Question
My newest crop of 5 week old yellow squash plants appear healthy except for some leaves appearing to have a "freckled" appearance. A few leaves on each plant have multiple, small yellow to white dots. The integrity of the spotted leaves does not seem compromised, they do not wilt, and the plants appear healthy, other than looking like they were splattered with bleach.  The plants and the ground have been treated with an organic fungicide every other week, as my first crop succumbed to powdery mildew.

Also, on all eight of my plants (four mounds), there are multiple male blossoms, but only one "little girl" out of the whole bunch. Is it common for young plants to put on only male blossoms initially? The blossoms are pretty, but no squash!

Thanks for your time,
Nancy

Answer
Nancy, mottled leaves are usually an indication that a sucking insect has infested the plant. As the plant matures, the insects usually head for other plants. Possible culprits include aphids and flea beetles.

As long as the plants look healthy, I would not worry about this condition. However, you can spray the plants with either rotenone or pyrethrum if the problem worsens. Attached are links to two websites that sell these products:

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/rotenone-pyrethrin.html
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8659&ss=rotenone

To answer your second question, plants normally produce male blooms first. The female blooms will eventually catch up. As long as there are an ample number of bees in the area, the plants should be adequately pollinated and produce in short order.

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

Regards,

Mike