What is wrong with my tomatoes and squash?

What is wrong with my tomatoes? They are starting to make tomatoes, but some of the leaves are turning yellow. The usual cause of that problem is water-either too much or not enough water will produce the same symptom. Are you sure that you are watering the plants enough in this dry summer? If so, think about the idea that the tomato plants are too wet. Before you water them, check the soil. Do not turn on the irrigation system until the top inch of dirt is dry. Roots need water to stay healthy, but they also need air. If the air spaces in the soil are full of water, the roots begin to drown.

What is wrong with my squash plants? The baby squash are rotting before they grow. Am I keeping them too wet? No, in the case of squash, the rot has nothing to do with water. Instead, it tells you that the squash blossom was not pollinated. The baby squash starts but cannot grow unless it is pollinated, and squash are pollinated almost exclusively by bees. Often the first one or two squash are unpollinated because the bees have not found them.

If unpollinated squash continue, you have a shortage of bees and will need to take over their job. Using a Q-tip or a small paintbrush, pick up some pollen from any male flower on any squash plant. It has a bare stem below the flower. Scrub the pollen around on any freshly opened female flower. It has a miniature squash growing below the flower. Presto change-o, the flower is pollinated, and its squash will develop to full size. If the bees eventually discover your squash plant, you can turn the job over to them. They will take over pollinating once they know where to look.

Hackett welcomes reader questions related to gardening, pest management, plants & soils. Submit questions to mhackett@centric.net, call 406-961-4614 or mail questions to 1384 Meridian Road, Victor, MT 59875.