June 21, 2020 - As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
My zucchini is misshapen this year—sort of narrow at one end and normal at the other. What happened?
It's the weather and the water. When temperatures fluctuate from the mid-80s to well over 100 degrees, it's hard for people to regulate our intake of water, much less our poor plants living outside 24 hours a day. Once the temperatures settle, the plants will produce properly shaped zucchini.
I accidentally sprayed some of the plants in my garden with an herbicide. Can they be saved?
I've done the same thing myself. If it's an herbicide that acts through the leaves and takes the substance down to the roots, you're in luck because you have a bit of time to reverse what you've done. Immediately and thoroughly wash the foliage of the plants you sprayed. Give them plenty of water during the next week or so, and wait. Either it worked or it didn't, and there's nothing else to do.
Reprinted with permission: California Farm Bureau Federation
