Zucchini going downhill

Summer squash: Costata Romanesco
Winter Quash: Waltham Butternut, Nutterbutter and Upper Ground Sweet Potato

1lisac,

In chemistry "organic" does mean that the substance contains the carbon atom. So in a chemistry sense nearly all pesticides are "organic". In other countries they use "biological" or "natural" in the place of how we use the term organic in USA to avoid the confusion.

Natural(organic) vs synthesized(conventional)...Not always the case but most natural things tend to be safer and less toxic and shorter lasting than many of the conventional pesticides. But the acute toxicity of many natural products can be very high. The problem is that some folks think that because something is "organic" or natural that they don't need the gloves or take the same precautions as they would with conventional products. Many people have been hurt and or sickend by handing and applying natural compounds. Even though they are natural, they are still toxic pesticides, and can pose a danger to humans.

My point is that please be careful with whatever pesticide you use...either a natural pesticide or conventional one. Read the label, and use the personal protective equipment they recommend. Wear the gloves, eye protection and long pants and sleeves as a minimum.

Be most careful when you are handing the concentrated product.

Well stated drobarr. I feel so grateful that you're a contributing member of our DG-family. Your sharing of pertinent information regarding safe-gardening practices will undoubtedly benefit many. Thank you for being there, and if I haven't welcomed you formally before, please pardon. Here is a big welcome to DG.
Fellow gardener in the South East USA.
Kim

Kim,

Thank you for that welcome.

John

John,
Same sentiments from me. Thank you eversomuch for sharing your years of expertise with us.

And, welcome to the Garden!

Linda

Here's an idea that I haven't tried but it sounds good. If nothing else, you get some personal revenge on the borers.

1) Locate where the borer is in the stem. You might need to go out after dark and, using a flashlight, locate the borer based on its shadow.

2) Put a straight pin right through the vine and the little b*******. Leave the pin in place for a day or two.

3) Sleep well.

4) Don't forget to remove the pin. You don't want to accidentally "find" it at some later time.

Hey,
That's pretty cool, it if works!

I did try the "mama squash borer visits only once in a season" experiment and proved conclusively that it is not true in Georgia -- thus agreeing with the comment above about Alabama.

Once again, SVBs have taken my zucchini and yellow squash from me just at the heighth of production. Next year I am going to use tulle. I only plant about 3 of each type of squash, so I can easily hand pollinate.

just wondering....could you use one of those chicken flavor injectors? I may try spinosad.
Anyone tried the foil around the base of the plant method? or I have heard the tubes from toilet paper or paper towels work too.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5455-agribon-ag-15-118-x-50.aspx
Also, even if tulle is inexpensive, you will get a better deal with the Agribon and it works much better, plus it is double of the width !
This is year is actually a very successful squash season ... the first ever !

I used tulle last year and I had squash coming out of my ears, for the first time in yrs. I just tacked it down on the raised beds. I'm not growing any bush types this year and they are the only type the SVB seems to bother, at least for me. I like the tulle bc I can use it for other stuff too. Good luck

Drthor, thanks for the picture. I think I will copy your set up with hoops and the agribon.

I am enjoying a zucchini muffin for breakfast this morning and I hope next year will bring a more plentiful squash harvest using the above method. I would love to open the freezer in winter and find a bag of shredded zucchini to make yummy muffins on a cold morning.

scarletbean
would you be so kind and d-mail me your zucchini muffin's recipe, please?
It sounds yummy !

Also, next year I will try to plant "moschata" type squash. Mostly they are winter squash ... but if harvested small they taste just like zucchini !
The stem/trunk of the moschata squash is very hard, like bark (I have a few planted this year already and they are doing great). No way the SVB could drill into these trunks ... at least I hope ...
Check Baker Creek for the moschata seeds. They have tons of them (off course I got all the varieties from Italy):
http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/squash/winter-squash/

I agree with Drobarr regarding treatment options. The problem is not SVB here. As for SVB, I have recommended Agribon for years. I usually get three years out of it. It's effective even if it has holes. Squash plants stay covered until there are female flowers.

I have had better success planting late rather than early. I've tried every which way and late works. The moth breaks the soil here in May. You can probably find out, with a little online research, when it breaks soil in your region. So I plant mid to end of May. Birds nail the moths while my plants are too young to interest them (plus they are covered) and by the time my squash has female flowers the moth population is pretty much depleted. The photo below was taken yesterday. I have zucchini and straight neck growing together. Harvesting began two weeks ago. I plant fewer plants than years ago, to cover easily, but the plants go on for months and the yield is higher. Some folks plant early and late.

Years ago I also posted about injecting vines with Bt. It is selective as well as effective if you know where to inject. Best to get above the borer. This year I have sprayed with neem every week to ten days. I see no borer eggs anywhere. There was a time when Spinosad package directions stated not to use it more than two or three times a growing season to prevent resistance. I'm not seeing that recommendation now but believe, organic or not, we need to limit applications of any singular insecticidal product. Better to switch it up. I am saying this because I also grow orchids and have a green house. Orchid growers know full well the problems of long term insecticide treatment with one product.

Maypop, Looks great!
Here is the zucchini muffin recipe for anyone interested. This works best as muffins, as the bread tends to be too dense to be done on the inside before the outside burns.
Preheat oven to 350degrees. Makes about 2 dozen. Batter can be frozen.
ZUCCHINI MUFFINS.

3 eggs
1cup veg.oil
13/4 cup sugar ( I like 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white)
2 cups grated zucchini ( yellow squash works too, or add a bit of carrot or pumpkin)
2tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 cups wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups white, but don't use all wheat, too heavy)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon*
1/4 tsp nutmeg*
1/4tsp ginger or allspice*
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup nuts (toasted pecans are nice)
1/2 cup raisins, golden raisins or dried cranberries or any mix of them.

*You can use 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp apple or pumpkin pie spice

Grease muffin pan well or use liners.
Beat eggs and oil in a Large mixing bowl. Beat in sugars and vanilla then gently mix in grated zucchini. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder AND baking soda,salt and spices. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in the large bowl. Mix until just blended, lumpy is ok. Fold in nuts and / or raisins. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.( I sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar)
Bake about 20 mins or when toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean.

This recipe is great for adaptations, very forgiving. You can cut the oil by 1/2 cup and replace with yogurt, applesauce, Cooked oatmeal, soymilk ( may need to add 1 or 2 Tblsp Flour)
Add ins like flax seed, oats, more zucchini, wheat germ or bran or chocolate chips are fine up to a half cup. The muffins can be iced with cream cheese frosting, or baked with streusel on top.
Enjoy!

You might want to post your recipe on the recipe forum. It would be a public service at this time of year.

Thanks so much for your recipe !

I agree with several others. Inject Spinosad near the crown of the plant.

We lost all our squash this year to the squash borers. Ag people here say that once you have these they get in the ground and there is no getting rid of them. After pulling out the plants we are spraying with "Eight" which was recommended by the Farmer's Co Op locally. Next year when I plant should I use the Spinosad injections before I see any signs of the insects being present to prevent damage if they should bore into the stems?

Ive had really good luck planting the plants in a different area of the garden then covering them with tulle, so the SVB hatches in one part of the garden but can't get to the plants. When they flower they do need to be hand pollinated. You could plant before of after the SVB has emerged, so the plant isn't available to them. I've heard mixed results with injecting, but I would do it before you see damage. I've cut thru the stems to get the maggots out and they are smelly ad gross but the chickens are happy. Since I started using the tulle I have had more squash then I know what to do with.

Glad to hear that the tulle is working, 1lisac! I still have almost a whole bolt left.

Last season, I used my tulle as a cover for the mini-greenhouses I set over the hardening off seedlings.

You can see the portable mini-greenhouse below. Sometimes, if the weather dips, I put the perforated plastic over it, too.

I bought tulle to use for covering my hooped squash and cukes, prepping for anticipated problems. But I didn't do a very effective job of hand pollinating last year, so I was hesitant about when to put the tulle on. Instead I made myself a screen for the french door I sit at when I'm inside.

I had problems with SVB in Massachusetts, but none here. Yet. What I did get was my neighbor's lawn sprinkler water coming over her junipers and LOTS of mold.

Sigh, I had a really good zucchini season this year. My freezer is half full of zuc bread and chocolate zuc bread. Now the plants are pooping out ;(. I always hate to see the zucchini plants go. I know some don't like them, but to me a good row of zucchini means summer....

OK, I've had my sad-to-see-summer-go moment. Now on to fall. Maybe I will try just two zuc plant for fall and see what happens.

That's what I would do...give it a try can't hurt anything. I don't like summer squash BUT this is the first year I haven't tried to grow it. The tulle worked so well last year, I was giving summer squash away to anybody that would take it and I made bread more then once. Lol

Unlike the rest of you, I just harvested my first zucchini! Yes, it's late, but because my sunny beds were full I planted it in a rather shady spot. My winter squash actually ripened before my summer squash!

Probably good timing for a pre-freeze harvest. Mine went two weeks ago. They were replaced with more space efficient rutabagas, turnips and cauliflower.

Raining like cats and dogs here for the past three days. But everything is green!

so scarry last night ... wind and wind ...