Discussion Board

Not sure if I ever shared with you all, but way back when I was married in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 my husband and I had a garden. Since I had my son in 1981, that left me less field time and more putting up on the inside. Though I'd walk and talk, and read and study to help my husband, I wasn't the pro when it came to it.

I always wanted a garden, but Mom is very particular that her yard looks good and doesn't embarrass her etc. We are a corner lot, so our yard is seen, all sides. So no garden. I did have one raised bed, very small, maybe 4x3 feet, that I played with each year, but it was so small and the soil was so wicked no matter what I added to it, that nothing worked well. I also have an even smaller bed for herbs.

This year with the prices going up, Mom approached me in April about putting in a garden and would I do the work if she'd foot the bill. I told her I couldn't dig up by hand that much sod. I'd been all summer. So she got a friend to come and till it. All this to explain, that I'm totally not a garden flunky, just the memory is slipping and my friend the horticulturalist is on vacation so I can't ask her.

My squash has a powdery stuff on the leaves. I think it's called squash fungus. Seems I remember reading or hearing about it. It's from too much water right? It's slowly killing off the plants. Anything I can do to help it. Gosh how do you water and miss them? We are watering everyother day, should I cut back? What happens when I start planting my fall greens?? I have to water to sprout.

Hi, Faith--
I'm glad to see that your mom chooses function over form when the occasion calls for it. I like that kind of person, LOL! There are plenty of things one can do to compensate for the inevitable messy look of a garden--for example, some strategically planted flowers, a little fencing in the right place, etc.

I'm into prairie plantings and so I have read quite a bit about people who like to grow native (ie, messy looking) plants in places where their neighbors hate that "wild" look. One of the tips that made sense to me was that if you pay very close attention to EDGES you can fool the eye. For example, a prairie planting that goes all the way up to the edge of the road will look terrible to most people accustomed to a trimmed look. But if you instead closely cut the grass along the verge of the road and install a cute fence between that and the taller native plantings, it looks like a picture out of a magazine. It defines the area for the eye. The other nice tip from the prairie folks is to involve your neighbors whenever possible in what you are doing. In your mom's case, sharing her cukes will go a long way toward feeling comfortable with the neighbors!

But, I think you weren't really asking for design advice, LOL! I think your question is really about the squash fungus? We talked about fungus on tomatoes on this thread:
http://drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7749
I think this might help you. I don't think the fungus is 'caused' by water so much as encouraged by it. At this late stage in the season, it might be established well enough that it will be hard to get rid of. A biofungicide MIGHT help them outgrow it, if you want to try that. Can you get ahold of some dripper hose or seep hose whatever it's called? That way you can give them plenty of water (which they need) without wetting the leaves.

I have some squash plants that look like they are dying off right now--at this point, I just let them go. Earlier in the season I am more energetic about treating them if they need it to get off to a good start, but at this point I'm too busy with other things... For me this time of year is about taking notes or re-thinking for next year, while I feverishly deal with the harvest I do get. Maybe others here will have a more proactive attitude, LOL!

Now you aren't being negative. Really that is kind of what mode I'm in too. The plants are looking spent. They are tired, the energy has been sucked out. Since this is the first year in I've done a garden in the last 25, I'm having to relearn. I think the dripper hose is going to be something that is needed for next year.

Funny the neighbors aren't at all worried or bothered. It's Mom's ego on her yard that she was protecting all these years. But yeah, funny how economy changes can change the prioritys. The neighbors have been watching away to see what happens. I think it shocked them that I actually grew something LOL.

For me this is the best time to do planning for next year, while I'm right here dealing with the results. I have one new area myself that doesn't have dripper hose--it would be too much of a struggle to put it in now (heat, plants in the way, mulch in place, etc.). But if I take my measurements now and jot down what I intend to do it's something I can set up maybe in the fall but most likely early next spring. Also I start re-thinking...was that too many pepper plants? Maybe they'd do better if I didn't crowd them so much. I also start sketching out where things will go next year so I have a plan ready--different beds are treated differently over the winter depending on what I'm using them for next year, etc. I even order my fertilizers for next year at this point in time.

As far as any ailing plants goes, at this point they are on their own, except for watering, sometimes some extra mulch. They're tired, I'm tired!

I think it's great that your mom is doing something new; eventually she and you may inspire the more timid neighbors to grow their own gardens! I love it.

Were we talking about summer squash here (zucchini, etc), or winter squash (pumpkins, etc)?? Because if it's summer squash you're wanting to grow, I just realized it's not too late in your area to plant these again! If you have some free space away from the old ones that would be the thing to do.

According to our local extension service, the wilt diseases that affect squash are spring & early summer diseases and planting late in the summer you can often avoid these (plus get a second crop). This sounded reasonable to me so I went out and planted more zucchini seeds around August 1st, as they said to. This is the first time I'm trying this.

I see by Google that you are one full zone warmer than here, so I would guess that you can still do this, if you plant soon.

boy wish I had the space right now. It is summer squash. And yes, mine are still producing and still producing blooms.

I planted mine right where the peas had been growing, but they are long finished. Out with the peas, in with the squash!

This is the first year for me in like 25 yrs. So I was a month late by the time I lined up a tiller to borrow etc and got the dirt and all that. So I was too late for peas though I did put out 8 seeds in the herb patch for snap peas for salads. It's cool there, and believe it or not it worked. So I know next year a place to grow them for salads.

I'm going to have fall peas though. Snap and chinese I hope.