Gourds Getting Sickly_Help Please!!!

Hi All,
Whitewillow here and I am desperate...I'm growing some killer basketball and chinese bottle gourd...Plants were doing great and getting huge...now all of a sudden, the large leaves are developing yellow spots all over them and the largest leaves closest to the stems are turning brown and shriveling up. I don't know what to do? I live in Florida...and this time of year is hot and steamy...If anyone knows what I should do to save my beautiful gourds, Please, please help me.
I'm just sick about it. Will be glad to trade out the eventual fruits of the vine if they come to term...no photos at this time unfortunately...
Blessings
Whitewillow

Hmmm...seen any squash bugs around your gourds? Or their orangish-colored eggs attached to the undersides of the leaves?

Giving those plants plenty of water?

HOw are they looking since you first posted? Still alive?

Whitewillow, here's one link from last year when I was experiencing similar problems... Hope this gives you some insight...

http://davesgarden.com/t/346011/

Oh thank you both for your replies...this is my first try at gourds...No squash bugs in evidence...also LOTS of water..we're in the rainy season here in Florida...but I make sure if we don't get rain, I water.....
Just little yellow spots all over the leaves as tho' sumthin' is sucking the life out of the leaves...they then turn yellow, then brown and shrivel and die...I've looked at both sides of the leaves...I can't see any sign of bugs...however...they could be really small...my yard as a whole is buggy...lol...skeeters, flies, wasps, no see ums...
At any rate, I'll keep checking...I sure do appreaciate your assistance...Thanks Again Morph and Horseshoe!

With the rain, I can't help but think of fungus since that's one of the problems I had to deal with last year. I wish I could remember what the fungus looked like, but I didn't take a picure. I did buy fungicide from the gardening store and would spray after each rain to help prevent it from spreading. I don't think it really worked. This year I added copper fungicide to the soil & waterings of the young gourd plants I've planted outside. Not sure if that will help either, but it's my attempt this year to be more proactive.

I searched my files for a recipe someone has to make homemade fungicide & also squash bug repellent. It must be here on DGs somewhere cuz I can't find it on my hard drive. Try searching on fungus here at DGs to see if it pops up a thread with a homemade remedy.

Good luck!

Well Morph, this am I went out in the early morning light...before work and before it rained...and looked up under the leaves...there seems to be white fuzzy little blotches on some of the leaf undersides...which looks like mildew or mould...besides the other yellowing of leaves thing...I mixed up some organic fungicide again and doused em...but quite frankly...I don't know how the heck to save em...I'm still looking for bugs...nothing visible...but the yellow spots are moving up on the vines...closest leaves near the base are history...It breaks my heart...I was so excited about growing these big basketball gourds and making bowls out of em' eventually...Well it looks as tho' that's just a pipe dream for this crop at least....I'm not giving up though...I'll try different things until I figure this out...keep your fingers crossed and thanks for all your support...

:( I'm sorry... I lost my swan gourds and the one that I did get collapsed as it dried over the winter.

If you have one plant that seems healthier than the rest, you may want to get rid of everything else and just baby that plant. That's what I had to do last year. Still, couldn't save the one batch of gourds & luffas :(

And, this year I've planted the gourds in three separate areas so that if one section gets bugs or fungus, hopefully it won't spread to the others. Not a guarantee I don't think, though.

I'm just starting some gourds, so maybe you can still start again? I'm in Ohio so why don't you just start a few more since you've a longer growing season?

Whitewillow, I finally found the recipes that "eyesoftexas" shared with me. Oh, I hope this helps you!!! There are two recipes & here they are:

Powdery Mildew

4 Tbsp. Baking Soda
2 Tbsp. Murphy's Oil Soap
1 Gal. warm water

Mix all together, and apply with a hand held sprayer at first sign of white powder

Spider Mites

4 C. Wheat Flour
1/2 C. Buttermilk
5 Gal. Water

Mix and apply with hand sprayer. Will suffocate mites.

MORPH! You are a dear, dear person! Thanks so much, I'm gonna mix up some of both of these and try one out first and if that doesn't seem to work...I'll try the other...I figure if I lose em to this crud they've got, I won't let em die without a fight. I'll let ya know if either one works. Yep, I can start more seeds, it's so bloody hot and humid this time of year, I'm wondering if maybe it's too moist? I'm a gourd growing virgin and don't know squat...lol...I'm also gonna try to get a couple of pictures of them to load up...then maybe someone will know whatz up. Any way...Blessings on you and your entire household for the kindness.
Whitewillow