I'm growing both yellow squash and (still immature) zucchini this year - all started from seed. The yellow squash is doing extremely well - they all look healthy and my most mature plants are loaded with fruit. However, my zucchini has developed a problem. The lowest leaves curl up like a clenched fist and become so dry that that crumble when touched. I know I have whiteflies in the garden and have been using a weak oil/soap spray but whiteflies seem to be localized on a couple to tomato plants. Even though I have both varieties of squash growing side by side this problem seems to be confined only to the (younger) zucchini plants. My eyesight isn't all that good but I've not been able to see any insects or eggs on the leaves. I'm afraid I'll lose the plants and that whatever is causing the problem will spread to the yellow squash. My hope is that someone more experienced with Zucchini than I am can identify the problem and provide information of correcting it and/or protecting my yellow squash. Please note that I have photos of the damage but I don't know how to attach them. If someone would tell me I'll post them. Thanks Richard

There's two separate things wrong. The first thing is that you've got leafminers. That's what's causing the translucent tunnels in the leaves themselves. Pick off and dispose of affected leaves. If you look very closely inside the tunnels you should find a little larva if it's still there. The second is the black stuff that look like either fungus or mold. By the way it's patterning it appears to be capitalizing on the damage done by the leafminers, at least initially. Get rid of the miners and you'll most likely get rid of the mold/fungus. Rodney

I suggest you send images to your county's university Extension Service office. They will likely have *the* answer for you. Send the the close-up view as well as an entire plant and one of the the overall planting bed. (In fact, would you please post those additional images here also as they could help explain the reason for the damage?) In any event, you can locate your county's office using the clickable map on this site: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ Oh yes, then please return to tell us you learned. Here is a link that might be useful: locate your county's Extension Service office

It's a small comfort, but you could take cuttings form the healthy tomato plants and grow them on under plastic to give them extra warmth needed to come to flowering/fruiting. They don't take long at all to develop roots. Extend the season. Any luck with using 1 teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate) and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid to a litre, sprayed on the beans?