Anyone know about squash? Mine are roting brfor they get 4 inc.??? whats up with that?

Question

I'm new at this whole garden thing!

Answer 1

The most likely reason for this is that the female flowers are not being pollinated.  

You can help pollinate your summer squash but first you need to know how to tell a female squash blossom from a male squash blossom.  It’s easy once you know the difference.  The female blossoms will have a tiny squash forming directly behind the blossom, while the male blossoms have just a stalk behind the blossom.  That little squash behind the female blossom is the ovary, and if it isn’t pollinated it will wither and fall off.

To pollinate your squash blossoms, go out to the garden in the morning, before 10 a.m., armed with a cotton swab or small paintbrush.  Now locate a male flower and gather some pollen by rubbing your swab or brush on the stamen in the center of the flower.  You’ll see the yellow pollen on your swab or brush.  Then move on to a female flower and rub the pollen onto the pistil in the center of the female blossom.

Answer 2

You might also try using a good strong trellis for your squash and get them up off the overly moist ground.  I have been trellising my watermelon and pumpkins for years and it really works!  It also saves you from having to rotate your gourds as they ripen.

Answer 3

you may also want to keep an Eye out for borer damage, they go for the weak plants

Answer 4

blossom end rot..is a lack of calcium or inconsitant watering..

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn...

Home depot has a line of fertilizers called "organic choice' get a bag of it the one that says it is lime..it is in granulars and slow release..it is 29% calcium..for a quick fix crush up about 4 rolaids with calcium real fine and sprinkle around each plant..pull all the fruits with any sign of brown or rot on them first