Butternut squash plants wilting!

[gardenqueen]

Help please! Growing these plants for the first time up (or should I say hopefully) a wigwam of canes. Hardened the plants off and planted before this hot weather. However despite giving them lots of water the plants have wilted. I can however see some fresh growth in the middle. My question is should I cut off the wilted leaves that have obviously had their day and try and rescue these plants or start again?

[gardenqueen]

[daileg]

I would tend to leave them on let the plant try and recover on its own was the root system established well before planting out as squash prefer to go from 3" to a 5" pot then grow a little before being planted out if not i have too lost plants this way before as the roots are not established enough to cope

[gardenqueen]

Yes the plants were well established after being in 5" pots. They had little disturbance when planted out as well. I don't suppose you can over water them, can you? I was thinking of putting the sprinkler on later this evening.

[daileg]

when planting out squash they need to be planted out on top of a mound , the reason is the suffer from stem rot from getting the stems too wet (overwatering) so i sugest the best way as i do it to insert a upside down bottle with the bottom cut off next to the plant and only water into the soil rather from above thus ensuring the stem doesnt get wet .
this way any additional feed you might want to add to the soil can be done through this method getting all the water and extra nutrients to the roots of the plant .
I grow all my squash in this way including pumpkins , squash and marrows also cucembers can be treated the same

i ll even add i grow my outside tomatoes the same use a separate watering system to ensure the top soil remans dry and the underneath is moist thus preventing powerdery mildew later in the plants life as much as you can

[gardenqueen]

Thanks for the tip daileg I will search out some bottles!  :) I did plant them out on a little square mound made up of composted material and soil, so that should be ok.

[GodfreyRob]

I would protect them in the coming cooler spell - they cerainly would not grow very well outside further north. Have some fleece ready for the next few nights!

[gardenqueen]

Thank you for that! Luckily I have some fleece in my shed.

[Tee Gee]

I can however see some fresh growth in the middle.

Then thats alright then, they are prone to physiological disorders caused by changes in environment!

My question is should I cut off the wilted leaves

No they will drop off in there oewn good time!

Thanks for the tip daileg I will search out some bottles!

5" plant pots or similar do equally as well!

the reason is the suffer from stem rot from getting the stems too wet (overwatering) so i sugest the best way as i do it to insert a upside down bottle with the bottom cut off next to the plant and only water into the soil rather from above thus ensuring the stem doesnt get wet .

Good advice!

As an alternative; you could try this method instead of the mound;

[gardenqueen]

Wow that's brilliant Tee Gee, thank you for taking the time to post your pics and for the advice.