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Squash vine borers
How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with
soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
"Katey Didd" wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. I personally gave up on trying. :-( I'm considering trying them as a fall crop. Some people report good success by spraying the bases with BT on a regular basis. Others have tried sevin spray instead of sevin dust. -- -- Peace! Om "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch." -- Jack Nicholson |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd wrote:
How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. Bob |
Squash vine borers
Of course, crop rotation is another option.
|
Squash vine borers
"Omelet" wrote in message ... In article , "Katey Didd" wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. I personally gave up on trying. :-( I'm considering trying them as a fall crop. Some people report good success by spraying the bases with BT on a regular basis. Others have tried sevin spray instead of sevin dust. If we can't find something to work we too will give up on these crops. With prices so high in the stores and loving these veggies I thought I'd try one more time growing them. -- -- Peace! Om "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch." -- Jack Nicholson |
Squash vine borers
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Katey Didd wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. I have not seen these seeds in the stores. Is this a winter or summer squash? Bob |
Squash vine borers
"phorbin" wrote in message ... In article , says... How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. Are you talking about them being already in the vines and boring? If possible I'd like to keep them out of the vines. The seedlings just came up the other day. If they're already in the vines, slit the vine near the point of entry, remove the borers and then immediately cover the slit with earth. The vine should put down roots at that point. Oh I heard about this, but they never rooted. They'd wilt and die. Finding where the borer is in the vine is not so easy even when the hole is found. We've done it for squash. It worked. We moved to butternut squash because it keeps (just ate the last of the harvest) and it's resistant to borer. We don't do melons. *Be aware that Sevin is particularly toxic to bees.* Yes, that has us concerned. Will check sites below. Thanks. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/squash_pest.html http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef314.asp http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/squash-vine-borer.html http://www.backyardgardener.com/wcgp...ash_borer.html Google is your friend. |
Squash vine borers
wrote in message ... Of course, crop rotation is another option. We have two vegetable gardens several hundred feet apart. Everything is rotated but the greens. The borers found the squash. A neighbor suggested we cover them with screening but the cost is too much. The soil is rich with compost and the plants get huge. |
Squash vine borers
"Katey Didd" wrote in
: wrote in message ... Of course, crop rotation is another option. We have two vegetable gardens several hundred feet apart. Everything is rotated but the greens. The borers found the squash. A neighbor suggested we cover them with screening but the cost is too much. The soil is rich with compost and the plants get huge. the borers are generally only an issue with seedlings though. sometimes tinfoil collars work, or if the borers are already in the vine slit it & remove them. do not compost vines killed by borers. sanitation helps a lot too. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd said:
How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. You aren't going to like this: I inspect thouroughly inspect the plants every 24-36 hours and remove any eggs I find. This is quick and easy when they are small but gets harder once they sprawl. I also kill any moths I can. The moth is a red and black moth that is a darn good wasp imitator. (Too bad for the moth that there are no similarly colored wasps for the educated gardener to confuse it with, at least in my part of the country.) The moth flies and lays eggs during the day. I've notice that they often rest on bean plants (if there are any nearby). Sometimes I miss an egg, but usually find the borer quickly enough to scrap it out or kill it with a fine wire. The moths initially stick to the very base of the vine, but as they spread they also begin to attack anywhere the plant touches the ground, including leaf petioles as well as the running stems. Also, the extension service publications always say something like "eggs laid singly" but I invariably find more than one and sometimes large numbers on one plant early in the season when the vines are small. When you fine one egg, look around some more nearby. Another tip: sometimes the eggs are laid slightly *below* ground level. (This is one reason why, if you use a pesticide, it should be in a liquid form rather than dust: you need to have it run down the stem to reach below the soil surface.) Eventually the first generation of moths will taper off, and the vines will have run around a lot and will have rooted at enough points to get by even if they have a few borers. Bush squash are a tougher problem, being hard to inspect. I've toyed with the idea of growing them up a short, heavy stake but haven't ever actually done that. Usually by the time they fall to borers, I've had my fill of zuchinnis (the only bush-types I grow). I always rip out an discard the squash vines when they die. And during any cultivation, I always pick out and destroy any moth pupae I find. It really helps to plant resistant varieties: butternuts, cushaws, and any cross-species hybrids with a butternut, like the Japanese-bred "Tetsukabuto" which is an excellent squash with the texture of a buttercup and the the borer tolerence of a butternut. Buttercup and Hubbard squashes -- Cucurbita maxima varieties -- are the most susceptible/attractive to borers, with C. pepo types (Jack o'lantern and field pumpkins, acorn, delicata and summer squashes) not far behind. PDF with some good pics of the moths: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publi...es/SP503-A.pdf -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
Squash vine borers
When you plant your squash, plant three white icicle radish seeds near
the stem. This prevents the squash borers from doing their damage. If you already have damage, remove the borer, and plant the cut part as deeply as you can and water in well so it has a chance to re-root. Regards, June |
Squash vine borers
"Katey Didd" wrote in
: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. My neighbor dusts with BT and also injects the vines with a BT solution, and the vines take over his backyard and produce like crazy. Another option is rubbing Vicks VapoRub on the stems, which supposedly will deter vine borers. Maybe the VapoRub plus wrapping the stems with foil would increase the effectiveness. I have not tried this tip but it seems like it might be worth a shot. Dee |
Squash vine borers
In article , says...
"phorbin" wrote in message ... In article , says... How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. Are you talking about them being already in the vines and boring? If possible I'd like to keep them out of the vines. The seedlings just came up the other day. Ah, OK. You could be somewhere, where your squash is already in the ground and well along. The newsgroup is worldwide and your posts appear to be coming through datemas.de which makes it look like you're in Germany. I only know our area, and of that I only know our garden well and it changes according to the weather and climate. If they're already in the vines, slit the vine near the point of entry, remove the borers and then immediately cover the slit with earth. The vine should put down roots at that point. Oh I heard about this, but they never rooted. They'd wilt and die. Finding where the borer is in the vine is not so easy even when the hole is found. Could it be that the vines were infected? I'm pretty sure my wife watered at the covered, damage point but I'd have to ask her, and she's not here right now. I'd wonder if encouraging rooting at different points along the length of a vine would be helpful. (Anyone care to comment?) We had one that was virtually destroyed at the original root butproduced well through the season from roots along its length. Google is your friend. What I like about Google is that it throws up information for farmers as well as gardeners... We have something between 80 and 120 books on gardening but they don't deal with the issues in quite the same way. |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
zxcvbob wrote: Katey Didd wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. Bob Tatuma is delicious. :-) Now I just need to look for seeds! No, I'm not the OP, but I've had the same trouble so had just given up on even trying to grow squashes or melons. -- Peace! Om "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
"Katey Didd" wrote: "Omelet" wrote in message ... In article , "Katey Didd" wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. I personally gave up on trying. :-( I'm considering trying them as a fall crop. Some people report good success by spraying the bases with BT on a regular basis. Others have tried sevin spray instead of sevin dust. If we can't find something to work we too will give up on these crops. With prices so high in the stores and loving these veggies I thought I'd try one more time growing them. If the list gives us alternatives, we'll both be happy. :-) I just read one post that said butternut is resistant. We love that stuff but it's a winter squash. I'd like to be able to grow both. Tatuma really is good. They sell it in the stores here so I may give that a try. Baby pumpkin also eats well as a green squash and I don't recall whether we had problems with borers or not with those. It's been too long since I've grown one. -- Peace! Om "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
"Katey Didd" wrote: "zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Katey Didd wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. I have not seen these seeds in the stores. Is this a winter or summer squash? Bob Summer, but I, too, would have to look for (or mail order) the seeds. They sell the squash in the stores locally. -- Peace! Om "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Katey Didd wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. I have not seen these seeds in the stores. Is this a winter or summer squash? Bob It can go either way (but usually used as a summer squash.) BTW, the *squash* taste pretty good, the vines taste terrible. Bob |
Squash vine borers
"Omelet" wrote in message ... In article , "Katey Didd" wrote: "Omelet" wrote in message ... In article , "Katey Didd" wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. I personally gave up on trying. :-( I'm considering trying them as a fall crop. Some people report good success by spraying the bases with BT on a regular basis. Others have tried sevin spray instead of sevin dust. If we can't find something to work we too will give up on these crops. With prices so high in the stores and loving these veggies I thought I'd try one more time growing them. If the list gives us alternatives, we'll both be happy. :-) I just read one post that said butternut is resistant. We love that stuff but it's a winter squash. I'd like to be able to grow both. Tatuma really is good. They sell it in the stores here so I may give that a try. Baby pumpkin also eats well as a green squash and I don't recall whether we had problems with borers or not with those. It's been too long since I've grown one. The only ones that were destroyed by borers were our crooknecks and zucchinis. Two of our favorites. Butternuts were not affected. Our squash are all coming up now. Unless watered profusely, pumpkins don't do to well where I live. -- Peace! Om "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein |
Squash vine borers
"June" wrote in message ... When you plant your squash, plant three white icicle radish seeds near the stem. This prevents the squash borers from doing their damage. If you already have damage, remove the borer, and plant the cut part as deeply as you can and water in well so it has a chance to re-root. Regards, June Have you tried the radishes yourself or is that something you read someplace? |
Squash vine borers
"enigma" wrote in message . .. "Katey Didd" wrote in : wrote in message ... Of course, crop rotation is another option. We have two vegetable gardens several hundred feet apart. Everything is rotated but the greens. The borers found the squash. A neighbor suggested we cover them with screening but the cost is too much. The soil is rich with compost and the plants get huge. the borers are generally only an issue with seedlings though. sometimes tinfoil collars work, or if the borers are already in the vine slit it & remove them. do not compost vines killed by borers. sanitation helps a lot too. The vine borers here get into the main stem and kill the plant, not the seedlings. They usually start their damage when the fruits have already started to form. I've yet to ever see the adults. I've tried to slit the vines to remove them and the plants would die anyway. They're not easy to find in the vines and slitting the vines seems to kill the plants even faster. Have you tried tinfoil collars and did the work for you? lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
"phorbin" wrote in message ... In article , says... "phorbin" wrote in message ... In article , says... How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. Are you talking about them being already in the vines and boring? If possible I'd like to keep them out of the vines. The seedlings just came up the other day. Ah, OK. You could be somewhere, where your squash is already in the ground and well along. The newsgroup is worldwide and your posts appear to be coming through datemas.de which makes it look like you're in Germany. I only know our area, and of that I only know our garden well and it changes according to the weather and climate. If they're already in the vines, slit the vine near the point of entry, remove the borers and then immediately cover the slit with earth. The vine should put down roots at that point. Oh I heard about this, but they never rooted. They'd wilt and die. Finding where the borer is in the vine is not so easy even when the hole is found. Could it be that the vines were infected? I am in the mid south USA. The vines in past years don't appear infected with yellows. The borers destroy the inner part, the leaves wilt and the plant dies. Even if borer is found the plant never recovers and fades away. I'm pretty sure my wife watered at the covered, damage point but I'd have to ask her, and she's not here right now. I'd wonder if encouraging rooting at different points along the length of a vine would be helpful. Zucchini and yellow crooknecks don't really have vines. They're more bush shaped. (Anyone care to comment?) We had one that was virtually destroyed at the original root butproduced well through the season from roots along its length. That must be a more vinelike plant the crookneck and zucchini. These do not root at the leaf nodes. At least they never did for us. Google is your friend. What I like about Google is that it throws up information for farmers as well as gardeners... We have something between 80 and 120 books on gardening but they don't deal with the issues in quite the same way. I was hoping to run across someone that tried something that actually worked for them. |
Squash vine borers
"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message ... Katey Didd said: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. You aren't going to like this: I inspect thouroughly inspect the plants every 24-36 hours and remove any eggs I find. This is quick and easy when they are small but gets harder once they sprawl. I also kill any moths I can. The moth is a red and black moth that is a darn good wasp imitator. (Too bad for the moth that there are no similarly colored wasps for the educated gardener to confuse it with, at least in my part of the country.) The moth flies and lays eggs during the day. I've notice that they often rest on bean plants (if there are any nearby). Sometimes I miss an egg, but usually find the borer quickly enough to scrap it out or kill it with a fine wire. The moths initially stick to the very base of the vine, but as they spread they also begin to attack anywhere the plant touches the ground, including leaf petioles as well as the running stems. As mentioned in another post. I have never seen the moth in the veggie gardens, or the eggs on the Zucchini or Crookneck plants. These plants don't really have runners. They're more bush-like and dense than say a Butternut squash. Also, the extension service publications always say something like "eggs laid singly" but I invariably find more than one and sometimes large numbers on one plant early in the season when the vines are small. When you fine one egg, look around some more nearby. Are the eggs right above the ground on the main stalk? Another tip: sometimes the eggs are laid slightly *below* ground level. (This is one reason why, if you use a pesticide, it should be in a liquid form rather than dust: you need to have it run down the stem to reach below the soil surface.) That's good to know. G Eventually the first generation of moths will taper off, and the vines will have run around a lot and will have rooted at enough points to get by even if they have a few borers. What kind of squash vines are you talking about? Bush squash are a tougher problem, being hard to inspect. I've toyed with the idea of growing them up a short, heavy stake but haven't ever actually done that. Usually by the time they fall to borers, I've had my fill of zuchinnis (the only bush-types I grow). Lucky you! By the time we harvest only a few, the borers get them. Slitting the stalk never helps. Once they start to wilt they are goners. I always rip out an discard the squash vines when they die. And during any cultivation, I always pick out and destroy any moth pupae I find. It really helps to plant resistant varieties: butternuts, cushaws, and any cross-species hybrids with a butternut, like the Japanese-bred "Tetsukabuto" which is an excellent squash with the texture of a buttercup and the the borer tolerence of a butternut. Buttercup and Hubbard squashes -- Cucurbita maxima varieties -- are the most susceptible/attractive to borers, with C. pepo types (Jack o'lantern and field pumpkins, acorn, delicata and summer squashes) not far behind. Those are winter squash. Our butternuts do fine. It's our summer squash with the borer problems. PDF with some good pics of the moths: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publi...es/SP503-A.pdf Thanks. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
Squash vine borers
"Dee" wrote in message om... "Katey Didd" wrote in : How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. My neighbor dusts with BT and also injects the vines with a BT solution, and the vines take over his backyard and produce like crazy. Another option is rubbing Vicks VapoRub on the stems, which supposedly will deter vine borers. Maybe the VapoRub plus wrapping the stems with foil would increase the effectiveness. I have not tried this tip but it seems like it might be worth a shot. It's certainly affordable and worth a try. Thanks. Dee |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd said:
"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message ... Are the eggs right above the ground on the main stalk? Anywhere along the main stem where it makes contact with the ground. You need to lift the plant up and move it around a bit to do a thorough inspection. And you need to start looking for eggs long before you would expect to see the plants drooping or lots of frass oozing out of the stems. I've noticed that the moths quite often lay their eggs on the leaf stems of zucchinis as well as on the main stem. Another tip: sometimes the eggs are laid slightly *below* ground level. (This is one reason why, if you use a pesticide, it should be in a liquid form rather than dust: you need to have it run down the stem to reach below the soil surface.) That's good to know. G Eventually the first generation of moths will taper off, and the vines will have run around a lot and will have rooted at enough points to get by even if they have a few borers. What kind of squash vines are you talking about? These would be winter squashes. Many of these could be harvested small and green as summer squashes, though. Mini-pumpkins and delicata squashes are C. pepo squashes, just like zucchini and crooknecks. Zucchetta rampicante tromboncino is a running squash that is usually grown as a summer squash. I've grown these before. Very productive, huge fruit--way too much summer squash for me! There are also edible gourds that are runners that can be used like summer squash. Snake gourds (Trichosanthes anguina) and luffas (Luffa cylindrica) can be eaten when small. Johnny's Selected Seeds (http://www.johnnyseeds.com) carries some edible gourd varieties. I'm trying out a luffa ('Rama') this summer myself. I'm trellising it in space that might otherwise have gone to another hill of zucchini. Bush squash are a tougher problem, being hard to inspect. I've toyed with the idea of growing them up a short, heavy stake but haven't ever actually done that. Usually by the time they fall to borers, I've had my fill of zuchinnis (the only bush-types I grow). Lucky you! By the time we harvest only a few, the borers get them. Slitting the stalk never helps. No, it wouldn't with bush squash. You could try using a fine wire with a hook on the end to fish them out. Or you could use a syringe to inject BT or beneficial nematodes into the vine. I used to do that (and it did help) before I learned to identify the eggs and and pick those off. You need a big bore needle, which you should be able to get at an equine supply place. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
Squash vine borers
"Katey Didd" wrote in
: The vine borers here get into the main stem and kill the plant, not the seedlings. They usually start their damage when the fruits have already started to form. I've yet to ever see the adults. I've tried to slit the vines to remove them and the plants would die anyway. They're not easy to find in the vines and slitting the vines seems to kill the plants even faster. Have you tried tinfoil collars and did the work for you? the adult is a clearwing moth. i've never had borers kill mature vines, but i bury vines as they grow so that they root along the length. i do put tinfoil collars on young plants of the squash & cucumber family. if borers are a real problem, you could try floating row covers & hand pollenate the flowers... are you slitting the vines where the borers are, or are you slitting the entire vine looking for them? there's usually a hole with frass near the borers location, & the moth lays the eggs at the base of the vine, so the first place to look is at the base, & then look for the frass. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
"Katey Didd" wrote in
: Zucchini and yellow crooknecks don't really have vines. They're more bush shaped. oh! you're planting bush squash... that's different, then. yes, it's *much* harder to find & control borers & they're much more likely to destroy the entire plant. that's why i don't grow bush type squash. both zuchinni & yellow crookneck should be available as vining type, but you may need to look for heirloom seeds. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
"Katey Didd" wrote: Tatuma really is good. They sell it in the stores here so I may give that a try. Baby pumpkin also eats well as a green squash and I don't recall whether we had problems with borers or not with those. It's been too long since I've grown one. The only ones that were destroyed by borers were our crooknecks and zucchinis. Two of our favorites. Butternuts were not affected. Our squash are all coming up now. Unless watered profusely, pumpkins don't do to well where I live. Yeah. Crooknecks, Zuch's and pattypans were what they did in for me. :-( -- Peace! Om "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Stephan Rothstein |
Squash vine borers
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Katey Didd wrote: "zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Katey Didd wrote: How do you stop them from killing the vines? I tried to cover the vines with soil but that didn't work. I tried Sevin dust. That didn't work either. What are you doing that works? We are growing squash, water mellons and cantalopes. There's a squash variety called "tatuma" that is resistant to squash borers. Just be warned that the vines are aggressive and can run about 50 feet. They taste pretty good, though. I have not seen these seeds in the stores. Is this a winter or summer squash? Bob It can go either way (but usually used as a summer squash.) BTW, the *squash* taste pretty good, the vines taste terrible. Apparently not to the borers. wink Bob |
Squash vine borers
"enigma" wrote in message .. . "Katey Didd" wrote in : The vine borers here get into the main stem and kill the plant, not the seedlings. They usually start their damage when the fruits have already started to form. I've yet to ever see the adults. I've tried to slit the vines to remove them and the plants would die anyway. They're not easy to find in the vines and slitting the vines seems to kill the plants even faster. Have you tried tinfoil collars and did the work for you? the adult is a clearwing moth. i've never had borers kill mature vines, but i bury vines as they grow so that they root along the length. i do put tinfoil collars on young plants of the squash & cucumber family. if borers are a real problem, you could try floating row covers & hand pollenate the flowers... We're retired now and can't afford to by row covers. This gardening is starting to get expensive. Insecticide, weed cloth, fertilizers, limestone, Ironite......... are you slitting the vines where the borers are, or are you slitting the entire vine looking for them? there's usually a hole with frass near the borers location, & the moth lays the eggs at the base of the vine, so the first place to look is at the base, & then look for the frass. The *&^%$# borer is usually not near the hole. I have to slit the stem and look for it, and the plant (crooknecks and zucchini) never recovers. I'm going to put collars on them and use Sevin under and around the collars. If that doesn't work I'll have to give up on these squash. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
"enigma" wrote in message . .. "Katey Didd" wrote in : Zucchini and yellow crooknecks don't really have vines. They're more bush shaped. oh! you're planting bush squash... that's different, then. yes, it's *much* harder to find & control borers & they're much more likely to destroy the entire plant. that's why i don't grow bush type squash. both zuchinni & yellow crookneck should be available as vining type, but you may need to look for heirloom seeds. Thanks. We may look into it for next year. lee -- Last night while sitting in my chair I pinged a host that wasn't there It wasn't there again today The host resolved to NSA. |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd wrote:
"enigma" wrote in message . .. "Katey Didd" wrote in : Zucchini and yellow crooknecks don't really have vines. They're more bush shaped. oh! you're planting bush squash... that's different, then. yes, it's *much* harder to find & control borers & they're much more likely to destroy the entire plant. that's why i don't grow bush type squash. both zuchinni & yellow crookneck should be available as vining type, but you may need to look for heirloom seeds. Thanks. We may look into it for next year. http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/...sh_summer.html |
Squash vine borers
"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message ... Katey Didd said: "Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message ... Are the eggs right above the ground on the main stalk? Anywhere along the main stem where it makes contact with the ground. You need to lift the plant up and move it around a bit to do a thorough inspection. And you need to start looking for eggs long before you would expect to see the plants drooping or lots of frass oozing out of the stems. I've noticed that the moths quite often lay their eggs on the leaf stems of zucchinis as well as on the main stem. Another tip: sometimes the eggs are laid slightly *below* ground level. (This is one reason why, if you use a pesticide, it should be in a liquid form rather than dust: you need to have it run down the stem to reach below the soil surface.) That's good to know. G Eventually the first generation of moths will taper off, and the vines will have run around a lot and will have rooted at enough points to get by even if they have a few borers. What kind of squash vines are you talking about? These would be winter squashes. Many of these could be harvested small and green as summer squashes, though. Mini-pumpkins and delicata squashes are C. pepo squashes, just like zucchini and crooknecks. Zucchetta rampicante tromboncino is a running squash that is usually grown as a summer squash. I've grown these before. Very productive, huge fruit--way too much summer squash for me! There are also edible gourds that are runners that can be used like summer squash. Snake gourds (Trichosanthes anguina) and luffas (Luffa cylindrica) can be eaten when small. Johnny's Selected Seeds (http://www.johnnyseeds.com) carries some edible gourd varieties. I'm trying out a luffa ('Rama') this summer myself. I'm trellising it in space that might otherwise have gone to another hill of zucchini. Bush squash are a tougher problem, being hard to inspect. I've toyed with the idea of growing them up a short, heavy stake but haven't ever actually done that. Usually by the time they fall to borers, I've had my fill of zuchinnis (the only bush-types I grow). Lucky you! By the time we harvest only a few, the borers get them. Slitting the stalk never helps. No, it wouldn't with bush squash. You could try using a fine wire with a hook on the end to fish them out. Or you could use a syringe to inject BT or beneficial nematodes into the vine. I used to do that (and it did help) before I learned to identify the eggs and and pick those off. You need a big bore needle, which you should be able to get at an equine supply place. Thanks. I have one of those huge needles. Like I said. I'll try the suggestion of a tinfoil collar, egg hunting, Sevin dust etc on the stem. If the problem still occurs I'll give up on squash. I hunt the seed racks here and they just have the common varieties. We spend so much money on the gardens already I fear my husband will object to buying seeds from catalogs or online. The prices are always so much higher. Retired, we're on a limited income now. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
Squash vine borers
Katey Didd wrote:
Thanks. I have one of those huge needles. Like I said. I'll try the suggestion of a tinfoil collar, egg hunting, Sevin dust etc on the stem. If the problem still occurs I'll give up on squash. I hunt the seed racks here and they just have the common varieties. We spend so much money on the gardens already I fear my husband will object to buying seeds from catalogs or online. The prices are always so much higher. Retired, we're on a limited income now. You might try Spaghetti Squash then. They run like pumpkins, so they should send down roots at each node (if they do get a borer, they still have enough roots that it doesn't matter) Bob |
Squash vine borers
In article , Charlie wrote:
On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Care Charlie What Charlie is trying to say in his own inimitable way is the presence of heavy metals in Ironite(R) has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd/wm/projects/135367.htm and with respect to Sevin one Canadian environmental organization in a letter addressed to local citizens cites some of the 'documented' effects of carbaryl. 1. It causes birth defects in mammals, especially dogs. 2. It worsens the condition of people with hypertension and people on anti-depressant drugs. 3. It impairs the function of the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, and the reproductive system. 4. It causes hyperactivity and learning disabilities in mammals. 5. It could increase the chance of heart attack in people with weak hearts. 6. The main break-down product, nitrosocarbaryl, which is easily created in the human gut, is a potent cancer-causing agent. 7. It causes irreversible chromosomal damage to human DNA (the genes in our cells). http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-sl...bre-sevin.html At the veeeery least, Sevin is "extremely toxic" to bees. Spray or dust with Sevin and you'll be doing the pollination of your squash yourself or you won't have squash. Most of us in the gardening groups that ingest the plants we grow, are organic gardeners because, in part, we don't want to poison ourselves, or the environment. These two products seem imminently capable of doing both. Rest assured that you are not the first to propose them products and most assuredly, you won't be the last. Keep reading the posts here in rec.gardens and rec.gardens.edible, and check out some books from the library, you'll get the hang of it. Some titles that I would recommend: Any book by Rodale http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...ipbooks&field- keywords=Rodale&x=0&y=0 How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits by John Jeavons http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-More-...80087965/ref=s r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543192&sr=1-1 The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gard...Gardening/dp/1 580172121/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543343&sr=1-1 The above are how-to books. The book below explains healthy (organic) soil. Teaming with Microbes by by Jeff Lowenfels &, Wayne Lewis http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb.../dp/0881927775 /ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210542894&sr= 1-1 The book below tells us why we are organic. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dile...ls/dp/01430385 83/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543426&sr=1-1 This is by no means a definitive list, and you will see other recommendations in the news groups, but these books are a good place to begin understanding your new hobby. -- Billy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related |
Squash vine borers
In article
, Billy wrote: In article , Charlie wrote: On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Care Charlie What Charlie is trying to say in his own inimitable way is the presence of heavy metals in Ironite(R) has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd/wm/projects/135367.htm and with respect to Sevin one Canadian environmental organization in a letter addressed to local citizens cites some of the 'documented' effects of carbaryl. 1. It causes birth defects in mammals, especially dogs. 2. It worsens the condition of people with hypertension and people on anti-depressant drugs. 3. It impairs the function of the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, and the reproductive system. 4. It causes hyperactivity and learning disabilities in mammals. 5. It could increase the chance of heart attack in people with weak hearts. 6. The main break-down product, nitrosocarbaryl, which is easily created in the human gut, is a potent cancer-causing agent. 7. It causes irreversible chromosomal damage to human DNA (the genes in our cells). http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-sl...bre-sevin.html At the veeeery least, Sevin is "extremely toxic" to bees. Spray or dust with Sevin and you'll be doing the pollination of your squash yourself or you won't have squash. Most of us in the gardening groups that ingest the plants we grow, are organic gardeners because, in part, we don't want to poison ourselves, or the environment. These two products seem imminently capable of doing both. Rest assured that you are not the first to propose them products and most assuredly, you won't be the last. Keep reading the posts here in rec.gardens and rec.gardens.edible, and check out some books from the library, you'll get the hang of it. Some titles that I would recommend: Any book by Rodale http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...ipbooks&field- keywords=Rodale&x=0&y=0 How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits by John Jeavons http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-More-...80087965/ref=s r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543192&sr=1-1 The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gard...Gardening/dp/1 580172121/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543343&sr=1-1 The above are how-to books. The book below explains healthy (organic) soil. Teaming with Microbes by by Jeff Lowenfels &, Wayne Lewis http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb.../dp/0881927775 /ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210542894&sr= 1-1 The book below tells us why we are organic. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dile...ls/dp/01430385 83/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543426&sr=1-1 This is by no means a definitive list, and you will see other recommendations in the news groups, but these books are a good place to begin understanding your new hobby. I concur and think wow there is a lot to digest for young folks. If you are not a reader and get your info via main media this almost never shows up. No lobbyist I guess as no profiteering . Historically family garden info was passed on by show and tell and see results. I Think WW1 and WW2 disrupted this transfer of information in a subtle way. We started to accept info from outsiders who had a larger audience and were paid to display but had no contact with the microclimates we live in. Paranoid you bet! Marshall McLuhan come to this mind. Bill whose children never asked a question concerning growing things. Perhaps they think it is a given? I don't know. -- Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA |
Squash vine borers
Billy wrote:
In article , Charlie wrote: On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Care Charlie What Charlie is trying to say in his own inimitable way is the presence of heavy metals in Ironite(R) has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd/wm/projects/135367.htm Yep, I bought a bag of Ironite about 10 or 15 years ago, before the word got out about how nasty the stuff is. I poured the whole bag down a well to get rid of it. ;-) Bob |
Squash vine borers
In article ,
zxcvbob wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Charlie wrote: On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Care Charlie What Charlie is trying to say in his own inimitable way is the presence of heavy metals in Ironite(R) has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd/wm/projects/135367.htm Yep, I bought a bag of Ironite about 10 or 15 years ago, before the word got out about how nasty the stuff is. I poured the whole bag down a well to get rid of it. ;-) Bob I can tell that the second head you grew came in real handy;-) -- Billy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related |
Squash vine borers
In article
, Bill wrote: In article , Billy wrote: In article , Charlie wrote: On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Care Charlie What Charlie is trying to say in his own inimitable way is the presence of heavy metals in Ironite(R) has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd/wm/projects/135367.htm and with respect to Sevin one Canadian environmental organization in a letter addressed to local citizens cites some of the 'documented' effects of carbaryl. 1. It causes birth defects in mammals, especially dogs. 2. It worsens the condition of people with hypertension and people on anti-depressant drugs. 3. It impairs the function of the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, and the reproductive system. 4. It causes hyperactivity and learning disabilities in mammals. 5. It could increase the chance of heart attack in people with weak hearts. 6. The main break-down product, nitrosocarbaryl, which is easily created in the human gut, is a potent cancer-causing agent. 7. It causes irreversible chromosomal damage to human DNA (the genes in our cells). http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-sl...bre-sevin.html At the veeeery least, Sevin is "extremely toxic" to bees. Spray or dust with Sevin and you'll be doing the pollination of your squash yourself or you won't have squash. Most of us in the gardening groups that ingest the plants we grow, are organic gardeners because, in part, we don't want to poison ourselves, or the environment. These two products seem imminently capable of doing both. Rest assured that you are not the first to propose them products and most assuredly, you won't be the last. Keep reading the posts here in rec.gardens and rec.gardens.edible, and check out some books from the library, you'll get the hang of it. Some titles that I would recommend: Any book by Rodale http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...ipbooks&field- keywords=Rodale&x=0&y=0 How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits by John Jeavons http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-More-...80087965/ref=s r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543192&sr=1-1 The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gard...Gardening/dp/1 580172121/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543343&sr=1-1 The above are how-to books. The book below explains healthy (organic) soil. Teaming with Microbes by by Jeff Lowenfels &, Wayne Lewis http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb.../dp/0881927775 /ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210542894&sr= 1-1 The book below tells us why we are organic. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dile...ls/dp/01430385 83/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210543426&sr=1-1 This is by no means a definitive list, and you will see other recommendations in the news groups, but these books are a good place to begin understanding your new hobby. I concur and think wow there is a lot to digest for young folks. If you are not a reader and get your info via main media this almost never shows up. No lobbyist I guess as no profiteering . Historically family garden info was passed on by show and tell and see results. I Think WW1 and WW2 disrupted this transfer of information in a subtle way. We started to accept info from outsiders who had a larger audience and were paid to display but had no contact with the microclimates we live in. Paranoid you bet! Marshall McLuhan come to this mind. Bill whose children never asked a question concerning growing things. Perhaps they think it is a given? I don't know. There was that "modern period" in America when, if it didn't come in plastic, it wasn't real food;-( We've gone from 1930 America, when 25% of Americans worked in agriculture, and there was a dissemination of information about food, to 2006 America with only 1.5% of Americans working in agriculture, and nobody knows nuthin' 'bout food, 'cept gardeners and ag advisors. -- Billy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related |
Squash vine borers
Charlie wrote in message ... On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:26 -0500, "Katey Didd" wrote: Ironite......... Uh oh...ironite. Of course, if you are using Sevin, Ironite is likely of no concern to you. Should it be? Our soil is so alkaline it's recommended Ironite be used. Care Charlie |
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