Who else struggles with summer squash? - Page 2

Jaysan · July 22, 2013

No powdery mildew for the first time this year and I have been able to keep the squash bugs under control just by looking for them and their eggs and not letting them get established. I stake them so they stand up and it's easy to see under the leaves.

But SVBorers got everything recently, even my second plants that had just started blooming,

I got my revenge though. I split every vine and dug the critters out and executed them.

And that should reduce them next year too.

I went ahead and replanted seed. The borers are gone so maybe I can get a crop before frost.

clkeiper · July 22, 2013

We planted our first crop mid-May. We planted about 25 bush zukes in black plastic mulch, applied imaclodaprid(sp?) and covered with floating row cover weighted down until the plants flowered. By then they were about 2' tall and pushing on the row cover. They survived two frosts at the end of May inside the cover, too. They are now getting "offed" by the SVB...*sigh*, As they die, I too, split the stems open and dig out the grub and kill it. We also spray malathion on the stems once or twice trying to keep ahead of the SVB, but I started a new crop last week and replanted, so I am hoping to not have too long to be without them. I sell at a couple farmers markets and I hardly ever have any left over and those that do get to be "leftovers" end up in the chicken yard turning into lovely golden yolked eggs....

Does anyone go through the squash plants and look for the tell tale saw dust spot and poke a hard grass stem (or somesuch other object) into the spot and get the borer out? just wondering if that will help prolong the life of the plant. I tried it on Sat while I was out there and found a few grubs and extracted them.

Redbaron · July 23, 2013

I planted late this year, on purpose, because I was having problems the last 2 or 3 years. So far so good. Seems to have worked.

Tormato · July 25, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by clkeiper

We planted our first crop mid-May. We planted about 25 bush zukes in black plastic mulch, applied imaclodaprid(sp?) and covered with floating row cover weighted down until the plants flowered. By then they were about 2' tall and pushing on the row cover. They survived two frosts at the end of May inside the cover, too. They are now getting "offed" by the SVB...*sigh*, As they die, I too, split the stems open and dig out the grub and kill it. We also spray malathion on the stems once or twice trying to keep ahead of the SVB, but I started a new crop last week and replanted, so I am hoping to not have too long to be without them. I sell at a couple farmers markets and I hardly ever have any left over and those that do get to be "leftovers" end up in the chicken yard turning into lovely golden yolked eggs....

Does anyone go through the squash plants and look for the tell tale saw dust spot and poke a hard grass stem (or somesuch other object) into the spot and get the borer out? just wondering if that will help prolong the life of the plant. I tried it on Sat while I was out there and found a few grubs and extracted them.

Some other object, here. I have a friend who glues a needle into a piece of wood.

July 22, 2013	#17
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	We planted our first crop mid-May. We planted about 25 bush zukes in black plastic mulch, applied imaclodaprid(sp?) and covered with floating row cover weighted down until the plants flowered. By then they were about 2' tall and pushing on the row cover. They survived two frosts at the end of May inside the cover, too. They are now getting "offed" by the SVB...sigh, As they die, I too, split the stems open and dig out the grub and kill it. We also spray malathion on the stems once or twice trying to keep ahead of the SVB, but I started a new crop last week and replanted, so I am hoping to not have too long to be without them. I sell at a couple farmers markets and I hardly ever have any left over and those that do get to be "leftovers" end up in the chicken yard turning into lovely golden yolked eggs.... Does anyone go through the squash plants and look for the tell tale saw dust spot and poke a hard grass stem (or somesuch other object) into the spot and get the borer out? just wondering if that will help prolong the life of the plant. I tried it on Sat while I was out there and found a few grubs and extracted them. __________________ carolyn k

July 23, 2013	#18
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I planted late this year, on purpose, because I was having problems the last 2 or 3 years. So far so good. Seems to have worked. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

July 22, 2013	#16
Jaysan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 167	No powdery mildew for the first time this year and I have been able to keep the squash bugs under control just by looking for them and their eggs and not letting them get established. I stake them so they stand up and it's easy to see under the leaves. But SVBorers got everything recently, even my second plants that had just started blooming, I got my revenge though. I split every vine and dug the critters out and executed them. And that should reduce them next year too. I went ahead and replanted seed. The borers are gone so maybe I can get a crop before frost.