SQUASH

DISEASES

• Bacterial Wilt
• Downy Mildew
• Anthracnose
• Gummy Stem Blight
• Cercospora Leaf Spot

BACTERIAL WILT

• Treatments- no chemical control once the plant is infected.
• Symptoms- severe wilting of the vine, followed by death
• Mgmt- spray insecticides to control the beetles
• Causes- the cause of this disease is spotted cucumber beetles
• Description- slow increse of disease, then rapid death and wilting

DOWNY MILDEW

• Description- leaf disease that usually effects only leaves
• Symptoms- small yellow areas on leaf, may become brown
• Causes- Psuedoperonospora cubensis
• Prevention- speay disease resistant fungicides
• Treatment- if disease becomes serious enough, spray fungicides with chemical warrant

ANTHRACNOSE

• Description- fungal, prefers cool rainy weather, creates shot hole appearence
• Symptoms- yellow water soaked spots, dry tissue, shot hole appearence
• Causes- Colletotrichum obiculare, cool and rainy for several days straight
• Prevention- Remove and destroy old vines, rotate crops
• Treatment- use fungicides if serious enough

GUMMY STEM BLIGHT

• Description- stem and leaf disease, fungal
• Symptoms- brown or tan spots, stem may split into open wounds
• Causes- Didymella brioniae, also causes fruit rot
• Prevention- purchase seed from reputable source, no disease resitant fungicide
• Treatment- disease preventative fungicides

CERCOSPORA LEAF SPOT

• Description- usually limited to leaves, may effect petiole and stem
• Symptoms- black spots on leaves, usually in older leaves
• Causes- fungus, spores that are wind blown
• Prevention- avoid overhead irrigation, rotate crops every 2-3 years
• Treatment- home use fungicides available, destroy old vines

INSECTS

INSECTS

• Cutworms
• Aphids
• Spider Mites
• Whiteflies
• Spotted Cucumber Beetles

CUTWORMS

• Gray grubs that are 1/2 to 3/4 inches long
• Can be found curled in the soil
• Chew stems roots and leaves
• Controls and prevention: place 3 inch paper collar around stem
• Keep garden free of weeds and sprinkle wood ash around plant base

APHIDS

• Tiny oval yellow and green insects. Colonize underside of leaves
• Leave behind sticky excrement called honeydew
• Can turn into black sooty mold
• Leaves curl under and become deformed and yellow
• Use insecticidal soap

SPIDER MITES

• Leave dusty silver webs on undersides of leaves
• Suck plant juices to cause stippling
• Leaves turn pale green, yellow, or brown
• Spray with water or insecticidal soap
• Lacewings and lady bugs eat spider mites

WHITEFLIES

• Tiny white winged insects
• Congregate on undersides of leaves
• Leaves will yellow
• Remove infested leaves or whole plant if infestation is serious
• Intoduce beneficial insects into greenhouse

SPOTTED CUCUMBER BEETLE

• Greenish, yellowish 1/4 inch long with black spots
• Holes chewed in leaves, young fruit is scarred
• Plant resistant varieties and dust with wood ash
• Cultivate before planting to disrupt life cycle
• Hand pick and mulch around plants