Butternut squash disease or soil issues?

[Outandabout]

Leaves have been looking unhealthy for a bit and not sure about the problem or solution. Any help is appreciated.

 

[DirtMechanic]

My general inclination after less than 30 seconds looking at your pictures is that bacteria carrying bugs have started an infection. There are of course different bacteria, but you should soon seen a reduction in flower which will deform the fruit tips because those curcubit type plants segment their seed production in a fruiting body to ensure at least some progeny. You may also see that the plant itself is segmented in a similiar defense, and you might actually rescue the forwardmost growth and repot it elsewhere to enjoy further production. Be harsh in the truncation of the body of the stem as bringing the infection with the plant into a new soil is terminal.

Bacterial wilt is a catchall name for the direction that plant seems to be headed, but that is not to say it is not a virus or even fungal. Like ourselves, a lot of things eat squash.

 

[Chuck]

IMO I think what you have going on is a fungal infection, either alternaria or septoria. Are any of the fruits affected and if so how? A picture would be great. Look for bumps or depressions on the fruit.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Yep I would agree..and no good fast cure path. It is really tough to stay ahead of once it takes over a large portion of the plant and gets inside the plant.

 

[Chuck]

Yep I would agree..and no good fast cure path. It is really tough to stay ahead of once it takes over a large portion of the plant and gets inside the plant.

I have noticed that when this has happened to me that fruit production just about stops and it's really not worth trying to proceed. Since these diseases are both soil and wind-born all you can do is to pull up the plants, burn them and not plant that type of vegetable in that area for 2 or 3 years. One can slow down the disease if one starts a prophylactic regimen before or as soon as the disease shows up. I used to have alternaria bad every year but by using cornmeal at planting and before the disease starts my instance of it has dropped to almost zero. I still get it late in the growing season but in my climate it is so hot that nothing grows anyway and I have stopped the use of cornmeal. Possibly if I kept on putting it out I could stop it for good.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I would suggest that any effort towards sanitizing the soil is strongly effective toward extending the productive period of the plants. I used humagrow promax thyme oil product prior to and during the growing season (which I undersstand now has humic and molasses materials additionally) and my production has been very good. Even so, the same pathogenic pressures you describe also work their way back in, especially since we have been so wet this year I have only watered twice. All the curcubits are done. Tomatoes have 1\3 to go and the okra are chugging along as usual.

 

[Outandabout]

Thank you for the speedy response. I will post a pic of fruit as soon as I can. Much appreciated again.

 

[Outandabout]

IMO I think what you have going on is a fungal infection, either alternaria or septoria. Are any of the fruits affected and if so how? A picture would be great. Look for bumps or depressions on the fruit.

Here are a few pics of the fruit. They don’t look bumpy or depressed yet, but skin doesn’t look right on the bigger fruits. Lots of flower drop too.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The glare from the setting sun plays unfortunate tricks. Any chance of an early am shot or 2?

 

[Chuck]

Here are a few pics of the fruit. They don’t look bumpy or depressed yet, but skin doesn’t look right on the bigger fruits. Lots of flower drop too.

What I was looking for were signs of anthracnose which has similar symptoms of alternaria and septoria. I see none. In the future when you water try to keep the leaves dry and use mulch to keep soil from splashing up on the leaves.

 

[Outandabout]

The glare from the setting sun plays unfortunate tricks. Any chance of an early am shot or 2?

Pics from this morning. So best solution is to pull the plant this year and make sure to do a prophylactic soil regimen next season?

 

[Chuck]

Pics from this morning. So best solution is to pull the plant this year and make sure to do a prophylactic soil regimen next season?

Since the disease is already there in the soil go ahead an let the fruit ripen, then pull up the plant and rake up ALL debris and burn them. As soon as you've done this I would start applying horticultural cornmeal to the top of the soil. Then when planting time comes again keep a dusting of cornmeal on the soil and plants. If you start to see a whitish growth on the cornmeal that is what you want to see. It's called tricoderma, a beneficial fungi that eats alternia and septoria fungus.