2015 Grow-Along Challenge: Squash Wars - Roll Call!

SVBs are only east of the Rockie Mountains. Lily showed a pic of her squash plant where the SVB had gotten in, she never said it had gotten in the fruit, but she showed were it had gotten in the plant. I'm confused....

When Lily says "squash" I don't know if she means fruit or plant. The first pics of the plant were definitely SVB damage, but if there is damage to the fruit it's probably not SVBs. Just like squash bugs and SVBs are two different things.

This is one of the Calabash vines I'm growing in container. I didn't see the beetles, this time, but I've seen their damage done in years past. They will eat the flowers as well.

Don't be sorry I'm actually learning a lot, sorry you are having so many problems. Like i posted above when I gardened in CA, 20+ years ago, squash was the thing that anybody could grow. But I moved here and that was not the case.

I took some photos today to show you my entries planted out in the garden about a week or so ago and also the difference so far in straw bales and in garden beds. They were all planted out on the same day. They were all planted in their paper pots in the same mix on the same day. They were all treated exactly alike.
So here are the photos. See what you think.
!. Speedy Silver in a straw bale
2.I think this is Lemon Summer Squash
3. Amazonka Winter Squash in straw bale
4.Straw bales and squash bed beyond
5.The 5 varieties in their garden bed.
It is early yet, so it will be interesting to see if the garden beds catch up with the straw bales.

beebonnet - Looks like your straw bales may be a really good idea. I would never have thought of planting squash in straw bales. Was the straw - wheat straw? Square bales? Just curious. Would make an easy version of a raised bed if it works as well and keeps the squash as healthy as they look now.

@Lily...the first leaf photo appears to be disease related. Insect damage creates a hole or tear followed by a dead margin. The yellow halos around the holes in your photo indicate that either a fungal or bacterual problem is spreading. As it spreads the leaf cells can't make chlorophyll and begin to yellow creating larger and larger dead zones.

Bee, looking forward to following the bale experiment.

@brendak....I think the bales are rye grass straw. We got them at out local farm store and I forgot to ask. You just have to make sure they are straw and not hay. There is a forum on DG about straw bale gardening and you can follow Straw bale gardening on FB, too. Plus, there is a book on the subject. It is getting very popular and now I see why. I just planted bush beans in straw bales 2 days ago. Anxious to see them come up. My bales are on top of my already raised beds. It is getting harder and harder for me to stoop low at planting and especially bean harvesting time.
MaypopL....sure will keep you posted.

Thanks beebonnet for the straw bale info. Most interesting. Bush beans in straw bales sounds like a "good thing", too. Looks like something I need to give a try. I understand the "harder and harder".

Among the bugs/beetles problems, I've good news I think. First male flower on my 'Casper' pumpkin vine in container culture. It opened in early morning but I failed to capture a pic. while it was open.

This morning photos; 'Casper' pumpkin's male flower. :)

Casper's looking good and he certainly has a beautiful view.

Ah, just imagine a success Casper climbing up the bean stalk....ughhhh, the arbor above. lol

This was one of the calabash fruits I raised in place of 'Casper' last year.

wow great job !

Thank drthor.

Oooops, my two 'Casper' pumpkins are both inflicted by borers. The vines are yellow where the cut worms drilled through. Look like I will have to reseed these two. Those were planted in the raised bed, the one in the container culture looks to be healthy still. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, all my seedlings disappeared. Not for sure what got them? :(

In Tx look for mole crickets...

Will have to look that up.

Pill bugs can be a problem, especially with all the wet weather we've had. They've made my seedlings disappear before.

Can you replant, Linda Kay? Ya'll are giving me squash nightmares 'til I get back to my garden later this week.

Yes, I have a few more seeds.

MaypopLaurel wrote :

"Y'all are giving me squash nightmares ..." LOL. Sorry for being the barrier of bad news. I hope things will look up from here forth.

The Calabash and pumpkin vines continue to do well in containers. I'll soak more pumpkin seeds, over night, and plant directly in the garden to replace those that I've lost.

Everything seems to have survived the week. I have a few photos to share of the youngins. Need to work on catching Spaghetti squash in better light and getting photos into Plant Files. Meanwhile, the first is the Spaghetti squash. The sticks continue to direct the vines to the fence line instead of over the planter edge. #2 & #3 are the last planted Waltham butternut. Very pleased with the progress of the three Troboncino, #4 & #5. There is one more Tromboncino in a raised flower planter in the front. I couldn't throw it out and couldn't find a space. To be continued...

The first is three of the five zucchinis. The other two are flanking a path further down. I've had the zukes row covered since there are no female flowers yet. Problems occur once they start flowering though. #2 & #3 are the Long Pie pumpkins. They're growing at the end of a thirty foot double row of okra. It's a race to see if the pumpkins will out pace the okra. The last two are squash shills (this is a war, right?) Two mystery bush squash appeared in the tomato section but near to the zucchini. Another two, one bush and one vining, appeared in the compost which is near the Long Pie pumkins. They're my SVB decoys.

Hope the decoy plan works, MaypopLaurel.

I'm not terribly optimistic. SVB seem to have Stephen Hawkings brains.

Hah, one of these days someone will defeat those critters (SVB). But for now here is the remnants of my two 'Casper' pumpkin vines that I planted in the raised bed. I pulled up the diseased vines, scooped up the soil and all. Destroyed them before they spread to other healthy squash.

The only 'Casper' remains put forth the 4th or 5th male flowers. No female flower noticed yet.

This morning, those that were planted in containers look great.
1. Male pumpkin flower
2. Female pumpkin flower bud; I'll watch and see how long it takes before the flower become mature.
3. Calabash leave, the vine is slightly larger in circumference compare to pumpkin. (Flowers will be white -- some varieties their flowers open at night, other open in the morning).
4. It's difficult to tell between the calabash and the pumpkin's vines characteristic, unless one feels the texture of their vines. a) Pumpkin vine "spines" are hard and "thorny" to the touch. Where as b) Calabash "spines" are soft and fussy to the touch.

Nice squash photos, Maypop and Lily...Thanks for sharing them. Lily....I think you should have an official funeral for Casper. So sad about his death. Hope you have success with a new plant.

Poor 'Casper', it's difficult to say good bye. However, beenonnet, his sibling is making a come back. See the picture above with the male/female flowers? That is the last survivor of the 3. Wish 'Casper' well.

'Casper' is climbing up the top of the arbor.

I certainly do wish Casper,s sibling well. Maybe named Caspa? And, she should do well with the lovely view she has. Go Casspa Go!!

'Bee' thank you. :)

Today is the first really hottest day so far for us here in our area. I visited my community garden where my good neighbors allowed me to plant my squash (and a few other veggies) in their small raised bed. This is what I found. Many more of my 'Horn of Plenty' yellow squash fruits being/looking partially damaged. Many leaves shriveled up and while still green. I picked the second & third 'Spineless Beauty' Zuc. And a seemingly unaffected mature 'Horn of Plenty' (without any blemish). There are more fruits (squash to be picked), but it's too hot out. I'll return later to survey the garden, and tend to it further. Have a good weekend gardening everyone.

The 2 yellow squash are that way because of lack of pollination. You need more bees or cucumber beetles. The beetles are good pollinators.
Should add that this happens mainly on the first fruits.

This message was edited Jun 7, 2015 1:17 PM

Cucumber beetles are a pest, at least in the south. They will eat every part of many veggie plants, including damaging the fruit, they carry diseases and their larva eat the roots of plants. If pollination is an issue you can always hand pollinate.