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In segment two Joey and Holly help with growing squash
Squashes growing and problems
Cucurbita
Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance, and for their seeds
Full sun no need to start in doors even when the package says to
Summer Squashes Planting Calendar
4-2 weeks before the last frost in spring: start seed indoors for transplanting into the garden later.
2-3 weeks after the last frost in spring: transplant seedlings to the garden.
Squash should generally be seeded directly outdoors, when daytime temperatures are at least 65°F and frost risk is low. Seeds may be slow to germinate or rot before germinating at temperatures below 65° F, and germinate best at nighttime temperatures above 55°F.
Therefore, squash is considered a fruit. Squash isn't the only plant that gets confused for a vegetable. Other fruits frequently called veggies include tomatoes, eggplants, avocados and cucumbers ( 2 ). Since squash contains seeds and develops from the flower-producing part of a plant, it is botanically a fruit.
Vining pumpkins require a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill). Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. When the young plants are well-established, thin each hill to the best two or three plants.
The best varieties for squash trellising are delicata, acorn, zucchini, and yellow summer. The smaller squashes and gourds do well but winter squash, like turban and butternut, can become too heavy and large for a successful vertical garden without additional support.
Typically male flowers open first on a squash vine and are joined in about 7 to 14 days by female blooms. Both male and female flowers last for one day. If your squash vine is blooming but no squash are forming, check to see if you have both male and female blooms present.
Blossom End Rot on Squash
Those darken, sunken spots on the very bottom of squash are blossom end rot. It’s so common that veggie growers call it BER for short. It’s not a disease but a symptom of calcium deficiency. It occurs due to uneven watering (wet-dry cycles in soil), too-high nitrogen or root damage. You can eat squash with BER—just cut away the problem area. For a quick fix, treat plants with a calcium spray for BER. Keep soil consistently moist; using mulch helps. Test soil when the growing season ends. Amend as needed.
Wilted leaves if it is hot and mulch but it can also be a Problems with the vine borer moth
Powdery Mildew on Squash Leaves
Late in the growing season, a white powdery substance often starts to appear on squash leaves. This is powdery mildew, a fungus disease. Once the disease starts, spraying fungicides controls it, but can’t cure it. Many other plants, including bee balm, lilac and garden phlox, also get powdery mildew and create a source of infection. Homemade prevention strategies, like spraying plants with diluted milk or baking soda, have university research behind them but require faithful application before any mildew appears.
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