"Julia Altshuler" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

The primary means is obvious: Don't plant cucurbits (squash, melon,
cucumbers) in the same place each year. The bug overwinters in the soil,
so move the plants around. And, in northern states, it says only one
generation is produced each year. So, what might help is to plant more
seeds after you put the first plants in the ground. The second crop will
probably reach production age after the borer is gone for the season.


Let me make sure I understand this. Last year I bought new dirt and put
it in a half barrel and planted zucchini in it which was destroyed by a
squash vine borer. The barrel was placed in the front of my yard where
there's excellent sun and enough space. If I remove the dirt from the
barrel and spread it around the hidden vegetable garden on the side of the
property where the kale, peppers, basil, tomatoes, and eggplant are and
where the raspberries are taking over, then put new dirt in the barrel, is
that considered moving the cucurbits around enough? The barrel itself
would stay in the same place. This is an ordinary suburban house with a
yard so there isn't a great deal of space to move things around in.

Normally, you'd plant the thing in question in a different spot to get it
away from the previous soil. If you move quite a bit of the soil to another
place, that's basically the same idea. The best way, though, is to move the
entire house onto the bad soil, and crush anything nasty living in it. This
isn't done as often at it should be, unfortunately.


The back is shaded by trees so no vegetables there.

In "The Complete Shade Gardener", by George Schenck, he shows some pictures
of corn and few other things happily growing in *light* shade. I've grown
some of my best peppers and lettuce this way. Incidentally, this is a great
book to own. Really easy to read, very accurate in terms of plant
identification. When's your birthday? :-)


The side was the obvious place for vegetables, but since the neighbors
put up a second story,

That needs to go. Do they ever go away for a week at a time?


the sun isn't perfect though still pretty good.

See above, about veggies in less than perfect light. Never give up.

The front is sloped, and besides, we want grass and flowers there,

Pepper plants blend nicely with ornamentals. Nice leaves, and if you grow
some red or yellow peppers, they look as good as flowers.

and the other side is along a busy-ish street.

That needs to be relocated.

That's where the current squash barrel is. I suppose I could put
vegetables there, but that would be a big project involving digging up
grass and improving soil, more than I want to get into for this year.

If you're within an hour of Rochester NY, I should come over with a bottle
of wine and get you tipsy in the garden, Lia. You seem to be suggesting that
there may be other things you want to do this summer, in addition to
gardening, and that's just plain wrong (unless you're talking about
fishing). I think you have not been totally brainwashed, as you should be.
Is there anything else I can do to accelerate the madness?


(I know these sound like stupid questions, but I'm asking them sincerely.)

They're not stupid at all, but they do worry me a bit.

"It's a fine line between a hobby, and mental illness". -Somebody