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Help! My Sweet Dumpling squash plants have completely collapsed with raging mildew - no nice green leaves left at all. Most of the fruits are quite heavy and hard but I wouldn't say they are totally ripe. Should I remove all the "leaves" leaving just the stems in the hope that they might ripen further or remove all fruits and ripen on the windowsill? It seems a bit early to be doing this. Should I persevere or harvest? All advice gratefully received.

Hi Peta,

Welcome to the vine. I'm sorry to hear your dumplings have mildew sounds nasty to me that does

If it doesn't have any leaves on it I don't think there is any benefit to leaving them on the vines, if it has leave on it I would be inclined to leave them a bit longer. Are you sure it's mildew as thats normaly something you get with hot dry weather, I wpuld have thought it was more likely to be cucumber moasaic still same applies, while it's got leaves leave them on.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I think it's mildew - white powdery stuff all over leaves. I started by cutting off the odd leaf when it appeared a few weeks ago, but this is now a full-time job! Collapse has been total. Should I take the money & run?

Hmmm, sounds like mildew. I'd still be inclined to leave them as long as possible.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your advice. I'll hold fire. How do you join the Noble Order of (Sweet) Dumplings?

It's a long story Peta

Ask LJ

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/