Broken Squash Plants - What to plant mid-summer?

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lagasan Niskayuna, NY, United States Jul 20, 2005

My first post to Dave's Garden!

My big, juicy, gorgeous yellow and zucchini squash plant 1-foot long "vines" all broke in half during one of our many, many thunderstorms. I ended up having to cut off the dead/ailing broken end completely. I had never thought they would need staking!

So I am left with a stump with 6-10 leaves growing off of it. Do you think the vine will sprout out from the base? Or should I just pull the whole thing and start over?

This leads to question number 2. In another raised bed I have the zucchini rampicante growing. The rampicante is already growing all the way to the top of the 6 foot trellis and down the 6 foot privacy fence and into the yard on all sides. This thing knows how to GROW! Maybe it is because it is in raised beds in 100% compost. So I guess I won't be needing the broken squash plants after all. I may decide to just pull them.

So, If I pull the squash out of that one 4 x 12 bed? What should I plant in it? It is already the end of July. I'm in Schenectady , NY.

Any ideas?

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cottonpicker Audubon, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2005

My opinion.... DO NOT PULL IT!!!!!! Cover the stump with a mound of potting soil, keep it moist and watch it prosper!!!!! You'll get fruit!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
LD

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cottonpicker Audubon, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2005

Lagasan.... I forgot to mention------ W E L C O M E to Dave's Garden!!!We ALL wish you the BEST of luck and keep us posted on the progressa of your broken squash plant. That's the way we ALL learn!!
LD

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lagasan Niskayuna, NY, United States Jul 21, 2005

Thanks for the advice...but I don't understand. Cover the whole stump or just the broken end? Because there are still a lot of leaves growing out of the stump.

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cottonpicker Audubon, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2005

Just mound dirt over the broken area.
LD

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roseone33 Southern Mountains, GA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2005

Agree with the above posters. It would be unusual for one of my summer squash plants not to split. When we get a lot of rain and the heat goes up, the plants split open. While it doesn't really help them, they do contine to grow and produce. Their real down fall is the borers and squash bugs, which are on the way.

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eweed Everson, WA(Zone 8a) Jul 23, 2005

agree with the others you still have more than enough time to get squash but watch for mildew as summer turns to fall and the moist nights start. And nice to see you here enjoy. Ernie

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Zeppy Shenandoah Valley, VA(Zone 6b) Jul 24, 2005

I had to hack some of my squash plants back just to get into the garden without being dragged down and dismembered by them. They're unfazed. Think of the soil over the "cut" part as a bandage with antibiotic ointment... helps with healing and re-rooting.

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