Gardening Methods

Squash and pumpkin leaves wilted, look like dying…?

This is the first year we planted a garden. Some, not all, of the zucchini, squash, and pumpkins plants leaves look like they are dying. They are Yellow and wilting. My dad thought it was “blight” but I could not find any pictures of what this looks like. We do not use pesticides or fertilizers, 100% organic. The produce looks great, except for some bumps on the pumpkins and delicata. Are these safe to eat? What is the wilting?

Your squash are probably safe to eat. If you cut open the squash and pumpkins and the flesh looks and smells fine, you can definitely eat them.

Your plants may be suffering from lack of water. Dig down about 4 inches into the soil next to the plants. If the dirt is moist, they don’t need water. If it’s dry, go ahead and give the plants a good soak.

You may also pest problems. Cucumber beetles may have infested your garden. They are known to attack all types of squash, including pumpkins. These bugs are usually black with yellow spots or stripes. You can get rid of them with a pesticide purchased at your local garden center.

You may also have a problem with vine borers. They enter the plants at the base of the stems and leave a sawdust-like residue behind. They can cause the plants to wilt quickly. Unfortunately, if vine borers are already inside your plants, there’s not a lot you can do to save them. Spray any unaffected squash plants with pesticide. Save what squash you can and remove the plants from the garden when they shrivel up.

The following links have lots of info about growing zucchini and pumpkins, including planting, fertilizing, diagnosing disease, watering and harvesting tips and advice.

Good luck!

Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden