Looks like moss and mold

[Mike]

I'm thinking I probably have some trouble in the garden this year in my first raised garden.

The first, I'm seeing several spots in the garden that looks similar to moss growing:

I'm assuming this isn't wanted and so what's the best way to stop this from happening?

The second issue is one of my summer squash leaves looks to have a lot of mold growing on it:



What's causing this and what's the best way to handle it?

 

[w_r_ranch]

You have a heavy powdery mildew colonization on your squash plant. Although powdery mildew is unattractive, it is rarely fatal. However it does stress & weaken the plant. If enough of the leaf surface becomes covered with powdery mildew, photosynthesis is impaired & the plant will die.

There are many fungicides available to treat it... Look for ingredients such as: potassium bicarbonate, sulfur or copper (I recommend ones that contain copper or sulfur). Bear in mind, most fungicides will need repeat applications every 7 - 14 days, for continuous protection.

As far as the 'moss' is concern, I would just pull it by hand. Both of these issues can be caused by lack of ventilation, too much shade & soil that is too wet.

 

[Mike]

Thanks Sam. Any particular fungicide you'd recommend by name?

 

[ErnieCopp]

Mike,

We have a lot of powdery mildew here, and in addition to what Sam said to use, my squash plants produce very heavy foliage, so when the leaf stalks get heavy enough that the stems are below horizontal, i prune then out, and that lets air circulate through and help keeps mildew down. It is not a perfect preventive as i still get it occasionally but nearly always on the downwind or sheltered, side of the plant. It is not necessary to remove all the stem as that makes it a bigger job, so I just cut it off a few inches in from the leaves.

And when i see the Powdery Mildew, i am always thankful it is not black mold.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Thanks Sam. Any particular fungicide you'd recommend by name?

Not really, because many brands are distributed regionally. Any garden center will carry a number of brands, just look for copper or sulfur in the ingredients. Lowe's & Home Depot will also carry fungicides in their gardening departments.

I mix my own as I have access to 99.9% pure copper sulfate here & buy it in 50 lbs sacks...

 

[Mike]

Sam you never cease to impress me, even your garden supplies are impressive.

As time has passed I've realized I really goofed up on this garden. When I was planning the layout I thought I had plenty of sunlight and was far enough away from a tree. Spring came, leaves bloomed and the sun's position all changed. What seemed like a good placement in late winter / early spring turned out to be a bad placement late spring / early summer. 1/4th of the garden get the light it should, another 1/4th almost as much and the last half could probably be considered mostly shade... this is also the side where I have the squash and two tomato plants.

So either in the fall or early spring next year I get to dig out all the soil and move this big box about 10 feet so it's in full sun next year.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Mike,
With 80' Eucalyptus on the East side, and 50' Pecans on the West side, i have a lot of shade, too, and it does make a difference, But if you can get Sun of six hours or so, some things will do okay with that. So maybe leaving the one box where it is, and building another one would be worth considering.

The East side is the darkest for me, and the ends of the rows that are the shadiest are slower in the Spring, but not really much difference in their production by the end of the summer. And the Watermelon vines that are shaded in the afternoon by the Pecan are smaller but they have melons on them that are not far behind the others. So, there may be a benefit of spreading the harvest there.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Sam you never cease to impress me, even your garden supplies are impressive.

You just forgot that I grow hay for the cattle,LOL!!! You should see my fertilizer bill when I do the pastures, 'OUCH' takes on a whole new meaning when I pay that bill...

As time has passed I've realized I really goofed up on this garden. When I was planning the layout I thought I had plenty of sunlight and was far enough away from a tree.

So either in the fall or early spring next year I get to dig out all the soil and move this big box about 10 feet so it's in full sun next year.

We all make mistakes, it's just part of the learning process (heck, even us old farts still make them)...

I don't know how much room you have to work with, but if you can mark off the full sun area(s) now you will be able to observe the sun light over the change of seasons. Take into account that the shade areas will grow as the trees continue to grow. Plan for where you will add additional beds as your family's requirements change as well... think of it as a minimal 5 year plan.

 

[Mike]

Went to Lowes this afternoon and picked up a bottle of Bonide Liquid Copper, it was the only thing they had that contained either copper or sulfur in it's ingredients. They had 2-3 other products that claimed to cure mold, bugs, and other diseases using some other unheard of chemical.

 

[w_r_ranch]

That will work Mike. Nothing is more natural than elements of the atomic table (copper #29 or sulfur #16).

 

[Rahab222]

Mike, That's the same thing I used when my cucumbers had powdery mildew this past spring. It only required one application and I got my first cucumbers ever this year. I was thrilled to death. I planted "Pickling Cucumbers" from Burpees and put them on a trellis. Later, I planted two other kinds of cucumbers that were resistant to just about everything. These have not done well and haven't grown very quickly, either.

 

[Mike]

I think the plant took a turn for the worse, what do you think?

 

[w_r_ranch]

Pull it & look at the roots.

What are those??? Squash???

 

[Mike]

Started off as Summer Squash, now dead. I'll pull it and take pictures this evening.

No luck in the garden this year. The stuff in containers are doing great, but this is the third plant that's bombed in the raised bed.

 

[w_r_ranch]

I can't see the variety with the link. I'm familiar with yellow squash, however I've never seen one that was 'warted' (for lack of a better term), only with smooth skin. Those look like they are pretty orange too (over ripe?)...

 

[Mike]

Mine never smoothed out... this was my first time growing squash so I didn't know what to expect. I figured the warts would smooth out, obviously they didn't and the plant bombed.

Before pulling the plant, the base looked a bit fuzzy to me. Hard to see in this photo:


Noticed one of the squash actually looked like it was rotting:


The roots:


Containers seem to be so much easier.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Mike,
I am not familiar with that squash either but if the skin is too hard to scratch with your fingernail, it is probably mature and the vine has just died of old age. How big were the squash supposed to get. These look like an ornamental squash that i have seen but never paid any attention to.
I have butternut squash vines that are dying of old age now as the fruit matures. Zucchini are still growing strong.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

The roots appear to be OK, there is no 'knots' or apparent rot that I can see from the pictures. What I would recommend is talking to neighbors that garden to find out what they grow (including the specific variety) & either purchasing your transplants locally or starting your own seed. Also pay attention to a plant's space requirements. Plants will not be healthy & produce properly when they are crowded together. Doing so cuts available sunlight (plants shade one another) & inhibits ventilation (ideal conditions for mold/mildew/fungus to grow)

Don't get discouraged Mike, this is how you learn. As I said earlier, stake out the new location to mark off the full sun area(s) now & you will be able to observe the sun light over the change of seasons. Take into account that the shade areas will grow as the trees continue to grow.
Then move the garden so that your plants sunlight requirements can be met.

BTW, while the stuff in containers may be doing great, they will only produce about 1/3 the produce of what they would had they been planted in an actual garden. They will also require less maintenance & water.

 

[Mike]

I appreciate it guys. The squash did start from seed but I'll have to try something else next year either different seed or buy a starter plant from one of the many local nurseries.

Far from discouraged, more disappointed than anything and more in myself than anything else. I should have planned the location and staked it out much better. The ironic thing about it all is that I actually had planned it going into the location it SHOULD have gone to start with, but changed it at last second and it's now cost me time and money both - two things I really hate wasting.

I still have carrots that appear to be doing fine, tomatoes, basil, and maybe the onions too. On the flip side, I've learned a lot more with this garden than any container I've done now or in the past so at least I'll walk away with more experience if nothing else.

 

[45 ACP]

I tried growing squash this year. I think I got one squash. I will not be growing them next year. Would rather use the space for something else.

 

[Mr_Yan]

@Mike What is the texture of the squash when you cut into it? Also what did the seeds look like? If the seeds were large and mature Ernie's idea is likely solid. If the fruits are soft and the seeds are small, like zucchini you're used to eating, the vine died prematurely.

There are some warty varieties of summer squash - like this Burpee early golden crook neck. There's also the general variety in the genome you find with seeds. Last year I grew "bush" Fordhook 242 lima beans that vined out 6 feet. This year I have some pole beans that are bush cultivators.

My summer squash experience has been pretty poor so far. The last few years I've had trouble with squash vine borrers but was too stubborn and cheap to spray for them. This year I bought a long vine type of summer squash that also has solid vines that the vine borrers tent not to like. Mine don't have the typical long zucchini shape but are more like an eggplant shape but the rounds are much easier to work with on the grill.