Bye, Bye, Zuke, Bye, Bye!
Bye, Bye, Zuke, Bye, Bye! It’s been five days since my last post, and eight days since the onset of a doozy of a chest cold. I’ve spent no more than an hour in the garden any day for the last week, not enough! Three days ago, my zucchini plant looked great with several fresh new leaves, blooms and zucchinis growing. However, when I looked out on Friday, it was wilted. Since it has not been that hot, I was worried. I posted this photo on my Facebook page on Friday.
Witted Zucchini on Friday
The other vine, coming from the same plant, looked fine.
Zucchini Wilt on One Vine
I had recently been treating the powdery mildew with 10% milk in water solution, and it seemed to be doing well. But, I also added some compost around the base and changed the watering a bit. There is such a thing as water wilt, but, it should have perked back up by the next day. Today, it looked worse.
Zucchini Bacterial Wilt
Though I never saw one in my garden, striped and spotted cucumber beetles are carriers of a bacterium (Erwinia tracheiphila) – it overwinters in their gut – and this bacterium will turn the vines to mush. It cannot be controlled with pesticides (which I wouldn’t use anyway). First the leaves wilt, then the developing squash turn to mush. When I lifted the vine to see what condition it was in, it easily came away in my hand. The whole middle was mush. I read that, first, one vine gets hit and then it spreads. The only thing to do is get rid of the whole plant. Which I did.
Zucchini Vine with Bacterial Wilt
It was a shame, because I had a lot of fresh leaves and blooms opening. I love this sight!
Young Zucchini Leaves
I cut off all the developing zucchinis and juiced them. This was the last of my illustrious zucchini made famous in “Zucchini Madness,” the 17th episode of “Late Bloomer!”
The Last Zucchini Harvest
I’m sad to see my zucchini go, and truthfully, I don’t know if I will try zucchini again next year, because it requires a lot of space, and is so susceptible to powdery mildew where we live. But, February is a long way off, so I shall see how I feel then. Thanks for stopping by!
Please visit my Facebook page for tons of interesting articles related to gardening, farming, raw foods, all over the world. I am encouraging a world-wide audience for “Late Bloomer.” (Unfortunately, I can only speak and write English!) – Kaye
Category: Vegetables, Warm Season
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so interesting
Gardening is an adventure! Thanks for reading and commenting! – Kaye
what a disappointment after all your hard work, Kaye! Hope you’re beginning to feel a bit better now
What will your dad have to say on this one, hmmm? It was a good run, and I knew it couldn’t last. We are in October. I’ve got a few patty pan squash on the other plant, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m a bit better, I think, but, not over it, yet. Thanks for the good wishes! – Kaye
I feel so sad, wish I could share. Here in the Dakotas we could grow that stuff like nothing and it seems nothing will harm it. We actually have a hard time catching the zucchini at their peak. One morning they seem just a tish too small and by five minutes after noon, they are big enough to club someone with. Good luck with the rest of the plants.
Lucinda, that’s very sweet. Yes, I miss it, but I stretched out my cherry tomato vines over the area trying to get a few more, but the shortening, cooler days may bring a quick end to my tomatoes. My celery is doing great! Don’t know what I’m doing, though. haha – Kaye
I’m behind due to surgery, but I hope you’re feeling better by now xoxo
Yes, thanks. I finally decided to go to the doctor yesterday as I still wasn’t feeling good, and she (young, Chinese) prescribed all the usual suspects, which I dutifully bought, but, as I try and avoid all meds if I can, decided to call my healer, and she was available and came and gave me a 1.5 hour raindrop therapy with essential oils, and whale music playing and today I woke up feeling almost myself. Did not take the meds. Hope you are feeling better, too! – Kaye
Oh my, I think I’d prefer the raindrops and whales, too… I’m just taking Tylenol and Arnica for the surgery pain, no brushing, Arnica’s amazing!
So glad you’re feeling better!
No brushing = BRUISING… iPad and sore arms = even worse typing, lol
Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling like yourself the last few days. Hope you are on the road to recovery and are back in your garden soon. Being in nature seems to make everything better, including being under the weather.
It’s such a drag that the zucchini had to be pulled but it’s much better to eradicate one plant than plague the garden with a bad plant. If you decide to try zuccs again next year make sure you plant in a different location.
Yes, I’m trying to get a sense of how next year’s garden will go. My house is clearly in the way! Not enough sun!! Thanks for writing! – Kaye