Failure To Thrive

This does not look like a pest or disease but more a “failure to thrive” situation. There might be several things going on here. First of all, the level of the soil is very low. How deep is the soil in this pot? It looks like it might only be fairly shallow and this isn’t enough to support good plant growth. Be sure to fill all containers to within an inch of the top, and don’t put anything else in the bottom: no rocks, shards, or other “filler” no matter what your mother or neighbor told you.

Secondly, are there drainage holes in this pot? Every container should have holes for the excess water can drain out. Container plants need good drainage.

Thirdly, was any time-release or liquid fertilizer used? Annuals – including vegetables – that are in containers usually need “fast food” so either a time-release product or synthetic liquid are important. If you want to only use an organic fertilizer realize that they take longer to kick in. You’d need to plant your squash early in the season and mix a granular organic in the soil when planting to get these plants to thrive – most organic fertilizers take about 4 to 6 weeks to become available for plants. Ask your local independent garden center for recommendations.

Finally, is this container in full sun? Veggies need at least 6 hours of dead-on sun to flower well. If this pot isn’t in that much light is there a way to move it into more sun? With the plant so far down in the container it’s possible that the container itself is blocking the sun for a good part of the day.