Squash Vine Dying

Question

One of my squash plants is dying, probably from powdery mildew. All the leaves are yellowing and dying. I’d like to pull the entire plant out now, but there’s a squash on the vine that isn’t ripe yet. If I pick this immature squash, will it continue to ripen? Not sure what kind of squash it is (seed pack was ‘assorted’), but probably acorn, although it looks a little too oblong. Might be spaghetti squash. Also, I’m going to treat the surrounding plants with mixture of baking soda, soap, water and canola oil. Should I rinse plant leaves off after it dries?

Answer 1

Whether it will ripen or not depends on how far into the maturation process it is. If you knock on it and it feels and sounds pretty solid, it will likely continue to ripen after you pick it. But, if it feels soft and almost more like a summer squash than a winter one, it will not be ready to ripen off the vine.

Do not wash the solution off. It needs to stay on to fight the fungus. Just an FYI, make sure the soap you use does not contain bleach. Many soap companies are now adding bleach to their soaps and it will kill the plants.