yellow squash blossom end rot

[the1honeycomb]

I have a multitude of little yellow squash!!! I love the stuff, every one of them gets blossom end rot Major told me calcium how can I give this immediately!?

 

[majorcatfish]

guess that was my fault for not explaining. sorry

there is a spray you can buy at any bigbox store or feed store, it's call blossom rot spray its basicly calcium in a liqiud form
follow the directions when mixing it and spray.
plus with all the rain we have had does not help either....

 

[catjac1975]

A does of limestone around the plant should work right away.

 

[897tgigvib]

While there are quick solutions such as that spray, you should also begin a program of getting nutrients more balanced in your soil.

Sometimes having too much nitrogen in your soil will cause your plants to effectively not use the Calcium in your soil right.

Now is the time to begin saving egg shells. Dry them and grind them to powder. even fry some egg shells to half burned. Major stink, so do that on your outside barbeque pit if possible. Sounds like your soil could use a whole lot of them, so see if you can get some local restaurants to save them for you. Talk to the dishwashers and the cooks. Might want to tip them for it, especially the overworked underpaid dishwashers.

Bone meal is another source of calcium. Add that after the main garden is done in late fall.

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Those numbers on containers of fertilizers are for the so called 3 most important nutrients, Nitrogen N, Phosphorus P, and Potassium K. It is a mistake if you ask me though. For lots of fruits Calcium Ca is actually important to have a bit more of than the Potassium K. I really think fertilizers should have 4 numbers on them. N P K Ca. There is no changing the convention though.

Meantime, add the Ca nutrients in liquid form for short term quick fix. Some of the HYDROPONIC nutrients companies carry liquid calcium nutrient. Go ahead and google it.

http://www.brewandgrow.com/grow/nutrients/hydroponic-nutrients/just-calcium-2.html

There's one site. Hydroponic nutrient makers. Gotta watch out for them. Some of them seem to act like hot shots these days.

 

[hoodat]

I sort of doubt it's blossom end rot. It seems more like your squash blossoms aren't getting pollinated. If a female squash blossom doesn't get pollinated the plant will not bother growing it since it will not produce seeds. It just lets the fruit die and the dying starts at the blossom end which looks like blossom end rot. Try hand pollinating. It's easy to do with squash.

 

[Kassaundra]

I sort of doubt it's blossom end rot. It seems more like your squash blossoms aren't getting pollinated. If a female squash blossom doesn't get pollinated the plant will not bother growing it since it will not produce seeds. It just lets the fruit die and the dying starts at the blossom end which looks like blossom end rot. Try hand pollinating. It's easy to do with squash.

I agree w/ hoodat, my first blossoms of each year do this until the bees realize the squash are blooming then no problems at all for the rest of the season.

 

[catjac1975]

Try hand pollinating.

 

[897tgigvib]

Ya know, I think Hoodat may be or is right. Try snipping off a male flower and lightly pollinating a female flower from a plant of the same variety. Just snip the male flower's petals off so they are not in the way, and then lightly roll the male flower's middle anther with the visible pollen on it, onto the larger female flower's middle part. You'll be doing a birds and the bees thing...

Remember, Squash come in 4 species. Pepo, maxima, moschata, and argyosomethingerother. These species will for the most part by far, not cross pollinate with each other.

 

[the1honeycomb]

THAT makes so much sense!!!!! I now have several squash that have started since! There is so much stuff flowering now it seems to be doing mucch better the zucchini has been harvested already it seemed to be only one plant!

You are all so great and I love having you as resources! HUGS to all