Problems with growing zucchini - part 1

I cannot grow zucchini for the life of me. I usually start off great with beautiful looking plants and just when they start to produce fruits, something causes its demise. Either a squash vine borer chews through the stem of the plant, squash bugs invade the plants and suck the juice out of the fruits, or powdery mildew strikes. Unfortunately, I have found all three in my garden this week!  It is not surprising since these problems often appear in July/August. But, did I really need to get all three problems at once. Well, it gives me something to b!tch write about.  

Over the next few posts, my plan is to cover each of the problems I have with growing zucchini. I will start with powdery mildew... 

Powdery mildew on zucchini leaves

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that is favored by warm temperatures, high humidity, and poor airflow. It is often seen on zucchini, cucumber, and melon plants.

Shaded from the sun, powdery mildew first appears on the surface of leaves found in the crown or lower portion of the plant. It appears as white/gray, powdery spots on the top sides of leaves. If not controlled, powdery mildew can quickly spread to the stems and fruit of the same or closely related plant families (i.e. curbits: cucumbers, melons, etc).

Prevention ensures the greatest success. To minimize the risk of plants becoming infected with powdery mildew, it is best to grow zucchini (and other curbits) in full sun with proper spacing between plants. 

However, despite these preventative measure, it is still possible for the plants to get a powdery mildew infection. Thus, it is best to monitor the leaves on a weekly basis for signs of infection. 

At the first sign of infection, remove and destroy (do not compost) infected plant parts (leaves and stems). In addition, spray/dust sulfur on the leaves of the infected plants (preferably in the evening to avoid burning the leaves) to help control the spread of the disease. Continue to monitor and remove infected leaves and spray/dust sulfur on a weekly basis. 

Oh, and cross your fingers and hope for the best.