stated earlier in this thread, I did my best to keep things simple but do not feel that limit necessary with you, the pleasure is mine. The reason your limit of familiarity with "colloidal humus compost" is due to the fact that the author of the book spoken of coined the phrase is my understanding. Each term stands on its own; however in the original discussion that was the name given to the substance at the time and it has stuck. Humus can develop colloidal properties, yet compost cant; compost can lead to humus, yet humus cannot lead to compost. "Humic substances are key components of a friable (loose) soil structure. Various carbon containing humic substances are key components of soil crumbs (aggregates). Complex carbohydrates synthesized by bacteria and humic substances function together with clay and silt to form soil aggregate. As the humic substances become intimately associated with the mineral fraction of the soil, colloidal complexes of humus-clay and humus-silt aggregates are formed. These aggregates are formed by electrical processes, which increase the cohesive forces that cause very fine soil particles and clay components to attract each other. Once formed these aggregates help create a desirable crumb structure in the top soil, making it more friable." (See link below) While I do enjoy making compost, my larger focus is allowing said compost to develop the largest amount of humic and fulvic acid as possible. And too, auxins, cytokinins, and other grown hormones and enzymes can be present and ready to go to work once the compost is applied to the soil. It is for this reason I constantly stress allowing ones compost be allowed to cure/mature. Those of us who have developed soil with such an organic foundation find we grow plants that refuse to die. As an example, those "Georgia collard greens" in the photo above will live well past a year, growing a stalk over three (3) feet tall, and will harvest collards with a taste to die for. I do have a different understanding of the nature of humic and fulvic acid, with fulvic being much smaller than humic, thus is the main carrier of nutrition in foliar sprays. Fulvic acid and the many wonderful functions it provides for all life on earth is one of my favorite topics so all I will say for now is that once our planet has replaced both fulvic and humic acid in our soils our health will be akin to those collards I just spoke of, in human time. I too will avoid the topic of bio-char as well; I trust you will understand. I do appreciate your insight and sharing of knowledge, it is very much well taken Blutranes @gmail.com

Many of our medical people have not yet accepted that exposure to many of the poisons sprayed on land that is "conventionally" farmed can cause chronic health problems even though they recognize they can cause acute health problems. Exposure to more then one could cause a symbiotic relationship that is not healthy. That some people are more susceptible to adverse reactions to these poisons is also a known and if that person is exposed to more than one of these potential allergins can cause even larger problems. Unfortunately the only way to find put if a person is suscetible to any substance is to expose them to that substance. While an allergist can, and will, test someone for these types of allergies it will only be done if there is good reason to suspect there is a need. So alaria121 if you are still able to please update us on what, if anything has been found.