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Bethlehem CT

Such a bummer! No vacation goes unpunished! lol

7/1/2024 2:32:02 PM

Syracuse, NY

I'm hoping you'll put ANY kind of material under the fruits from now on - they should really never be on just plain dirt, as anything underneath can protrude into the skin as it grows and gets heavier. My biggest pumpkin last year was on bare dirt/ground, really, so - I didn't rush out there and give myself this Sermon, and it also aborted from underneath at like 350#... I have had pink Owens-Corning solid sheet insulation (it's like pink cardboard, sort of) and miscellaneous pieces of it are always around here to put under a new fruit, even for just-at-first.
Good luck---eric g

7/1/2024 11:10:08 PM

Western PA

Steve, yvd is caused by the squash bug. If you saw any in your patch, then yes, you probably got yvd.
I struggled with bugs for a few years when I started growing. The biggest game changer was getting a backpack fogger to spray with. Not sure if you’re using one or not, but they are well worth the money, especially when your plants are big, around 600 sq feet or larger. My bug issues are practically gone now, ( except aphids, they are very tough to eradicate ! )

7/6/2024 2:10:32 PM