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Vegetable Gardening

Squash and Cucumbers turning yellow

paula_b_gardener 5b_ON

8 years ago

This is the first year that I have tried to grow vegetables and everything was fine and then within a few days the cuces and squash leaves started turning yellow and dying. I have read that there are a few causes but I don't know how to determine which problem it is specifically. Can anyone offer any assistance?

Squash

Pickling Cucumbers

Featured Answer

luaygh

8 years ago

I'm in Toronto. I had similar issues with my zucchini (and now starting to with my cucumbers). I tried milk solution. I tried baking soda solution. I think that I was too late with the PM control. My Zucks stopped producing viable fruit. They would still produce female flowers but the fruit would just turn yellow, mushy and die off.

So I decided to rip them out, and use the space for fall planting (some beans, peas, radishes).

Lesson learned for next year: start spraying the squash leaves at the first sign of PM. There are several recipes you can find online using milk, baking soda, etc. Some people just spray the leaves down with water in the early morning and that removes the mildew. I did not try that myself.

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Comments (13)

digdirt2
8 years ago
Mildew, most likely Powdery Mildew. See the white-yellowish spots on the leaves that are still green.

Dave
yolos - 8a Ga. Brooks
8 years ago
What about downy mildew.??????? Doesn't the yellowing on the leaves look like typical downy mildew.????
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digdirt2
8 years ago
Sure it is possible, which is why I said "most likely". But even with blowing the pics up I can't distinguish the color differences enough to say it is for sure downey. There isn't enough contrast in the photos and what spots I can see appears more white than gold/yellow. The solid yellow leaves are just from over-watering. It is the spotted leaves and the gray dried leaves that are relevant.

And PM is much more common. But either way the treatment and end result of both is the same. In the long run it I don't think it makes that much difference which form of mildew it is since it is already so well advanced.

Dave
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
8 years ago
So they are goners?
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
8 years ago
Here are close up pictures of what is happening to the leaves.; it seems to be progressing its way from the bottom to the top of the cuces and is spreading in the squash, too.

Any help would be appreciated as this is my first year. I live in Ontario and we cannot get, nor would i like to use pesticides. Is there anything I can do the stop this?
Peter (6b SE NY)
8 years ago
I think the watering is the most effective. I don't think the milk etc does much of anything, IMHO.

PM is extremely common and difficult to prevent and control. If you have had major problems with it, try a variety that has some resistance (though they still get PM.) My alexandria zucchini has almost zero PM while all my other cucurbits are struggling badly, and I recommend it.

Also last year I had zucchini that were pretty much gone from PM come back with new healthy growth in the Fall. If you don't want to plant something else, I suggest not pulling plants.

Though I have no idea what that picture is above.... it doesn't look like PM, but dk.
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON thanked Peter (6b SE NY)
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
8 years ago
What is dk?
Peter (6b SE NY)
8 years ago
Sorry that should say idk not dk... typo.
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks...but what is idk?
Peter (6b SE NY)
8 years ago
Idk = I don't know
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
8 years ago
Lol - too funny.
jamie wells
8 years ago
That looks more like downy mildew to me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downy_mildew

I have powdery mildew. Milk with oil and dish soap has been working for me. My sugar pie pumpkins stopped producing until I started using the solution.

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