First year for pumpkins do they got squash borers?

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jjsgramma Woodhull, IL(Zone 5a) Jul 18, 2009

My grandsons pumpkins have been doing great lots of little pumpkins starting. Went out today to do some weeding since its only about 68 here and noticed the stems were orange and mushy .Read enough here to know what to look for so I cut open the stem and found gross white wormy things with big dark spot on end. So I picked them out and squished em, covered end up with dirt and used water with transplant starter in it hopefully to help new roots. They looked pretty droopy. We planted two different kinds and the other ones are not mushy but are kind of split and look like sawdust cut a couple open but couldn't find anything. The vines are rooted in different spots along it can the bad spot be cut off and the rest still live? Or is it hopeless. Is it to late to start over in Illinois for Halloween pumpkins?

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stephanietx Fort Worth, TX(Zone 8a) Jul 21, 2009

Yes. All pumpkins, squash, and cukes are susceptible to SVB.

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jjsgramma Woodhull, IL(Zone 5a) Jul 21, 2009

Thanks Stephanie. Is there anything I can do to prevent it next year?

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Jul 21, 2009

Actually the C. moschata type squash ( butternut group) are pretty resistant to SVB. SVB can be controlled with timely applications of a contact insecticide. You have to observe carefully and apply just after the moth appears. The idea is to kill the eggs before they hatch, because the larva bore into the plant shortly after hatching. The moths are great flyers so there is nothing mcuh you can do to disrupt them. With a few plants row covers combined with hand pollination will work. Never had them bother a cucumber or any type of melon but they love C.pepo and C. maxima squash. C. mixta most of the time will escape them but not as resistant as C. moschata..

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jjsgramma Woodhull, IL(Zone 5a) Jul 21, 2009

Thanks Farmerdill. This was grandsons first pumpkin patch and he is not happy. We did cut the stems of a few and take out the borers to see if we could save the plants. The others are on their own. So far we have lost about 4 plants but the rest are hanging in there. The nights have been pretty cool maybe that will help??
BTW I have 3 yr old grandson my husband calls farmerdill when he is helping in the garden. Heard through the DG grapevine thats going to be a tough name to live up to. Good thing he's starting early, now if only we had someone to teach him. LOL
Thanks again, I'll try to stay on top of it next year.











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LTilton Glen Ellyn, IL(Zone 5b) Jul 24, 2009

They sure are great flyers! I chased one all over the garden a week ago, never caught it.

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