Question
My summer squash have been growing great - now i have a few blossoms on each plan with small 2 inch or 3 inch plants, now the blossom is dying and falling off and the small fruit is also turning brown and to mush .. help?
this happened last year too.  We've had a ton of rain here in the north east, is that contributing to this?

Answer
Sue, it most likely is the rain, especially if your soil is not draining sufficiently. This can be corrected by adding organic amendments to the soil, such as aged manure, peat, and compost.

When blossoms or young fruit fall off prematurely, resulting in the fruit turning brown and soft, it is usually an indication of one of two problems. Either your plants are not being fully pollinated, or, as you surmised, they are receiving too much water.

If you do not have enough bees in the area, you can hand-pollinate the flowers of most vegetables by taking a Q-tip or small paint brush and transferring the pollen from the male flower to the female (the female always has a small fruit on the end). This must be done within one day of the female flower blossoming. However, all you need to do with tomatoes is gently shake the plant every couple of days to improve pollination. To attract more bees, grow sunflowers, marigolds, cosmos, or some other bright annual in the immediate area.

One other possibility is that you are over-fertilizing the plants. Many of today抯 water soluble fertilizers are very high in nitrogen. This results in lush foliage but often at the expense of a smaller harvest. Look for a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium. Many companies now market products formulated especially for tomatoes.

In summary, remember to continue fertilizing with a low nitrogen fertilizer once every other week, and only supplement enough water to ensure a depth of 1.5?per week. Water only once or twice per week but very deeply. Shallow watering always results in poor root development and smaller harvests. Also, be sure to mulch heavily with straw or dried grass clippings around the plants to retain moisture, cool the soil, and to reduce the need for watering. Next spring, be sure to add the amendments I mentioned previously.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike