Is anyone really good with gardening? Or with insects that like to kill vegetable plants? I started everything from seed and it was growing so well, transplanted everything last week to the garden, and it all looked great for a few days. Fast forward to this weekend, and leaves are becoming discolored on my squash, cucumbers and zucchini (kind of white/yellowish in random spots on the leaves) and they are starting to droop. I inspect and find what I assume are aphids (GRR!) pluck them off, spray with some dish soap, hope for the best. But then I check out my squash more closely, and the stems have been completely split open, so I assume they are just going to die. Other stuff still looked ok, but now today the cucumber leaves are all so droopy and horrible looking that I don't know if they will even survive. DH thinks it may be a fungus, but I can't find any pictures online that really resemble what I have, whether it's the aphids or a fungus.
Then I also came across squash vine borer and now I'm wondering if that's what split the squash stem. Does anyone know or have any experience with any of this? I should just give up gardening, I have no luck with it!!
Re: gardening help
Did you fully harden the plants off before planting them outside? I rushed mine last year and a lot of them ended up looking like they had a fungus but it was really just that they weren't ready to be planted.
I also spray for bugs pretty regularly. I use one that's environmentally safe that Organic Gardening magazine recommends. I can't think of the name now, but I'll dig out the bottle tomorrow if you're interested.
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I thought I had hardened off fully, but maybe I should have waited a little longer. I think I probably did about a week. I did wonder if it could be that. I did see aphids on them too, so I think some damage is from them. I may just go buy some more plants to replace the ones that aren't surviving and go from there. So frustrating.
I bought an insecticidal soap today (can be used for organic gardening) is that similar to what you use?