Ugh, I'm so disappointed. I raised my single zucchini plant from a seed in
the basement under grow lights, planted it when the soil finally warmed up
and have picked about 5 zucchinis from it. Happliy collecting one a day and
glad to have just enough for the two of us. Then I went away for two days,
came back to find the leaves wilted terribly and the whole plant looking
very bad. I watered it that night and in the morning it was still limp. It
looks like something has happened to the main stem just above the ground,
turning the stalk into mushy brown porous stuff. What happened????
That'll teach me to plant one anything anymore.
I'm very sad.
Jane in zone 6b, Maryland

Reply-To: "Jane"
From: "Jane"

ooks like something has happened to the main stem just above the ground,

Welcome to trhe squash vine borer society.-this nastly little worm is the
scoiurge of summer squash. Injecting BT into the stems is a control--keeping
the outside of the stem sprayed or dusted with a pesticide is another--digging
the beast out of the stem when it first appears is another. Get your suash
going as soon as possible in the spring and you may reach the zuke overload
point by the time the nasty shows up and no longer want to see any more zukes

whaaaaaaa!
Thanks for the info. I'll know better next year...but my dreams of zucchini
pancakes are dashed...boohooo.
"Frankhartx" wrote in message
...
Reply-To: "Jane"
From: "Jane"

ooks like something has happened to the main stem just above the ground,

Welcome to trhe squash vine borer society.-this nastly little worm is the
scoiurge of summer squash. Injecting BT into the stems is a
control--keeping
the outside of the stem sprayed or dusted with a pesticide is
another--digging
the beast out of the stem when it first appears is another. Get your suash
going as soon as possible in the spring and you may reach the zuke
overload
point by the time the nasty shows up and no longer want to see any more
zukes

Hey! 59¢/LB at the store and no bugs! Life is still good!
I always has a problem with cutworms so I planted inside cups with the bottom
cut out. So what happens? I got zucchini vine borers this year. I have been
fortunate in that I was able to find the problems early. You need to take a
thin wire and probe it into the bored hole in an attempt to spear the larva and
kill it or remove it. Then cover the base of the plant with soil or sand the
plant will try to recover and put out new roots. If It's too late, just thank
god you didn't have an acre of them 'Live and learn.'

Jack


whaaaaaaa!
Thanks for the info. I'll know better next year...but my dreams of zucchini
pancakes are dashed...boohooo.