Carolyn, as soon as the plants are large enough, take a square of Aluminum foil about 4 inches or more. Pull soil away from the base of the plant, wrap the foil securely around the stem, leaving half above ground and replace the soil. I have not been bothered with the blasted borers since my daughter told me about the foil solution.
You planted it in early april?? That is some April Fools' joke...or perhaps it is a form of "fasciation".
I start spraying mine after the plants have been in the ground about a week or so ! Then maybe every two weeks through the growth period and as needed otherwise ! Of course after a heavy rain spray them no matter when it it is ! This stuff is so mild but deadly to bugs that your plants will love you ! Safe for people and animals too !
Carolyn, this is what has saved our squash and zucchini. Dig around the stem where it comes out of the ground., about an inch or more. Make a square of aluminum foil about 3 to 4 inches long and wide enough to wrap around the stem so it's about an inch below soil line and maybe 2 inches above. Carefully wrap the foil around the stem and return soil. Our's already had a split in the stem, but they seem to be growing. The borer gets into the vine through the place where it splits. I have used this solution for a few years and we always have plenty. I hope it works for you.
That is really interesting what they are doing. I love the foil idea though. Maybe I should do that just in case. Relocated a zucc today...hopefully it will be happier where I placed it.
@growingpainsI will have to try this. it is a doable idea for a middlin size patch. right now there is a 150' row of them. maybe 50? plants.
I have been using bT, spinosad and pyrethrin and (fingerscrossed) have not had trouble with svb, thoughI have lost squashies to svb in prior years.
All I can say is it works for us. The one year the borers were already in the stem so naturally we lost the plants. I'm sure we got to them early enough this year. If you notice the stem is splitting, be sure to wrap the foil above and below the split area. Hope it works.
I just realized that I did not wrap the vine and that is the one with the hole!!! Geez!!! Does anyone think neem oil will work?
Carolyn, 50 Squash plants? I would beg for help as that's a lot of stems to wrap. Hummerbum, maybe you can still wrap the vjne/stem, just where it comes up from the ground. About 2 inches below and 2 or 3 inches above ground level.
I sprayed them with mustang max. its a one day PHI even though its a restricted pesticide. I figured spraying the stems was safer than messing around with moving and possible breaking them plants trying to get it done. i just don't have the time to devote. peas to pick today. yesterday I spent HOURS working on the tomato patch. I found mottled YUGLY tomatoes on beautiful plants. I could have cried. I am so hoping this isn't tomato spotted wilt virus. I have never had it and I am thinking it might be a bit early in out area to actually see it if we have it here and I need to go back out and finish the last 25 or so plants. trimming all the lower leaves off the plants to allow for air circulation and to keep the pests or fungus from getting a foothold in them.
I just got the tomato spots myself. They are late this year. Mine is not on the fruit so that means its not early blight just septoria I think. Since the squash like to attract not just svb but also this nasty little white haired fungus that makes black fruiting bodies at the end of the white stalks I trimmed up the tomatoes and sprayed the whole kit and kaboodle with @mart iodine wash.
