What's wrong with my squash and melon?

19 years ago

I have had two winter squash plants, two melon, and one zucchini plant die. First the leaves look wilty, like they don't have enough water. Then leaves start turning brown and dying. I did a little research and think it could possibly be bacterium wilt caused by cucumber beetles, but I don't know enough about diseases to know for sure. I have seen a few cucumber beetles on the plants, but not in large numbers. I have been using a homemade spray of diluted murphy's oil soap and canola oil to ward off insects, but I may not have applied this enough.

What could be the cause and is there anything I can do to prevent this from spreading to remaining few melon/squash plants? If not, what I can do next year to stop this from happening?

Featured Answer

Kimmsr

19 years ago

The adult moth overwinters in garden debris so the usual start to control is to be meticulus in garden cleanup. But that also destroys the habitat that the beneficial insects that can help control the Squash Vine Borer and many other pests so they have no place to overwinter.
The strategies used to combat squash pests is to plant earlier, or later, cover the plants with floating row covers, put an impervious material on the ground or the plants stem near the ground (wrap the stem in aluminum foil) that will keep any larva from boring into the stem, and if the borers still get in search and destroy them and bury the stem beyond the damage so it can root and keep growing.

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Comments (7)

calliope
19 years ago
Looks awfully suspicious for wilt.
Kimmsr
19 years ago
I would start by looking for the Squash Vine Borer larva in a stem.
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Donald
19 years ago
looks like vine borer ,use insecticide on the remaining plants
I removed some from my vine but the plant died about a week later .
alm99
19 years ago
Third! Definitely looks like squash vine borer to me. Those things are evil. Killed three of my plants and found them in a few others.

Split the stem, parallel with it, at the base of the plant where you see "sawdust." Inside you sou see the evil buggers. They look grubs or really big and fat maggots.
mo_girl
Original Author
19 years ago
Yuck, vine borers sound terrible. Thanks for the responses.

Next year, do I just spray early and often to avoid this problem? Can I plant squash/melons in the same place?
mo_girl
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the detailed prevention ideas :)