COLUMBIA, S.C. — Warm spring days have many plants growing and bugs crawling around the garden. We've seen some great questions on our Facebook group, WLTX Gandy's Gardeners in the past few weeks and some great answers provided by gardeners growing plants in the South Carolina Midlands.
A common problem beginning to pop up among garden fruits and veggies is blossom end rot. Fruits will begin to brown, usually when young, from the tips and rot away. The condition is the result of a calcium deficiency in plants during the warmer months of the year, but adding calcium isn't necessarily the fix. Irregular watering caused by hot days or water retention issues in the soil can make plants unable to get the calcium they need from the soil. While some gardeners on our page have reported luck improving blossom end rot symptoms by adding calcium to the soil, others say it's a coincidence and fixing water and soil conditions will end blossom end rot in a few weeks. This problem is common in squash but occur in other plants like tomatoes and peppers too.
Another issue starting to develop for squash plant owners is powdery mildew. The leaves will begin to show a fungus coating on them, leading to browning and curling. Copper fungicide, keeping the leaves dry, and ensuring proper air flow and plenty of sunlight will help reduce the symptoms.
Do you have garden questions? Join our Facebook group, WLTX Gandy's Gardeners and share your garden tips, photos, and concerns with other gardeners across the southeast. It could inspire our next garden segment!