My zucchini and yellow squash have not been doing well in the last few weeks and now I think I know why. I am pretty sure it is a stem borer problem. The bottom of the stem at ground level is split right up the middle. I am off to google for more information but I would much rather hear from my fellow gardeners about your experiences and knowledge.
What do I do? I expect to pull everything out asap. I do have time to re plant for this season if I do it quickly but what do I do to the ground? Is this in anyway related to squash bugs that can be treated with Seven Dust? Thanks for any help.

MJ

In article ,
" wrote:

My zucchini and yellow squash have not been doing well in the last few weeks
and now I think I know why. I am pretty sure it is a stem borer problem. The
bottom of the stem at ground level is split right up the middle. I am off to
google for more information but I would much rather hear from my fellow
gardeners about your experiences and knowledge.
What do I do? I expect to pull everything out asap. I do have time to re
plant for this season if I do it quickly but what do I do to the ground? Is
this in anyway related to squash bugs that can be treated with Seven Dust?
Thanks for any help.

MJ

Sevin is a wide spectrum insecticide that will kill you pollinators, and
won't do you any good either.

http://win14.american.edu/safety/au/vault/000/000034.PDF
This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or
residues on plants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbaryl#Safety
Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans. It is
classified as a likely human carcinogen by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)

Put in some bird baths, or feeders near garden.
--
Remember Rachel Corrie
http://www.rachelcorrie.org/

Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg

wrote:
My zucchini and yellow squash have not been doing well in the last
few weeks and now I think I know why. I am pretty sure it is a stem
borer problem. The bottom of the stem at ground level is split right
up the middle. I am off to google for more information but I would
much rather hear from my fellow gardeners about your experiences and
knowledge. What do I do? I expect to pull everything out asap. I do
have time to re plant for this season if I do it quickly but what do
I do to the ground? Is this in anyway related to squash bugs that can
be treated with Seven Dust? Thanks for any help.

MJ

That does not sound like borers to me. Borers make a little hole in the
stem. You can cut them out if you slice parallel to the stem from the
hole towards the roots and the plant will recover.

Sevin is actually a good choice iff you really have an insect problem,
but keep it away from the flowers.

What does the new growth at the ends look like? Is it healthy, or
twisted and yellow?

Bob

On Tuesday, July 2, 2013 1:27:39 PM UTC-4, zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:

My zucchini and yellow squash have not been doing well in the last

few weeks and now I think I know why. I am pretty sure it is a stem

borer problem. The bottom of the stem at ground level is split right

up the middle. I am off to google for more information but I would

much rather hear from my fellow gardeners about your experiences and

knowledge. What do I do? I expect to pull everything out asap. I do

have time to re plant for this season if I do it quickly but what do

I do to the ground? Is this in anyway related to squash bugs that can

be treated with Seven Dust? Thanks for any help.



MJ



That does not sound like borers to me. Borers make a little hole in the

stem. You can cut them out if you slice parallel to the stem from the

hole towards the roots and the plant will recover.



Sevin is actually a good choice iff you really have an insect problem,

but keep it away from the flowers.



What does the new growth at the ends look like? Is it healthy, or

twisted and yellow?



Bob

Twisted and yellow and split right up the middle. I pulled everything out. I tilled the space where the plants were and did see an actual bug.(I till by hand with a 3 prong hand tool) I did see one bug. I did not see anything that seemed like eggs and the plants are now 1/2 a mile down the road. I have started new seeds in grow pods so the new plants will not be going in the ground for a few days. Should I spray some Sevin on the ground or does that only work on foliage? There have been several bees around but they are not honey bees. Does that matter?
MJ

said:


Twisted and yellow and split right up the middle. I pulled everything out. I tilled the
space where the plants were and did see an actual bug.(I till by hand with a 3 prong hand
tool) I did see one bug. I did not see anything that seemed like eggs and the plants are
now 1/2 a mile down the road. I have started new seeds in grow pods so the new plants will
not be going in the ground for a few days. Should I spray some Sevin on the ground or does
that only work on foliage? There have been several bees around but they are not honey
bees. Does that matter?

Split stems (a clean split up one side of the stem, between the seed leaves and the ground)
is a physiological problem, possibly connected to wildly fluctuating temperatures, rainfall
and (most particularly) gusting winds.

Unless it weakens the plant enough that they wilt or seem stunted, the best thing to do is
to let the split stem callous and then carefully heap up soil around the base of the plant to
bury it.

Squash vine borers are the caterpillars of a clear-winged moth. The moth is red and black
and mimics a wasp when it flies. It is active in mid-day, flying from plant to plant to lay
one or more small, disc-shaped eggs near the base of the squash stems or on large leaf
petioles or running stems that are laying on the ground.

The borers are only vulnerable to pesticides before they burrow into the stem. My technique
(when I was younger) was to inspect the plants carefully for eggs and remove them. But
in more recent years, I've been mainly relying on spraying the base of the plants with a
mix of light oil and pyrethrum in the evenings. I've alternated that with spinosad. The aim
is to kill the eggs or recently emerged caterpillars before they bore into the stem. (It also
has the additional benefit of helping to control cucumber beetles.)

I also do my best to kill any moths I spot.

If the borers do make their way into the stem, you will see a wet mass of material (frass)
at some point on the stem. You can either slit the stem to remove the borer and then bury
the cut stem (never had good luck with that) or use a fine wire with a hook at the end to fish
them out (this I've been able to do) or use a large-bore syringe to inject Bt solution into the
stem where the borer is (also worked for me). Veterinary syringes are what you should
look for if you take this approach.

Bush-type summer squash are the least tolerant of borers, as unlike runner squash, they
can't reroot at intervals along the stem. Running butternut and cushaw winter squashes are
the most tolerant of borers, because in addition to being able to reroot as they run they
have solid stems which less likely to be completely destroyed by borers.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Bush-type summer squash are the least tolerant of borers, as unlike runner squash, they
can't reroot at intervals along the stem. Running butternut and cushaw winter squashes are
the most tolerant of borers, because in addition to being able to reroot as they run they
have solid stems which less likely to be completely destroyed by borers.

There is a vining summer squash called "Tatume" that has solid stems and
is not bothered by borers.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2010/jun/tatume.html


One vine can totally take over your garden; they branch out, and each
branch can run 15 or 20 feet. I haven't grown them in a few years, I
may plant them again next year.

Bob

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 7:55:02 AM UTC-4, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
said:





Twisted and yellow and split right up the middle. I pulled everything out. I tilled the

space where the plants were and did see an actual bug.(I till by hand with a 3 prong hand

tool) I did see one bug. I did not see anything that seemed like eggs and the plants are

now 1/2 a mile down the road. I have started new seeds in grow pods so the new plants will

not be going in the ground for a few days. Should I spray some Sevin on the ground or does

that only work on foliage? There have been several bees around but they are not honey

bees. Does that matter?



Split stems (a clean split up one side of the stem, between the seed leaves and the ground)

is a physiological problem, possibly connected to wildly fluctuating temperatures, rainfall

and (most particularly) gusting winds.



Unless it weakens the plant enough that they wilt or seem stunted, the best thing to do is

to let the split stem callous and then carefully heap up soil around the base of the plant to

bury it.



Squash vine borers are the caterpillars of a clear-winged moth. The moth is red and black

and mimics a wasp when it flies. It is active in mid-day, flying from plant to plant to lay

one or more small, disc-shaped eggs near the base of the squash stems or on large leaf

petioles or running stems that are laying on the ground.



The borers are only vulnerable to pesticides before they burrow into the stem. My technique

(when I was younger) was to inspect the plants carefully for eggs and remove them. But

in more recent years, I've been mainly relying on spraying the base of the plants with a

mix of light oil and pyrethrum in the evenings. I've alternated that with spinosad. The aim

is to kill the eggs or recently emerged caterpillars before they bore into the stem. (It also

has the additional benefit of helping to control cucumber beetles.)



I also do my best to kill any moths I spot.



If the borers do make their way into the stem, you will see a wet mass of material (frass)

at some point on the stem. You can either slit the stem to remove the borer and then bury

the cut stem (never had good luck with that) or use a fine wire with a hook at the end to fish

them out (this I've been able to do) or use a large-bore syringe to inject Bt solution into the

stem where the borer is (also worked for me). Veterinary syringes are what you should

look for if you take this approach.



Bush-type summer squash are the least tolerant of borers, as unlike runner squash, they

can't reroot at intervals along the stem. Running butternut and cushaw winter squashes are

the most tolerant of borers, because in addition to being able to reroot as they run they

have solid stems which less likely to be completely destroyed by borers.

--

Pat in Plymouth MI



"Yes, swooping is bad."



email valid but not regularly monitored

These plants were subject to a unusual amount of rain ( along with irrigation) and a whole lot of wind. They had no new growth coming and were quite yellow. Also some of the leaves had been eaten in a lace like manner. Not sure if that is related.

In article
,
Billy wrote:

In article ,
" wrote:

My zucchini and yellow squash have not been doing well in the last few
weeks
and now I think I know why. I am pretty sure it is a stem borer problem.
The
bottom of the stem at ground level is split right up the middle. I am off
to
google for more information but I would much rather hear from my fellow
gardeners about your experiences and knowledge.
What do I do? I expect to pull everything out asap. I do have time to re
plant for this season if I do it quickly but what do I do to the ground? Is
this in anyway related to squash bugs that can be treated with Seven Dust?
Thanks for any help.

MJ

Sevin is a wide spectrum insecticide that will kill you pollinators, and
won't do you any good either.

http://win14.american.edu/safety/au/vault/000/000034.PDF
This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or
residues on plants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbaryl#Safety
Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans. It is
classified as a likely human carcinogen by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)

Put in some bird baths, or feeders near garden.

Or, if you have a death wish, use Sevin.
--
Remember Rachel Corrie
http://www.rachelcorrie.org/

Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg

said:


These plants were subject to a unusual amount of rain ( along with irrigation) and a whole
lot of wind. They had no new growth coming and were quite yellow. Also some of the
leaves
had been eaten in a lace like manner. Not sure if that is related.

Sounds like they had been weather damaged, and possibly also fed upon
by cucumber beetles or earwigs. Starting over would be a wise decision.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored