23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

My Pumpkin plant is suddenly dying too! I also have a drip irrigation system, so I just don't think it could be root rot. I also have squash bugs, but I keep their population under control. I dug around in the stem, carefully, and couldn't find any sort of root worm. I did find one wire worm, I've had problems with those in the past in my potatoes.
The plant suddenly wilted yesterday, I gave it an extra round of watering, and it perked up to normal last night. It got watered again this morning, and now in the heat of the day it's looking worse and worse. Could it be some kind of wilt?

Hi jbaldwin! I was told my issue was the squash bugs. It is also normal for squash plants to wilt during the heat of the day and perk back up when the evening cools off, could this be what is happening?

No. Deer never touch my Kabocha, japanese pumpkins. I saw footprints near the plants, but nothing was touched. Even the watermelon was not touched.

Basil and chives are left alone. I assume the case with most herbs.

I did say "almost".... I have kept them out of my garden in a heavy deer area with fencing, but in the winter they get crazed and I have little doubt would jump my fence without blinking, right now they have plenty else to eat... I'm sure someone else will have some suggestions.

The leaves will sweeten after frost, no need to remove them.

Ok, thanks Sunnibel!

Great--I'll add to my garden chewing gum collection:
Juicy Fruit for the voles and Watermelon for the ground hogs!!

If the burrow is on your property, run a pipe/hose from your car/truck/bike exhaust pipe and gas 'em. No muss, no fuss.

Temperatures have been high, in the 90s. I hadn't seen the blossom drop one, just blossom end rot. I just now read it, thank you.

The flower on the bottom HAD opened, for sure, the one above it did not though and there is one over the other side, which also opened. All of them started to shrivel at the same time.

I have at least 3 more female flowers coming up right now, so fingers crossed they do okay. They haven't opened yet, but should within the next couple of days I think. Got plenty of males floating around right now (3 open today, fortunately there are like 5 more currently growing with about 3 at around the right stage for when the females open up!) so I guess we'll see what happens. Would you recommend hand pollinating these new females?

I hand pollinate early morning - before the sun comes out fully, it a nice window.

Thanks for the advice! That sounds a lot easier to fix than BSE.

Yup, lack of pollination. Fortunately its easy to do it correctly. See the video guide.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hand pollinating zucchini

Unless you have absolutely no alternative, growing any herbs indoors is not the best option. There is insufficient light unless you have artificial lighting. Watering becomes an issue and there is also the question of an appropriate potting medium. Pests are worse since there is no rain and wind to dislodge things like aphids. So, if you have any outside space at all, even a windowsill, I would grow my Cilantro there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cilantro threads on Herbs Forum

You can grow them indoors next to a kitchen window sill. Try using a self watering container (they sell them here at Walmart).

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow Cilantro

Thanks Wayne.

So it was the heavy, rain-soaked hay that did the spuds in? I can compost the leaves and rotted taters, or no?

Just hoping someone can tell me if I can compost the vines and rotted spuds/ I wouldn't want to introduce anything nasty into the pile. I really don't know whether to toss them or compost them. Thanks!

At a farmer's market once I watched a guy who was selling his homemade pesto. He was picking leaves off his (harvested) basil plants. They were all waaaay bolted with long flower stalks. I figure it must not adversely affect the flavor if he, as a professional basil grower, let his basil do that.

I just keep mine cut back, as everyone says above. Didn't know about rooting the cuttings -- great idea!

I have thai basil actually that's also bolting, so I went and cut off all the flowers. I also munched on some, they didn't really taste any different, in fact the flowers were a little bland but maybe I waited too long. :) I cut off the basil flowers as you see in the pic and put them in water. Maybe they'll die, maybe they'll bloom but I'm excited to see what happens!

nugrdnnut - We were still eating Super Star the middle of May but they were deteriorating fast - we selected the best after the middle of May and ran out by June. We stored them at 40 degrees in 10# onion bags. The photo shows the new 2014 onion transplants arriving and a few of the 2013 onions in storage. We are looking forward to this years crop to compare Super Star with - Highlander, Candy, Red Candy Apple & Ailsa Craig.

Do you have photos of your onions - what variety is working for you?

My onions are at the point of getting scraggly and ready to pull, they are not ready for their close-up! :) My storage onions are Copra this year and they look to be shaping up nicely. My biggest success has been in correcting the problem with onion maggots (who seemed to have a preference for my garlics and leeks over the onions) by using beneficial nematodes. All my alliums are coming out looking neat and pristine. Well, there was the vole in the sweet onions that ate about 75% of the white onions but I finally got it in a trap. Our cold spring made it so my short day onions didn't put on enough growth before bulbing was triggered, but since those are for fresh eating and I way overplanted it is OK. Oh, and I did not overlook the early feeding of nitrogen this year like I did last, and my onions are a nice size again. Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback it is a melon.
The plant is still having problems, now one of the fruits has changed color from green to yellow
See attached picture

Good looking melon, Hope mine come out that good.

More rain today, but much. Was able to pull a few weeds!
I never thought about trying to cover the peppers to divert the water. I think I will try that.

Looking like its going to clear for a few days.

Sorry for all of you with drought.

1.5 inches here YTD. 2010-2012 we did that for 22 months. Probably 20-25 inches, 1/3 normal, the last 4 yrs. But that's way better than rain rain rain, as long as you have a good well.

I think Blue Lake are considered a later variety. I always plant them, knowing they will produce much later. But like has been said......high temps can pretty much mess up any pole bean, in my experience.

Heat and too much nitrogen?????? I've heard they don't like a bunch of N. Would have thought otherwise! Nancy

def leaf miners on the plant but i didn't think they would cause enough damage to start killing the leaves

any other ideas what could be causing this or is it normal for a few cuc leaves to die each week as the vine grows?

Grossaroo. I try and leave the ants alone, even the ones in my garden, but they crawl up my legs and bite me so I can't help but hate that they are around. I guess I'll leave them be for now.

Besides I've got other problems.... my garden which I had thought would be avoided by furry critters (it's surrounded by picket fence on two sides and house on the other, and my dog likes to pee near the garden so I thought the smell would keep them away) seems like it's been visited during the last day or so. My pea seedlings which were doing AWESOME after some heavy rains a week ago look like they were chewed on a bit. Though possibly it was bug damage, I would think a critter would take a bigger bite, these are just some holes/gnarly looking leaves.

Could it be the ants eating the compost? I mixed in a tiny amount of compost with potting soil and compost tea on top of the sandy soil outside, and I always see ants crawling on that area. It makes me think the compost isn't ready and they are eating it. Whoopsie!