Squash: Why is it?

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chicochi3 Fayetteville, AR(Zone 6b) Jul 14, 2008

Why is it that the squash vines I planted in my garden keep showing up with vine borers and squash bugs, but the volunteers that come up in my compost heap, maybe 40 feet away are pest free?

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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Jul 16, 2008

Borers have optimal egg laying dates from what I've read. Perhaps your volunteers sprang up later than your seeded ones and avoided the egg laying. The insect lay eggs in the soil. They hatch and the borers crawl up and bore into the vine. You can avoid borers by injecting your vines with BT (bacillus thuringiensis).

Laurel

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chicochi3 Fayetteville, AR(Zone 6b) Jul 16, 2008

Okay, I have sprayed with BT, but never heard of injecting. How would one go about injecting with BT?

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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Jul 16, 2008

I use a 6cc syringe and mix a little bit of BT in a jar. Then load the syringe and shoot 1-2cc into the hollow main stem a few inches from the ground. Some might spray back out, but that's okay. Repeat in one to two weeks. My vet gave me the syringes, but I have purchased others at the feed and seed. There is lots of online info about this with slight modifications to my method. I've been doing this for years and thought I'd invented the method. Friends thought I was nuts when I told them about it!

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fiddle Dallas, TX(Zone 8a) Jul 16, 2008

mix with what (water ?) and about how much (% Bt)?

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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Jul 16, 2008

Hi Fiddle, the BT comes as a concentrate and directions for mixing are on the bottle. It takes such a small amount though that you need to crack out the calculator for a mini batch. Use it right after mixing. I don't remember the amount per cup of water to mix off hand. Truthfully, I add a "tad" to about a cup of water. Gave up the annual math review years ago. Also, I just learned this year that BT should not be stored where it freezes.

Laurel

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