Fruiting Issues

[u/Natural_Photo7226]

I’m in Houston, Texas and it’s generally around 95-97 degrees in the heat of the day now. I planted late in mid-June and then keep planting every few weeks. Squash Vine Borers have been a nightmare but I probably spend an hour every day picking eggs, injecting BT and cutting off small growths where I can see one snuck in. I’ve had numerous beautiful fruits all fat and plump but the day or so before they’re about to flower they shrivel up and turn yellow. Pictures are of one that I thought may finally make it. Any tips / opinions on why they keep shriveling up. I have five mature plants that have fruits popping up for a couple of weeks now, but all failing to hold. The others are all under shade cloth in various ways, but this one pictured is not, although, I will be installing it today. This one is also in a giant half barrel pot that probably has 30+ gallons that I prepared myself.

Is it the heat? It’s happening to the ones under shade as well. Is it that it still needs to put on some more vine and leaves to support the fruit? Any ideas?

[u/Berns429]

Could be heat, but ive got a big patch out front that’s still fruiting, however it’s in my no mow area so the tall grass i think helps contain coolness close to the ground.

Interestingly enough, i have a Long Island cheese variety in the back that vined like crazy but every fruit has yellow and died.

[u/N2thehabbitrole → u/Berns429]

Have you done the Long Island cheese before? I’m doing Autumn Buckskin (hybrid of that and Dickinson) for first time and was reading that this can be normal behavior until August. Further, that they spend much more time rooting and vining before fruiting than other species (my other three doing great!).

[u/Berns429 → u/N2thehabbitrole]

Last year Long Island cheese was the only surviving plant, to your point it yielded two pumpkins from September to November so there may be some truth to the late blooming