# Troubles with my squash



## TheAnt (Jun 7, 2011)

I am having trouble with my squash and hoping this might be an easy answer for you seasoned gardeners!

My squash plants look fairly healthy (though the 110 degree heat has gotten to them a bit) they have been flowering A LOT and little squashes start to grow... after a week or so the part closest to the flower turns brown and starts to rot.

Does this mean I am watering them too much? Do I have some kind of fungus or something? Any ideas? If need be I can get a picture sometime. Thanks for your help!


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

TheAnt said:


> I am having trouble with my squash and hoping this might be an easy answer for you seasoned gardeners!
> 
> My squash plants look fairly healthy (though the 110 degree heat has gotten to them a bit) they have been flowering A LOT and little squashes start to grow... after a week or so the part closest to the flower turns brown and starts to rot.
> 
> Does this mean I am watering them too much? Do I have some kind of fungus or something? Any ideas? If need be I can get a picture sometime. Thanks for your help!


Could be lack of good polination.

Here is a great link on troubleshooting:

Squash Growing Problems: Troubleshooting :: Harvest to Table


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

It sounds like lack of pollination to me also. I often go out in the morning and hand pollinate the baby squash the first few weeks till the bees seem to find them.


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## TheAnt (Jun 7, 2011)

Interesting read! I will see if I can use any of the tips to get them back on track! I noticed flys too... wonder if that is the problem... I thought they just liked the extra moisture in the hot desert. 

Thanks!


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

TheAnt said:


> Interesting read! I will see if I can use any of the tips to get them back on track! I noticed flys too... wonder if that is the problem... I thought they just liked the extra moisture in the hot desert.
> 
> Thanks!


 They don't like extra water in hot weather.Water only a couple times a week.Water long and deep,then let them dry out some.We have been in one of the worst draughts in history,fires and smoke.But still have pleny of veggys,just did'nt plant enough to really put up of the ones we like the most.

Did have a problem with powdery mildew,but milk took care of that.We took up the infected plants and threw them in trash.Now first sign we cut off the leaves that have spots.

Watermellons did'nt do well at all.

We have been eating squash since April,dehydrated about 20 lb.s.so far .

I canned 13 qt.s of toms too.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

If you use chemicles on your garden,your killing the good insects that polinate with the bad ones.

We have never used any chemicles or artificial fertilizers.Its hard work to begin with,but in long run it is less work.:goodluck::goodluck:


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## Sudhira (Apr 3, 2011)

Sounds like blossom end rot...if you are getting fruit, you are getting pollinated...

Check this out:

Squash Blossom End Rot Causes And Treatment


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## TheAnt (Jun 7, 2011)

Ive been real busy lately and haven't had a chance to try these ideas out but I certainly appreciate the responses!


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## TheAnt (Jun 7, 2011)

So I changed my watering habits a bit and am not watering them quite as much. I checked my plants over really good last night and there are several fruits on them that are bigger than the ones I saw first that had 'rotted'. There are no flies under the leaves (though they are all around the plants). I am wondering if I was watering too much... hard to imagine since the heat has been over 100 every day this week and parts of last. I will keep an eye on them and maybe try some other things too.


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