Why Are My Gourd Plants Turning Yellow?

Nitrogen Deficiency

• When planted in poor ground and not given enough nitrogen, squash leaves and stems turn yellow. Do not give too much nitrogen, as this will cause lush growth at the expense of fruiting. Use compost and a well-balanced fertilizer geared toward fruiting plants.

Inadequate Water

• Without adequate water, squash plants will turn yellow and begin to lose leaves. Conserve water by mulching plants thickly with hay. Water deeply and less often to encourage deeper root systems that stress less during drier times.

Pests

• Cucumber beetles feed on gourd plants, causing leaves to wilt and turn yellow. Large infestations of aphids will also cause this problem as they feed on plant juices. Squash bugs and squash vine borers infest gourds and can cause major crop damage and loss. In addition, injured stems can hide from view and make it difficult to find the problem area.

Disease

• Some types of gourd disease cause leaves and stems to turn yellow. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum lagenarium) is a fungal disease that affects fruits, foliage and other above-ground parts of plants. Identify anthracnose as yellow spotting that eventually grows in size and turns to brown. Bacterial wilt, spread by cucumber beetles, will cause leaves and stems to wilt and eventually turn yellow. Control this by killing off cucumber beetles or growing gourd plants in pest-proof tunnels. Avoid spraying pesticides when honeybees are active.