Definitely use methods of figuring out how dry the soil is to decide when to water. Using a rule of thumb based on time like "every other day" can lead to both overwatering and underwatering plants. How much water a plant needs or uses depends on all sorts of things like how big it is, how much soil it has access to (pot size, close neighbors, etc.), how much light it gets, how high the temperature is, what state of activity it is in (active growth, dormancy, setting fruit, etc.), what the weather has been like, and what variety it is. A rule of thumb takse none of that into account! Since your little guys are in pots, the easiest way to decide if they need water is to pick up the pot and feel how heavy it is. If it feels heavy, or even still heavy towards the bottom, the plants don't need water yet. If it feels very light, then it is time to water. To ensure that enough water soaks in, put a saucer under them so that water that runs through can be soaked back up slowly- check after about 10 minutes and see if the pot feels heavy- that's enough water, then! Or you can invest in a soil moisture meter, which will tell you if the soil is dry or not. They're pretty cheap and you can use them out in the garden, too. Cheers! Sunni

Rather than try to intervene in some way, I'd wait and see what happens. At this point, they're relying on their own internal store of nutrients, so I doubt that the issue is a lack of nutrients.

"Daily watering" is almost always over-watering. Add rain and it definitely becomes too much water. But in this case i suspect lack of any nutrients is the main issue. They need to be fed. All plants need to be fed something and in containers it needs to be fed regularly.. I would normally recommend one of the many organic liquid fertilizers available but in order to recover from the excess water, a granular one would work better this time. There are probably 35-40 different organic granular fertilizers available so it all depends on what you can find locally. Any of the big box stores like Walmart, Home depot, Lowe's etc sell them, so do most nurseries. Follow the label directions for amount and frequency of application. Dave.

Hey Lana, your post just appeared today... odd. Sometimes those leaves will green-up, sometimes not. It just depends on how far gone they are. I'm not sure they will green-up 'before your eyes' lol, but results can be fast sometimes. I'm not familiar with that exact product but it should work well for a few feedings. The first number in the NPK percentage is 10... that's a little high for fruiting plants, but it's not a deal breaker. I would try to find another one with a lower N than the P and K and use the 2 fertilizers interchangeably depending on your needs at any given time. Usually companies offer products with different formulas, and if you have a preferred brand you can often get their fertilizers that are specifically for fruiting or flowering plants, and sometimes even geared towards specific plants like tomatoes. Early in their life, nearly all plants can benefit from a higher N. Nittrogen supports green, leafy growth. As a fruiting plant matures, it goes into flower and fruit (seed) production. It doesn't need to grow as much, so it's N requirements slow down. Some plants though, can use more than others, and leafy green plants like Kale, lettuce, spinach etc... are all about green growth. Even for them though, too much nitrogen can be over-kill and some say it can effect flavor. Like in most things, balance is the key. So, right now, and the near future, your zukes can use the higher N and that product looks fine. Read the label and see if it is a comprehensive - has a full spectrum of nutrients - including micro-nutrients. That soil you have sounds like it is soil-less (which is fine for containers) but it may not have a depth of minerals from which the plants can draw. It's very common to have to have a feeding regimen for container plants. Nitrogen is highly mobile in soil and mediums, so the frequent watering required for containers can wash it out. I think over-all your plants look fine. Over the winter, look into slow-release sources of nutrients. There are many choices and can depend on things like whether organic is a goal, ease of use, local availability etc... Give an update when you can, I hope this helps.