I had a thought. If you have squash infected with SVB, would burying the entry point with compost and keeping moist help to introduce beneficial nematodes or will it simply speed spoilage of the stem?
I have abad feeling my Atlantic Giant has been invaded. I discovered a large split along the vine near the base -- certainly will provide entry eve if it hasn't been already. Could the split be due to the 5 inches of rain we had between Tues and Wed? ( Yep, the drought is over! ...'f course this has been accompanied by all kinds of other problems )
The split that you described is quite common with all things in the cucurbit family, and isn't a problem at all. I would think using compost to cover an injured part of the vine would be as good as native soil....
So what about if you have SVB which I know I do in a bad way. My pumpkins are hurting. They are 1/3 - 1/4 the size they were. The evidence is right there in front of me. Maybe I should try to cover my vies. The plants still seem to be growing, well at least the parts that aren't dying are growing.
Another thing while I'm here would spraying the splits with Pyrethrin kill the little buggers? These pumpkins might be a total loss if something isn't done soon. And that's a lot of real estate I could be using for other things.
My pumpkins have them too. So, I have been taking off infected leaves in the hopes of saving the vine long enough to keep the pumpkins growing. If you cut the wilted leaves as close as possible to the main vine you can sometimes see the beast right there, or you can dig it out if it has already moved into the vine. They are small, white maggoty-looking things. Burying them after you've removed the SVB might help. I don't know anything about using Pyrethrin. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Sprays don't work against the SVB, because they are INSIDE the vine, where they are protected.... If you get on it right away, you can some times dig them out.
I've been experimenting with:
a) painting the stem with a 50/50 mix of latex paint & joint compound. So far not bad, no tell tale holes or sawdust on those plants, but it is cracking in places, and pulling the stem apart a bit. Need something more flexible. Otherwise, no harm detected to the plants.
b) surrounding the stem with blobs of paper mache from soaked egg cartons. Extending underneath where the stem first curves too, the most vulnerable spot. That has worked pretty well-it expands with growth and if it slips down you can just push it back again. Downside: it does get fuzzy mold. But no harm detected in plant growth. Some have even rooted in it too~
I also tried painting the stems with a thick clay mixture- not as durable as the paint mix. But packing around the stem with clay works as well as the paper mache.
I've also kept my pumpkin patch very wild- just paths mowed alongside the plastic mulch rows with field growth inbetween & around. And once they really run (like now) no more mowing. I noticed a spider in every hill, and even a few toads. Tons of dragonflies. So maybe the local patrol is helping out.
But it's very odd this season- there really isn't much SVB activity. I had a few vines invaded about 2 weeks ago & injected Bt (which worked- no more frass), but otherwise a few eggs here & there & no adults seen flying. Last season I was battling them well into August; injecting Bt, performing surgery & catching the adults with a net.
rainbowgardener wrote:Sprays don't work against the SVB, because they are INSIDE the vine, where they are protected.... If you get on it right away, you can some times dig them out.
I was just hoping to get them when the vines is already opened. I have never seen these before in all my gardening experience. The little buggers can really mess up your garden though.
The SVB's are far and away the most destructive pest in my garden. Everything else maybe makes holes in something, the SVB kills a whole big beautiful plant in a few days...
I seem to have avoided them this year for the first time ever, by two things: wrapped the base of the stems in tinfoil and grew them under row cover until early July.
)
So, I have been taking off infected leaves in the hopes of saving the vine long enough to keep the pumpkins growing. If you cut the wilted leaves as close as possible to the main vine you can sometimes see the beast right there, or you can dig it out if it has already moved into the vine. They are small, white maggoty-looking things. Burying them after you've removed the SVB might help. I don't know anything about using Pyrethrin. Hope this helps. Good luck!
