Hi Deborah –
Various fungal diseases and blights attack squash foliage. From your description, I have come up with a couple possible plant problems and listed symptoms and treatments for each.
Fusarium Crown and Foot Rot
Symptoms:
โข Wilting of leaves
โข Plant dies within a few days
โข Dead tissue of the crown and upper taproot
โขย Infected plants break off below the soil line
Treatment:
โข Purchase pathogen free seed
โขย Rotate crops on a 3 to 4-year rotation
โข Don’t plant melons following a barley crop
โขย If the disease persists, it is best to remove infected plant debris and solarize the soil before planting again
Bacterial Wilt
Symptoms:
โข Severe wilting, especially during the heat of the day
โขย Symptoms appear at all stages of plant development
โขย Leaves may yellow
โขย Dead tissue may appear around leaf margins
โข Plants die within two weeks
Treatment:
โขย There is no control for bacterial wilt once plants become infected
โขย Plant resistant varieties when available
โข Use an organic insecticide to control cucumber beetles, which are known to spread the disease.
Various fungus and blights attack squash plants. In most cases, a dilute solution of copper spray will help control the problem. However, we do not offer a product that will work on the two conditions mentioned above.
Hope it helps!
.
