Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old August 29, 2014   #46
Got Worms?
Tomatovillian™
 
Got Worms?'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NY Zone 5b/6a
Posts: 546
Default

It's been a bad year for all my cucurbits. I've pulled my zukes because of the SVBs. Cukes are not doing so well either.

Unable to take care of the over planting that I did this year, as I came down with a really bad respiratory infection, I'll have to be unmerciful, next year when I crack down on all those buggers that got back into the soil to pupate.

I'm hoping that tilling the soil, leaving it bare, and baiting the birds in (with bread crumbs) for a couple of weeks will help.

Next spring I plan on using rotation, row covers and close inspection to head them off. Being in N.Y. I only have to deal with one hatch, so that's a big plus. I usually don't have this much trouble, but the bugs seem to be having a bumper year.
Charlie
Got Worms? is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 29, 2014   #47
beeman
Tomatovillian™
 
beeman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 692
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Got Worms? View Post
Next spring I plan on using rotation, row covers and close inspection to head them off. Being in N.Y. I only have to deal with one hatch, so that's a big plus. I usually don't have this much trouble, but the bugs seem to be having a bumper year. Charlie
Now would be a good time to use beneficial nematodes, not just for lawns!
Then next spring you won't have have the bug problems to deal with.
beeman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 30, 2014   #48
Tracydr
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by beeman View Post
Now would be a good time to use beneficial nematodes, not just for lawns!
Then next spring you won't have have the bug problems to deal with.
I've been wanting to try beneficial nematodes, too. They help with so many types of bugs!
Tracydr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 7, 2014   #49
Ken B
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: central Virginia
Posts: 243
Default

We've got summer squash (Early Prolific Straightneck and Benning's Green Tint patty pan) that were planted out in May... and THEY'RE STILL ALIVE!!!

I've NEVER seen summer squash last this long here in Virginia. Usually they're dead ~9-10 weeks after planting, and if we want zukes all summer, we have to do successions. These plants may live long enough to actually die from Powdery Mildew!

Similarly, we've actually matured a maxima-type winter squash!! Big Max pumpkin has made it -- usually we can only mature maxima types if we're able to keep them under a humongously wide piece of row cover for 2+ months -- but this year we just had them under row cover for 4-5 weeks (same as with the pepo-type summer squash), and they've matured a lot of nice fruits.

Weird. Wonder if it's from the unusually cold summer/fall/winter last year?
Ken B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2014   #50
joseph
Tomatovillian™
 
joseph's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake
Posts: 1,244
Default

I notice in my garden that many squash plants send roots down at every leaf node that touches the soil. Would it be beneficial to intentionally bury each node so that instead of having only one root the plant had a root for every leaf?
joseph is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2014   #51
Tracydr
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by joseph View Post
I notice in my garden that many squash plants send roots down at every leaf node that touches the soil. Would it be beneficial to intentionally bury each node so that instead of having only one root the plant had a root for every leaf?
I've done that and it does help with SVBs.
Tracydr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 8, 2014   #52
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

I actually just found an ad for the nematodes in my seed catalog listing a control of over 200 pests with them. I am going to order some and put them in. The cucumber beetles were so bad I didn't even get one cuke without damage this year. grr! On the other hand I had hardly any SVB.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2014   #53
shelleybean
Tomatovillian™
 
shelleybean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
Default

We, too, had summer squash much later than usual. I usually have to pull it around the Fourth of July and mine lasted until the middle of August time! Yay!
__________________
Michele
shelleybean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2014   #54
beeman
Tomatovillian™
 
beeman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 692
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by clkeiper View Post
I actually just found an ad for the nematodes in my seed catalog listing a control of over 200 pests with them. I am going to order some and put them in. The cucumber beetles were so bad I didn't even get one cuke without damage this year. grr! On the other hand I had hardly any SVB.
I totally agree, Nematodes are the way to go. They do 'get' most if not all in ground insects, even Potato Beetles and Codling Moth. Way to go.
I did have one problem. I bought some locally, garden suppliers, and when I looked through my microscope they were 90% dead. It would be safer to buy them from a grower. If the garden supplier has then in stock too long then they die.
beeman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 9, 2014   #55
Tormato
Tomatovillian™
 
Tormato's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,958
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Got Worms? View Post
It's been a bad year for all my cucurbits. I've pulled my zukes because of the SVBs. Cukes are not doing so well either.

Unable to take care of the over planting that I did this year, as I came down with a really bad respiratory infection, I'll have to be unmerciful, next year when I crack down on all those buggers that got back into the soil to pupate.

I'm hoping that tilling the soil, leaving it bare, and baiting the birds in (with bread crumbs) for a couple of weeks will help.

Next spring I plan on using rotation, row covers and close inspection to head them off. Being in N.Y. I only have to deal with one hatch, so that's a big plus. I usually don't have this much trouble, but the bugs seem to be having a bumper year.
Charlie
A bad year is having your squash turn out to be vining when you thought they were bush, the vines went up and deeply into the blackberry canes, and the blackberry canes arched over what little room you thought you had to pick bush squash plants.
Ouch X10.
Tormato is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 22, 2015   #56
Mark0820
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 907
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by greentiger87 View Post
I know it's anecdotal, but I haven't had a problem with borers since I started dousing the area with cayenne pepper. I buy the giant plastic boxes of pepper from Asian or Hispanic grocery stores and cover the base of the plant with it.
Very interesting. Does the cayenne pepper have any impact on squash bugs?
Mark0820 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 22, 2015   #57
Mark0820
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 907
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormato View Post
Hmm... maybe I'll try cayenne mixed into a small amount of petroleum jelly, rubbed onto aluminum foil, instead of just plain aluminum foil.
When using aluminum foil, do you put the shiny side facing upwards or facing down toward the soil?
Mark0820 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 22, 2015   #58
UFXEFU
Tomatovillian™
 
UFXEFU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Gloster, Lousiana 71030 Zone 8a
Posts: 253
Default

To control squash bugs, I sprinkle Sevin dust around the base of the plant when transplanting ( 8 - 10 inch diameter circle). You will need to reaply after a heavy rain.
UFXEFU is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 22, 2015   #59
BigVanVader
Tomatovillian™
 
BigVanVader's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 3,099
Default

To combat squash bugs I have found the perfect solution. Grow squash under cover!

I don't use any chemicals and have never been able to defeat them unless I keep the bed covered. I tried pretty much everything else before resorting to this. I also enjoy hand pollinating the squash, its easy and fun to practice on. Its just so much more relaxing than having to spray and pray all the time.
BigVanVader is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 9, 2015   #60
Starlight
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: AL
Posts: 1,993
Default

Here is some of the practices that I use as squash bugs are so rampant down here. It's even worse when you have a close neighbor who just lets every bug have a party in their yard. Going organic is fine. A great thing actually, but at least get out there and scout and keep from infecting other folks crops when your gardens are only a few feet away from each other.

http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/articles/view/1486/

Then little car dust buster really do work good. Sucks them adults right up.
Starlight is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:49 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★