The death of a pumpkin by Vine Borer

[vfem]

Oh, so sad. I had ripped out 2 of my pumpkin vines today. Both of which had actual good size pumpkins growing on them. I found MULTIPLE vine borers in the vines at different points throughout the plant. One plant had rerooted itself in about 3 spots AFTER all the vine borers (this was plant #3) so I ripped out the main root, and all the way up until I saw no more damage from the borers. I buried the rest of the vine, and pulled off all the flowers spent, and getting ready to bloom... along with a small pumpkin. Though I doubt it, I wanted to try to save that last plant to see if it would recover, and produce.

It probably won't, but I will fill you in on how it does. I am going to go water it with an aspirin and epson salt mix for the stress.

I do have a couple more pumpkin vines planted by the chicken coops, they seem to be doing fine... but no pumpkins yet at all!

But this sad story has been told so many times. I just want to point out that all my vines had the aluminium foil collar, and that doesn't really seem to help with the pumpkins.

 

[lesa]

Oh darn!! I am so sorry! I am even sadder to hear that you tried the aluminum foil and it didn't work!!! That was going to be my solution for next year! I see giant fields of pumpkins around here- why do the vine borer's not bother them?? I am still nursing a couple of mine along. I wanted white pumpkins so badly... Sorry about your vines, here's hoping you can salvage a pumpkin or two.

 

[obsessed]

That sucks. I am over all squash and pumpkins. I don't like cotinually losing the battle with the VB. So I have moved on to other things. I am going to try soybeans next year (I did this year but they didn't do well) and watermelons for the summer garden ( I did this year but they took over and now I have to fight them back).

 

[curly_kate]

I ripped out all my pumpkins on Saturday. I tried to keep them covered to keep the beetles out, but that didn't work either. Luckily, I just grew sugar pumpkins this year, so I was able to get about 8 of them. The only thing I can figure about the giant pumpkin fields is that they must spray the heck out of them to keep bugs off.

 

[cwhit590]

Sorry to hear the news.... :/

I'm having the same problems w/ the borers on my zucchini and squash plants. They REALLY did a number on the zucchini plants (store-bought plants)...I don't think there is really much left of their main stalks. I was about to rip them out a couple weeks ago, but they're surviving and I've still gotten a few more fruits out of them. My pattypan squash (from seed) are doing better...main stalks still look decent, but plants are looking tired and production is slowing. I'm not fighting the bugs or the powdery mildew....when the plants are done, that's it. I've gotten plenty from those plants before the bugs hit and there's lots of other stuff to harvest!

 

[vfem]

Between Powdery mildew and that black fuzzy fungus... my squash plants have been through enough this year. I'm quite shocked that it was a bug that did something in. :/

You know, this is the first time this year I've come out of the garden covered in mud, bugs and nastiness!!! YUCK! I had some squash beetles in my shirt even. Made we wish I didn't have neighbors so I could have just rinsed off with the hose naked on the deck before going in the house. It was a terrible MESS! YUCK!

Going to check on the vine, maybe another dose of some good stuff?!

 

[wifezilla]

Does the oyster shell treatment work for vine borers?

 

[vfem]

Does the oyster shell treatment work for vine borers?

Na... the vine borer comes from a moth, the moth lays eggs, the eggs hatch and the vine borer starts underground in the cycle of life and destruction! *sob*

 

[hoodat]

You can switch to edible gourds instead of squash. The SVB needs a hollow stem and gourds have a solid stem.

 

[vfem]

You can switch to edible gourds instead of squash. The SVB needs a hollow stem and gourds have a solid stem.

That's a good idea... but I want my pumpkins! They are pretty AND I bake with them. Plus, you can't switch up on a 3 year old, they know the difference! LOL

But I did learn today that the window of the vine borer moth to mate and lay eggs for this year has ended. I am good to go ahead and try a late planting if I want.