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Re: winter squash rot

In a message dated 7/17/98 8:41:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time, raven@sedona.net
writes:

<< i have planted some butternut and sweet delight winter squash and it is the
 butternut, i believe, which gets rot at its end after the fruit has
 developed only a little bit.  on some other butternut vines, there has been
 complete shrivelling away as if from the ravages of the vine borer.  i have
 lost every one of the butternust so far, altho, thankfully, the few sweet
 delights i have are so far doing well.
 anyone have any idea why the rot? >>

    If it is only developed a tiny bit, it is probably a pollination failure
due to lack of pollenizers (source of compatible pollen) or pollinators
(bees).  If no seeds are fertilized, you will get blossom drop, but if a few
are fertilized, the fruit will begin development and stop. The rot is just an
opportunistic fungus, a sort of scavanger, not the cause. Remember you need
many bee visits for complete pollination.

   This would not apply if the vine is dying, this is more likely to be the
borer.

   Pollinator@aol.com     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html

or    http://www.pollinator.com  (The Pollination Home Page)

Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm
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