i have a squash in my green house. it has blooms every where. the squash starts to grow then for some reason just dies. also the flowers dont open compleatly. there are no bugs that get to it. so my question is; is it too hot in the green house for the squash ,could it not be getting pollinated or is it somthing eles. what is happening that is causing the squash to die onthe vine.
Does the whole plant wilt rather quickly? It could it be a squash vine borer. Look at the base of the vine for a small hole about the diameter of a pencil; if you see one then it's a borer in there that causing the plants to die. If you find it before the plant is completely dead, you might be able to remove the larva and save the plant. Make a small slit above the hole and fish around with a bent paperclip to try to pull it out. After removal, seal the "incision" with tape. I once used a couple of Band-Aids because that's all I had with me and it worked. I've had success doing this about half the time.
High temps could also be the culprit, as well as lack of pollination. Squash has both male and female flowers, needing an insect usually bees to transfer pollen from the male flower to the female.
Quoting mikesmom65270:
Does the whole plant wilt rather quickly? It could it be a squash vine borer. Look at the base of the vine for a small hole about the diameter of a pencil; if you see one then it's a borer in there that causing the plants to die. If you find it before the plant is completely dead, you might be able to remove the larva and save the plant. Make a small slit above the hole and fish around with a bent paperclip to try to pull it out. After removal, seal the "incision" with tape. I once used a couple of Band-Aids because that's all I had with me and it worked. I've had success doing this about half the time.
High temps could also be the culprit, as well as lack of pollination. Squash has both male and female flowers, needing an insect usually bees to transfer pollen from the male flower to the female.
thanks for the reply. dont think it is the squash vine borer. the plant as a whole is doing great. it is just failing to devolpe the squash.
Our squash has bees buzzing about, hopping from flower to flower! I think that's your problem too! Uncover those puppies!
How do the leaves and vine look? Do you get pollinators in the greenhouse?
Quoting GardenPrincess:
How do the leaves and vine look? Do you get pollinators in the greenhouse?
the leaves are large and green and the vine i had to cut back because it was comming off the wire and getting into my corn. i think we figured out that it is not getting polinated and it is too hot for them. so the green houes door is now open. the crazyest thing happend. i was trimming the squash. one has started growing on the other side and is doing just fine.
You read my mind! :D
Quoting momof2boys0929:
You can also pollinate by hand as well. Take a child's paint brush and lightly touch the inside of the male flowers with the bristles. Then you can touch the inside of the female flowers with the brush to pollinate. Otherwise you need the bees and in some cases ants to pollinate.
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- thundersky
on Jul. 16, 2009 at 3:40 AM