Odd Duck
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sheeshshe wrote:
how does the taste compare to the yellow summer squash? I'm picky when it comes to squash, its gotta be a mild flavor, too squashy and I don't like it :) I like spaghetti and yellow summer. is it mild like those?
All I know is what's in the link, it'll be my first time trying them since I just learned about them yesterday. I have very limited space, so I've decided zucchini is out and this is in, since I can send it up the trellis. At least for this year. After I taste it, I'll decide if it's a keeper.

garden5
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I think I'm going to give foil a try this year as well. I always see holes coming out of the base....but I'm not sure if this isn't from them coming out :shock:.

Succession planting is another option, as well.

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hendi_alex
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The adult vine borer is a large black wasp with an orange ring around the lower abdomen. Watch for her to be flying around the garden. She usually stings a hole in the stem several inches up from the base of the plant. The larvae work their way down the stem, and end up feeding near the crown where you will eventually see their droppings and damage. IMO foil around the crown will not help and putting foil up the stems would be too much effort. Like I said, just put a fine mesh blanket over the entire plant. Sheer material from a piece good store would work. It looks like mosquito netting and has a very low price. You just have to make an adjustment to ensure adequate access to the bees in the morning.

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gixxerific
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Hendi I totally agree that you are right (in a perfect world) about the large plant being able to survive.

There's always the but......... But I had some Lady Godiva squash grwoing last year that were huge, very huge. They still died to the combined attack of the SVB and the Squash bugs. I did get a small harvest but not up to the potential it could have been. In fact those plant would send out new shoots while I was pulling the old dead ones. Oh and I must have drowned several thousand squash bugs last year even with all my organic preventive measures. :x Hopefully we all have a better year this time around.

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hendi_alex
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I should have limited my comments to plants of my experience. I only grow zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. If they are bug free when they are just starting to bloom, then you will likely get at least two or three weeks production from the plant even if later they get attacked by squash bugs and/or vine borers. The greatest threat to these plants for me has been the powdery mildew that the pests spread. I've found treatment with a mild acid to be very effective at controlling the mildew however. Also, the context of the garden is important. I rarely grow more than two or three squash and two or three zucchini at a time. So hand picking squash bugs in that context can be highly effective. None of my strategies work very well on gourds, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, or winter squash. Those with long periods required for fruiting will still likely get killed before any kind of full fruit production, when only using my methods of control.

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sheeshshe
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thinking back about last year, the cucumber beetles and the SVB;s and the mildew etc, what a pain. it is just so darn frustrating when we work SO hard to grow our gardens and it gets taken down by pests and disease. ya know? :( nothing I can't stand more than working hard for months only for it to be all in vain.... I feel like I need an adequate solution this year. I could do the covering with tulle or something. but I have 3 young kids and I can almost bet you that I wont be out there at the right times of day to cover and uncover for bees etc... IDk what I'll do.

nielsenec
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SVB lifecycle timing is important for any control effort. U of Kentucky https://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef314.asp has good advice on how to time SVB... 950 cooling degree days from a base temperature of 50F with a biofix date of Jan 1st. I use https://www.degreedays.net/# to calculate the current CDD. Basically take the average temperature for a day (best results from hourly data but can use high/low average) and if above 50 degrees, subtract 50. This would be the number of cooling degrees for that day. Add up all CDD's from January 1st. Using this calculator, I am currently at 720 degree days! At the current rate (about 20 degrees per day) I am looking at another 2-3 weeks before I start looking for the SVB moths. My summer squash have been in the ground about 3 weeks and have about 6-8 leaves...getting ready to vine soon.
I'm going to try shaving cream on the vines and probably some sevin if there are a lot of moths in my yellow traps.

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rainbowgardener
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Well I tried pretty hard last year - grew them under row cover the whole time until mid-June-ish, wrapped tinfoil around the base of the stem from below ground for 6 inches or so. It slowed the SVB's down enough that I actually did get to harvest some zucchini's, but eventually they won and the plant bit the dust anyway.

So this year I'm just growing acorn squash, which theoretically they don't like. We will see if that is true. It's not the same as zucchini though. I really would like to grow zucchini, but it just doesn't seem to be possible here. My next door neighbor lost her zuke plants to the SVB's also.

garden5
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When it comes to garden pests, we do what we can and then hope for the best.

Alex's post back on page 2 confirms what I had originally suspected: the holes at the base are the bugs exiting the plant...this would make the foil of null effect.

I guess total containment is really the surest bet, but that's not always practical.

RB, I'll bet the reason your plants got hit even though they were contained is that the adult moth emerges from the ground.....a couple probably emerged under the covering, thus being trapped IN with the plants :shock:.

Oh well, better luck this year every one :D.

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runfox
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Last year I lost my Zucchini, Yellow squash and Cucumbers to squash vine borer. So this March when I planted, I moved things around. I planted my squash and zucchini where, my tomatoes were and planted my tomatoes in the back of my garden. So far I have lots of yellow flowers on my squash , my zucchini, and my cucumbers, and no signs of the SVB. I may get hit yet but right now I have fruit setting and I'm watching, so far so good.

tedln
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I'm going to take my tennis racquet to the garden and practice my back hand stroke on the SVB moths. I understand it is the best defense developed to date. Covering with row cover last year worked well, but is a bit of a pain in the posterior to lift daily for hand pollination and harvest.

Ted

Tate
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I am growing 2 borer resistant varieties this year - tatume and seminole. Supposedly the vines are thick and long enough with multiple rootings that the borer can't kill them if it gets in the stem. Will see what happens.

I am growing the regular squash and zucchini as well and mulching over the stems and applying an organic pyrethrin occasionally to the stem area.

Tate

tedln
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Along with my normal crook neck, yellow squash (the plants will be lost to SVB's), I am also growing Cornell Delicata winter squash. The winter squash is similar in nature to the Seminole and Tatume, but grows as a semi bush. Those types supposedly do not have hollow stems like the summer squash and are not attractive to the SVB's. The Delicata also can be eaten at any stage of development. I intend to allow mine to develop fully and then enjoy them through the winter. They are sometimes called "Sweet Potato" squash because the flesh cooks and tastes much like a sweet potato. The Cornell variety is also open pollinated and mature seed can be saved and used for the next years garden.

Ted

Tate
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Thanks for the info Ted! I was not aware of that variety - Cornell Delicata. That will be going on my list of things to try along with Tatume and Seminole. I know my kids are going to flip when they see the Seminole pumpkins assuming my plan works with as expected. I have read the Tatume is better to eat smaller so I probably won't let them get too big.

Tate

Lord Phat
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Last year I was able to save one of my two squash plants from Cucumber beetles but I think it was luck rather than skill. I picked them all off and sprayed both plants with a solution of minced garlic and cayenne pepper. The bugs were gone but one had already got infected with the wilt and bit the dust.



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