The Vine Borer Moth

[vfem]

Not that is had done anything... but it was thinking about it....

I saw it sitting on my squash plant today, and I didn't know what it was or think twice about it until I looked at a link Steve shared with Boggy today. .... *click* .... OH NO! So after tearing out 2 mildew infested squash plants in the back yard, I wrapped tin foil around the base of the squash that had survived in the front yard, and gave it a little mildew preventative spray of neem oil.

Was the tin foil around the stalk against the ground the right thing to do to protect from the vine borer? I'm guessing at this one... its a new threat. :/

 

[elf]

My mother's approach with the squash vine borers was to just keep planting more squash all along to replace the plants hit, as the damage never killed the plants until they had produced a substantial amount of squash. Since squash is one of the fastest to produce plants in the garden, and she had empty spots where she had harvested other crops, it was feasible to her. I've done that also, because it was easier than battling with the borers, which inevitably always won. But try the collars; I've heard of people using them.

 

[hoodat]

My mother's approach with the squash vine borers was to just keep planting more squash all along to replace the plants hit, as the damage never killed the plants until they had produced a substantial amount of squash. Since squash is one of the fastest to produce plants in the garden, and she had empty spots where she had harvested other crops, it was feasible to her. I've done that also, because it was easier than battling with the borers, which inevitably always won. But try the collars; I've heard of people using them.

That aproach works for Summer squash but Winter squash need a long growing period.

 

[curly_kate]

Those little #@*&s have gotten my pumpkins every year!! This year, I bought some lightweight garden fabric, and have kept them covered. I'm not exactly sure how it will work when they start to flower & I have to remove the fabric, but I'm hoping that this will solve my problem.