Leaves on Zucchini Plant Don't Look Right
 

My latest gardening "issue" is that some of the huge leaves on my zucchini
plants have "dirty" spots. It looks like they were splashed with dirt...but
it's not dirt. I am growing these in EARTHBOXES, so the soil should be OK
and the fertilizer situation should also be right. Any ideas?

Oh and for what it's worth, each plant has 4-5 zucchini on them and the
fruit seems OK. Looks like I might be able to pick my first one in about
7-10 days.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
My latest gardening "issue" is that some of the huge leaves on my zucchini
plants have "dirty" spots. It looks like they were splashed with
dirt...but it's not dirt. I am growing these in EARTHBOXES, so the soil
should be OK and the fertilizer situation should also be right. Any ideas?

Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

Mel M Kelly wrote:
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.

Yes. Squashes and cucumbers are likely to get borers. I usually
sprinkly a little rotenone around the new plants and later on, along the
stems.

If you do get a borer, you'll see orange stuff like sawdust. Take a
pocket knife and split the stem until you find and kill the borer. If
you bury the stem at the split, it may send out roots from that point.

It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By
doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant
begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no difference,
and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen. This pest is a
good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on all sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX on
my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By
doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant
begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no
difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen.
This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on all
sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

I didn't say that was what was going on. I simply responded to your question
about borers. :-)

And, the fact that you're capitalizing EARTHBOX repeatedly would seem to
indicate that you want us to think it's somehow isolated from certain garden
problems. It is NOT. You said the "soil should be OK" and the "fertilizer
situation should also be right". Why???


"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX on
my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By
doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant
begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no
difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen.
This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on
all sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

OK, you make valid points. But MY point is that at least with the EARTHBOX,
there is SOME expectation that the soil and fertilizer are at least somewhat
standardized. Anyway, my lower leaves seem all "dirty" but the fruit
continues to develop nicely.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I didn't say that was what was going on. I simply responded to your
question about borers. :-)

And, the fact that you're capitalizing EARTHBOX repeatedly would seem to
indicate that you want us to think it's somehow isolated from certain
garden problems. It is NOT. You said the "soil should be OK" and the
"fertilizer situation should also be right". Why???


"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX on
my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By
doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant
begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no
difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen.
This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on
all sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

D.D. Palmer wrote:
OK, you make valid points. But MY point is that at least with the EARTHBOX,
there is SOME expectation that the soil and fertilizer are at least somewhat
standardized. Anyway, my lower leaves seem all "dirty" but the fruit
continues to develop nicely.



Jeeeeeeeez.......relax. They'll go away when they're ready. You're
talking about living beings, not computers. Go read a magazine. :-)

Well, the materials may be standardized when they're brand new, but when the
bugs want you, they find you, and they laugh at whatever precautions may
have been taken. Meanwhile: How is the fertilizer applied with the system
you're using? Powder? Liquid? Sprayed? Poured? Lobbed in from 20 feet away,
like a basketball?

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
OK, you make valid points. But MY point is that at least with the
EARTHBOX, there is SOME expectation that the soil and fertilizer are at
least somewhat standardized. Anyway, my lower leaves seem all "dirty" but
the fruit continues to develop nicely.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I didn't say that was what was going on. I simply responded to your
question about borers. :-)

And, the fact that you're capitalizing EARTHBOX repeatedly would seem to
indicate that you want us to think it's somehow isolated from certain
garden problems. It is NOT. You said the "soil should be OK" and the
"fertilizer situation should also be right". Why???


"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX
on my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line. By
doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The plant
begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no
difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't happen.
This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the plant on
all sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot
with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

Sprinkled on the soil from the top at the beginning of the season...seeps in
all season long.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Well, the materials may be standardized when they're brand new, but when
the bugs want you, they find you, and they laugh at whatever precautions
may have been taken. Meanwhile: How is the fertilizer applied with the
system you're using? Powder? Liquid? Sprayed? Poured? Lobbed in from 20
feet away, like a basketball?

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
OK, you make valid points. But MY point is that at least with the
EARTHBOX, there is SOME expectation that the soil and fertilizer are at
least somewhat standardized. Anyway, my lower leaves seem all "dirty" but
the fruit continues to develop nicely.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I didn't say that was what was going on. I simply responded to your
question about borers. :-)

And, the fact that you're capitalizing EARTHBOX repeatedly would seem to
indicate that you want us to think it's somehow isolated from certain
garden problems. It is NOT. You said the "soil should be OK" and the
"fertilizer situation should also be right". Why???


"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I don't think that's what's going on. I am growing these in an EARTHBOX
on my deck, about 10 feet off of the ground.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
It's a wormy thing that chews into the main stem near the soil line.
By doing so, it destroys the plant's means of drawing up water. The
plant begins to sag, as if it needs water. You water, but it makes no
difference, and the next day, it's dead. Some years, it doesn't
happen. This pest is a good reason to keep mulch a foot away from the
plant on all sides.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
What's THAT?

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
Check the stem close to the ground and see if there is a bad spot
with
some stuff ozzing out. Could be a cucomber borer.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
Sprinkled on the soil from the top at the beginning of the season...seeps
in all season long.

Hmm. Are those big leaves in contact with the soil at ANY time? Something's
fishy here.

Nope, the big leaves are proudly soaking up the sun every day. Now looking
"dirty", however.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
Sprinkled on the soil from the top at the beginning of the season...seeps
in all season long.

Hmm. Are those big leaves in contact with the soil at ANY time?
Something's fishy here.

Do a google search using the name of your state along with the words
"cooperative extension". Find a phone number on the web site and call them.

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
Nope, the big leaves are proudly soaking up the sun every day. Now looking
"dirty", however.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
Sprinkled on the soil from the top at the beginning of the
season...seeps in all season long.

Hmm. Are those big leaves in contact with the soil at ANY time?
Something's fishy here.