Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by cootieface123 none (My Page) on

Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 19:28

Hi everyone! This year my husband and I built two raised garden beds and planted our first garden. I planted my zucchini in one corner on the edge hoping it would grow over the edge onto the ground when it got too big. Instead, it's growing over the bed and crowding the surrounding plants. Yesterday I gently moved the vines to hang over the edge. The one vine looks ok but the other ones leaves are wilted and turning yellow. Did I shock the plant? Do you think it will come back? As a first time gardener, I second guess everything I do, hoping for a perfect garden. Thanks in advance for your help!

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RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by annew21 7b NC (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 19:45

Zucchini don't like having their roots disturbed. (Moving the vines probably jostled the roots.) Hang on and see what happens. If they die, take it as a lesson for next year. Good luck!

-Anne

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by tcstoehr Z8 Canby OR (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 20:07

Did you actually do a transplant? Or just push the vines around? An actual transplant would do enough damage to the roots that I would totally expect wilting... alot of it.

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by cootieface123 none (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 20:29

Tcstoehr - nope just moved the vine. Anne - thanks so much! I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by elisa_Z5 none (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 21:18

I'd say give it a good dose of water -- that helps the roots come back from the shock of jostling.

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by loribee2 CA 9 (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 23:57

I've done that with zucchini before, nudged the vines in the direction I want them to go. They are brittle though, and you've got to be very careful. Is it possible you snapped or cracked the vine that wilted maybe without realizing it?

Incidentally, I always plant zucchini on the edge of my raised beds and let them spill over. It's a great space saver in your planting area. I'm able to grow 4 zucchini plants in a 2' X 6' section of dirt by taking advantage of the space outside the beds. So even though this happened, don't be discouraged. In the future, maybe try to guide them in the direction you want when they are younger and easier to nudge. Move just a little at a time.

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by galinas 5b (My Page) on
Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 5:56

Next time when you plant zucchinis take in consideration their love to the sun - they always "walk" toward the sun. So if you plant them on the edge, make sure that morning sun is from the side of the edge.

RE: Moved zucchini vines, now they are wilting

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Posted by ltilton 5 (My Page) on
Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 9:35

A high wind last nite shifted my #2 zuke so far it pulled the tulle cover right out from its anchors. Seems fine now, though.

There's a period when the leaves are large enough to work like sails but the vine hasn't yet set secondary roots to anchor it into the soil. Anyway, planting zukes should give them a chance to get those secondary roots down as soon as possible.

True of most squash,.

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