We had one delightful yellow squash that I picked a week ago and now there are no new squash and more disappointing, no new blossoms, just the old withered dead ones. The squash leaves are big and bright and uneaten but they do look somewhat yellow.
This morning I put some compost around to both give it a little nutrition and also to act as a mulch. Any other ideas? Should I snip the old flowers off? Any chance for more squash? Thanks for any suggestions.
LiseP
one squash and done?
Look around the main stem for a brownish - tannish area. It might be the plague aka Squash Vine Borer. I'm going out to plant zukes and yellow squash for the 4th time in 4" pots. They're backups for the previous planting which will be history in a week or so. I have eaten squash twice off about 15 plants so far. I planted some in September last year and didn't have any borer troubles but the squash bugs covered them. I've never had so much bug troubles before.
Good afternoon just about the same here, planted, growing good, bloomed, dying. Third set growing now. Is there any cure, preventive? Are they doomed? Should I pull up the ones I found this morning with the tan yuck on them? Is there anything I can do? Any help will be appreciated. Julia
Here's what I wrote under the Squash Bug Control thread:
There are two kinds of pests that attack squash: squash vine borers and squash bugs.
You don't see the borers except for their effects, which involve wilted leaves which eventually turn yellow and die, and then the whole plant dies.
The squash bugs are shield-shaped and pale greyish and can cover the leaves in a bad infestation. They suck the juices of the plant and kill it that way.
I have been using silver reflective plastic mulch, which seems to help; I lay it on the row, hold it down with bricks or rocks or staples, and tear holes at intervals to plant my seeds. Nasturtiums are also supposed to be good, I think as a trap crop, as are radishes for repelling. Planting garlic in the same row is another possible deterrent.
Once the borers have attacked your plant, some people say that injections of Bt in the stem of the affected part kill them. I've never tried that because in my experience, by the time you start seeing the damage it's too late. I've attempted to slit the stem and remove the borer, then mounding the cut area with earth, as some people recommend, but again that's never worked for me. I have also read that you can patrol your plants and remove the squash bugs, but in my garden the population seems to explode suddenly and simple removal isn't practical.
Once I see borer damage I know the end is near. My next to the last planting of yellow squash is undamaged but the newest ones are ruined. The newest zukes are fine right now. I have been spraying Garden Safe 3 in 1 that has neem and pyrethrin in it. It's a ritual every other evening just before dark. I try to get all of the leaf stalks and the main stem until it runs off. I don't know if it is doing any good or not because the younger ones are right next to the older ones. I did read that the younger vines are more tender and therefore more susceptible but I don't really belive it. The borers will go into a leaf stem and go right down to the main stem and there's nothing practical to be done. The spray seems to repel the pollinators too so there's not a lot of fruit set. I was going to try hand polinating this morning but all the females were closed.
I found a sack full of yellow squash by my front door yesterday. I know who brought it and I mean to find out how they grew it. It was larger than I like to pick it but beautiful perfect straight necks that were still tender. I put 8 bags in the freezer. So I know it is possible and I can't rest til I find out.
Your anonymous donor might have used something a bit stronger than you're willing to try. On the other hand, he or she may just have a new garden plot; I had no trouble with zucchini for a long time and then the bugs finally found my garden!
I have tried planting early and planting late and nothing seems to make a difference. If I outlast the borers, the bugs get me. But last year I actually got a decent amount of squash - not enough to go crazy with, but we had quite a few dinners of it.
Along with all the other things I'm trying I've been using Spray n Grow; this is the second year. It does seem to help with productivity and health of the plants.
Lisa, I'm having the same problem. I posted a question & pics on the beginner veggie veggie forum and am awaiting an answer. Take a peek at the pics and see if you're having the same problem perhaps.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/998924/
*edited because it might help if I included the link!
This message was edited Jun 7, 2009 6:06 AM