Squash and courgettes sick

[antipodes]

All my courgette plants have died while I was on hols, the leaves have gone all grey and the leaf stems are rotting. No more fruit has been set. This is teh second year of horrible courgettes for me, so depressing.
Most of the butternut plants have also died off, leaving me with several very tiny butternuts (as big as your hand), and a couple of decent sized ones.  The Trident pumpkins seem less affected or at least they have had time to grow their fruit, which are now big and just maturing.
What could this be? Will I get it again next year? Can I treat the condition next time?

[plainleaf]

how were you watering them when you where on holiday?
Sound like for mildew but you might need to give us more info about your planing and planting strategies.

[craftyparsnip]

Hmm.. Sounds like powdery mildew to me! once its established it will slow down fruiting and a bad attack could rot the plant I think?

[antipodes]

There was enough rain to get everything by during my hols, luckily it did not rain where I was holidaying!!!
But everyone on the site seems to have sick or dying courgettes or pumpkins. I will look up powdery mildew...

[1066]

hopefully they don't look anything like this -
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,62486.0.html

hope you get some answers - really frustrating when things don't go to plan!

[pigeonseed]

See - consultation with Dr Squash! 

[antipodes]

The fruit don't seem affected, except the courgettes as the plants have really karked it, it seems to have affected more harshly them and the butternuts. Perhaps growing plants from Australian seed was an error? Maybe they are not resistant to certain strains. Oh but wait, the Harrier got it too and that is European... hmmmm mysterious.
It does look like that powdery mildew thing, the leaves go grey and the stems go brown. But i might have to cut off the fruit before it spreads down the vine.

[1066]

that Pigeonseed is getting a bit frisky!!

Antipodes, I've found with mildew, that the plants usually perk back up, and start producing new leaves and courgettes, (but that might just be me!!) so it might be worth leaving a few on there. The other thing it could be is blossom end rot (or summat like that)

Dr Squish 

[antipodes]

No, I am certain that it is not a rot of the fruit. The leaves have gone all grey and shrivelled up and died, from root end first - baby leaves are not affected straight away.
I am more concerned as to whether this will live in the soil... the squash will be planted elsewhere next season but it is a small plot, not sure it will make much difference   Could this have come from manure? I got cow manure last winter, first time I have done that.

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

I had loads of courgettes this year then suddenly the small developing ones started rotting from the flowering end. This affected the yellow ones more than the green and I'm not sure what's causing it - loads wasted. Plus I got powdery mildew to boot! 

[plainleaf]

TheEssexYorkshireman : what you are describing is blossom end rot.
antipodes mildew is air born if that is your problem

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

Ah ha! Is there a cause & cure for blossom end rot?