Squash Vine Borers have arrived

MamaHawk

MamaHawk

Member
Location
A corner lot in Akron, OH
Hardiness zone
6b
I noticed my heartiest squash plant was all wilty, with a rotting stem. Some quick research later, I realized I had SVB in it and unfortunately in a few others though far less badly. I dug around in the stem and killed a long brown caterpillar-worm (thin), but didn't find anything else (unless I squished it to nothing in the process of looking for it...). I buried the stem up to the top flowers and am now crossing my fingers...I'd dust it with some sort of pesticide but I don't have anything on hand and it's going on evening. Any advice? The more I learn, the more I respect commercial growers!!!
 
You'd have to inject the vine at the site of the borer to kill it and hopefully save the plant.

Any squash or stink bugs and/or eggs around? They can transmit disease that mimic things that look like vine borer or fusarium wilt. Also some varieties of squash are more resistant than others. For instance my Buttercup succumbed to something similar while my Butternut didn't care. They were planted within a couple feet of each other on a trellis.
 
YumYum said:
You'd have to inject the vine at the site of the borer to kill it and hopefully save the plant.

Any squash or stink bugs and/or eggs around? They can transmit disease that mimic things that look like vine borer or fusarium wilt. Also some varieties of squash are more resistant than others. For instance my Buttercup succumbed to something similar while my Butternut didn't care. They were planted within a couple feet of each other on a trellis.
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I didn't see any eggs, maybe one small white larva that I squished immediately. I think they were all the same variety of summer squash, though the zucchini might do better or be different. I can't quite tell at this stage unfortunately, I don't have the experience!
 
Meadowlark said:
In addition to removing, I would be sure to NOT grow squash in that same location next year.
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I've seen a lot said about moving veggie growing spots from year to year. My question is, how far away is far enough? Some folks don't have huge gardens so is just moving things to the other side of the garden far enough?
 
Many destructive insects overwinter in the soil where a favorite plant has grown...e.g. squash borers. Movement of that plant away from where they overwinter definitely helps with destructive overwintering insects as well as fungus that often remains in the same soil not to mention availability of nutrients that may have been specifically used by the host pant.

I find the use of cover crops in rotations virtually eliminates this problem. It doesn't matter the size, large or small, rotation and cover crops work.
 
Meadowlark said:
In addition to removing, I would be sure to NOT grow squash in that same location next year.
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Mike said:
I've seen a lot said about moving veggie growing spots from year to year. My question is, how far away is far enough? Some folks don't have huge gardens so is just moving things to the other side of the garden far enough?
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Meadowlark said:
Many destructive insects overwinter in the soil where a favorite plant has grown...e.g. squash borers. Movement of that plant away from where they overwinter definitely helps with destructive overwintering insects as well as fungus that often remains in the same soil not to mention availability of nutrients that may have been specifically used by the host pant.

I find the use of cover crops in rotations virtually eliminates this problem. It doesn't matter the size, large or small, rotation and cover crops work.
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I'm not sure I'll grow squash in general again yet, I'm not eating it as much as I expected to...but the more you learn! Thanks for asking about that, Mike, I wondered the same thing. My garden is about 9' by 4' so it's not very large, plus it's only got maybe four squash plants and two string bean bushes, so it's by no means full. Any recommended cover crops for this?
 
MamaHawk said:
I'm not sure I'll grow squash in general again yet, I'm not eating it as much as I expected to...but the more you learn! Thanks for asking about that, Mike, I wondered the same thing. My garden is about 9' by 4' so it's not very large, plus it's only got maybe four squash plants and two string bean bushes, so it's by no means full. Any recommended cover crops for this?
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winter rye and crimson clover work well
 
I checked on the plant today, and apparently I didn't kill the bug or another showed up, because more of the stem was eaten away...I gave up, pulled the squash free and uprooted the plant itself before chucking it in the garbage. 😢 It had survived for so long! I feel like I let it down, which is weird. Anyway, I'll have to look into clover.
 
MamaHawk said:
I checked on the plant today, and apparently I didn't kill the bug or another showed up, because more of the stem was eaten away...I gave up, pulled the squash free and uprooted the plant itself before chucking it in the garbage. 😢 It had survived for so long! I feel like I let it down, which is weird. Anyway, I'll have to look into clover.
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There is always one more bug you know.... We've had so many slugs and snails this year - nasty things, and they have destroyed a lot of our crops. When it comes to feelings about individual plants, especially those ones that struggle, I don't think it's at all weird to feel responsible and sad. If it is weird, then that makes two of us then (and maybe many more who wouldn't own up)
 
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