Squash Nightmare

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I plant squash every year and lose. I planted real early this year got about 6 zucchini's and 10 yellow straight necks and pulled them out of the garden. Over taken with SVB and squash bugs. I'll wait until later and plant some more.

My cousin in the next town is giveing me zucchini because she has so many, bah! At least I get something.

 

[grow_my_own]

Thanks Mary, I wish that was all it is. However, these puppies have been blooming since May! I got them in early hoping for an early picking, but that did me no good this year.

In fact, I think they're going to fizzle out soon anyways, most the bottom leaves are starting to yellow now. :/

Don't give up yet!

I thought the same thing... I thought, well heck, I got them planted early, where are my zucchinis? Nothing but male flowers for the LONGEST time.

Within the last 6-7 days, though, all four of my zucchini plants are covered in tiny, baby zucchinis, all of a sudden, out of the blue, just as I was about to declare that this year's squash growing was a bust and we were just gonna have to live with the 1 zuke we got out of it.

I imagine that within a week or two, I will not be able to give them away fast enough.

Patience, Grasshoppa.

 

[lesa]

Interestingly, my butternut squash plants are huge and beautiful- and I have found one blossom! I will take comfort from you guys, that they will arrive eventually...

 

[Prizewinner]

This year in my garden I have 14 hills of summer squash, 48 hills of melons, 28 hills of winter squash, and 30 hills of pumpkins. The squash bugs are always terrible so I had to find a way to keep them off all of my plants. The first way to avoid these pests is to plant early(This may depend on what part of the country you garden in). In North Carolina I 've found you can plant squash, pumpkins, and melons safely by the third week in April. The second piece of advice is to interplant your squash with nasturtiums. I've found that they help to deter squash bugs. The best way by far though I've found is to spray your plants with Bug-B-Gone Max. You can buy it at your local garden center. It's time consuming to spray your plants, but it's very effective. Spray your plants once or twice a week. The way to know it's working is if you don't see any squash bug eggs on the leaves and stems of your squash. Squash bug eggs are reddish-brown in color and can easily be rubbed off. I hope this information will be very helpful to you.

 

[catjac1975]

I'm not sure planting early is the cure all for all climates. I would have said the opposite. What I think is a better solution is to plant consecutively and make note of what works best. Squash bugs ruined my squash act for years. They now do not seem to be as bad. I can only guess as to why. The organic thought is stressed plants give off pheromones that attract bugs. I have well manured soil rich in organic matter. I no lunger use much around squash when the SB's hide. My chickens have run of the garden on the entire off season. I don't know if any of this helps in reality. I use know they have not been the huge problem of yesteryear. I have not sprayed anything in the last coupe of years. I would use rotenone or bull's Eye if the need arises. Both are organic and will kill SB nymphs. If I had to guess- I think the chickens are the heroes, eating the overwintering bugs/eggs

 

[baymule]

I'm not sure planting early is the cure all for all climates. I would have said the opposite. What I think is a better solution is to plant consecutively and make note of what works best. Squash bugs ruined my squash act for years. They now do not seem to be as bad. I can only guess as to why. The organic thought is stressed plants give off pheromones that attract bugs. I have well manured soil rich in organic matter. I no lunger use much around squash when the SB's hide. My chickens have run of the garden on the entire off season. I don't know if any of this helps in reality. I use know they have not been the huge problem of yesteryear. I have not sprayed anything in the last coupe of years. I would use rotenone or bull's Eye if the need arises. Both are organic and will kill SB nymphs. If I had to guess- I think the chickens are the heroes, eating the overwintering bugs/eggs

I think you are right. Letting your chickens have the run of the garden in the off season is a wise move.

 

[vfem]

Oh yes, I let me chickens go nuts in the garden fertilizing and turning soil... eating bugs eggs and larva... each year I notice a piece of the bug population going down. Like this year. Not a single squash bug on my squash... or cucumber beetles on my cucumbers! I've found very few squash bugs on my swiss chard I let goto seed, but they never touched those squash.

I did rip those out and plant new squash plants over the week end. Saw they started popping up today. Even got some pumpkin in. What I have learned her in NC is that those danged problematic vine borers aren't very active or mating in late July, so I'm hoping my new pumpkins take off well.

So glad we have a long season and I can get 2nd and 3rd rounds of lots of plants.