Bacterial Wilt

Bacterial Wilt:
This disease occurs over most of the United States. It affects cucumbers and muskmelons and, not as commonly, pumpkins and squash. Individual leaves wilt during the heat of the day, but recover overnight initially. As it progresses, all or part of the vine wilts and dies. To test for the disease, cut a wilted stem near the base of the plant. Squeeze the sap out of the stem. If it is sticky and white and forms a thread when the tip of a knife is touched to it and drawn away, bacterial wilt is probably present. (This test works best with cucumbers.) This disease is spread by cucumber beetles as they feed; the fungus overwinters in their bodies.

Prevention And Controls:
Controlling cucumber beetles is the key to prevention. Look for varieties of cucumbers and squash that are resistant to cucumber beetles pests. Cover young plants with floating row covers. Knock, shake, or hand pick beetles off plants and out of flowers, and clean up plant debris to reduce the number of overwintering adults.

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Disease information provided by NationalGardening.com, the online publisher of the National Gardening Association.

Photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Plant Pathology.