Blessings Darlings!
Yesterday evening I noticed the squash bugs are back. Leaf damage, some wilting, lots of eggs, some nymphs, and two of them mating - the bastards. And the beans are being attacked by bean beetles. I'm going to have to treat them all. Because eating matters. I went out and finally found one lone bottle of spray-on bug killer - and it was Sevin, not my favorite. But at least I have some pesticide for them. And, yeah, I harvested the squash early today, and will treat the plants now, so at least there will be some gap between treatment and the next harvest. Spawn has agreed to help, and we'll removed detritus and spray when the garden is in the shade later this afternoon.
Sitting in the twilight last night, I heard a catbird, greater horned owl, the wrens, and the swallows. The swallows didn't put on the nice air show last night, tho'. The Saharan dust must have eased for last night, because the moon was way less obscured.
I'm making kahlua this afternoon as well. The Chubby Hubby didn't tell me when he finished the last bottle. But he likes it to 'age' before he starts drinking it - so when he opens the back up bottle, he really needs to let me know so I can start the new batch. This batch will barely have enough time to age. Aging, in this case, means the vanilla bean in it flavors it.
Spawn and I cleared some detritus, smashed some egg clusters and two pairs of mating squash bugs, as well as sprayed the squash and the beans and the cucs and the unknown volunteer plant that's clearly in that family. Garden is desperate for more water, but it will have to wait for tomorrow.
Anthony Fauci spoke before a congressional committee. His message is, pretty much, we're screwed. Since there is no actual national plan to handle the coronavirus, we will soon hit 100,000 new cases a day. I hope Bob and I somehow avoid getting it.
Time to make the dinner type stuff.
Frondly, Fern
Showing posts with label squash bugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squash bugs. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Zuke Problems!
Blessings Darlings!
I've had several weeks of being buried in zukes. This has been a good thing for me. But ... now not only have some low-level problems with squash bugs started (and I think THEY are rather under control), but wilt has hit. I removed the plant with that, but ... I'm worried it will take out the other two in that hill. And that it will move to the gray squash in the next hill over.
I'm debating starting more grey squash in a new hill to get me to full summer squash power, but they'd have to go in the area I planned to put my fall greens/radishes/turnips in.
With the beans being so bad this year (I'll be applying BT to those this evening, if the wind is calm then), and the tomatoes being so late (my fault), the zukes have been our main veggie. Without them ... mostly I'll just be getting herbs and spices from the garden. Which will leave me sad and lower on money, since I'd have to pay for veggies.
On top of that, something has eaten leaves from some of my cucumber plants. So even THOSE aren't about to bury me.
I'm beginning to think I need a larger garden, as well as the energy and time to work it more.
Oh well.
Frondly, Fern
I've had several weeks of being buried in zukes. This has been a good thing for me. But ... now not only have some low-level problems with squash bugs started (and I think THEY are rather under control), but wilt has hit. I removed the plant with that, but ... I'm worried it will take out the other two in that hill. And that it will move to the gray squash in the next hill over.
I'm debating starting more grey squash in a new hill to get me to full summer squash power, but they'd have to go in the area I planned to put my fall greens/radishes/turnips in.
With the beans being so bad this year (I'll be applying BT to those this evening, if the wind is calm then), and the tomatoes being so late (my fault), the zukes have been our main veggie. Without them ... mostly I'll just be getting herbs and spices from the garden. Which will leave me sad and lower on money, since I'd have to pay for veggies.
On top of that, something has eaten leaves from some of my cucumber plants. So even THOSE aren't about to bury me.
I'm beginning to think I need a larger garden, as well as the energy and time to work it more.
Oh well.
Frondly, Fern
Friday, February 24, 2012
Squash Plant Pests
Blessings Darlings!
Lately lots of folks have been blogging about their plans for their upcoming gardens, and sighing about he bug-based problems they encountered last year. I know that my neighbors and I had LOTS of problems with our squash from bugs, both from them simply sucking the life out of the leaves and from them turning the vines to mush.
Now, unlike my neighbors, I DID get a really good crop before the bugs toasted the squash plants. But my squash season ended earlier than it had to. I don't want a repeat of that.
This year I plan on dealing with the insect problems better than I did last year. Which is why I've been researching the problems and solutions NOW.
VINES TURNED TO MUSH
The biggest problem, which killed the plants totally, was that the vine turned mushy not far from the roots. So mushy that the vine literally detached from the roots!
Cause:
I knew that this was a result of squash vine borers in the stem mucking about first, and now know that the mucking about allowed the vine to get infected and turn to goo.
This year's approach:
First, I'm going to plant the vines farther apart - I had them too close last year so I had a hard time finding and treating ANY problems, as well as a hard time harvesting!
The vine borers like the first foot or so of the vine, I will check it often for signs of rot. If there IS rot I'm going to cut into the vine and squish the borers, then work on re-rooting the vine farther along it's length. Like about a foot farther down it's length. To do this I'll anoint the vine with rooting hormone and mound earth over that part of the vine, topped with some compost or plastic to help keep it moist. Once new roots form I'll cut off the vine on the 'old root' side of the new roots, to try to keep the rot away.
University of Illinois - where I was an agriculture major - says that the ONLY pesticide that squash borers are not immune to is carbaryl (I have NO clue what that is), and to try applying it once a week. I'm not trying that myself.
SUCKING BUGS ATTACKING LEAVES
We had a really nasty infestation of these, but while they reduced harvest they didn't kill the entire plant.
Cause:
We had two different insects at work here in the Mid Atlantic: regular old squash bugs as well as stink bugs. They act the same, they are treated the same, they even look pretty much the same - both 'shield bugs' type. They have different colored eggs, but they are the same size, both lay 'em under leaves, and both lay them in the same pattern.
This year's approach:
First, since I've already determined to have the plants farther apart, I'll be able to check the leaves for egg masses better. Once found, I'll squish those egg masses! I may put boards down for the bugs to gather under and squish them there, too. Yes, both types of insects CAN smell bad when squished.
I might also try diatomaceous earth on these buggers and see if that helps. Pyrethrins are my back-up plan, if needed.
BACTERIAL WILT
This wilt can kill a plant in 6 weeks, sometimes even before it fruits at all. It's not a problem I've had ... yet. But I'm preparing.
Cause:
A bacteria - but it's carried/spread by cucumber beetles. Smalllish, striped beetles. If you don't have the beetles you won't have the problem.
This year's approach:
Keeping alert for the beetles will be the first thing. If I see them I'll probably do the diatomaceous earth, or if needed go for rotenone.
These are the main threats to your garden's squash supply. With out them, two hills of zucchini will feed a small army. With them, you may not get any zucs, let alone any more nutritious hard squashes.
Frondly, Fern.
Lately lots of folks have been blogging about their plans for their upcoming gardens, and sighing about he bug-based problems they encountered last year. I know that my neighbors and I had LOTS of problems with our squash from bugs, both from them simply sucking the life out of the leaves and from them turning the vines to mush.
Now, unlike my neighbors, I DID get a really good crop before the bugs toasted the squash plants. But my squash season ended earlier than it had to. I don't want a repeat of that.
This year I plan on dealing with the insect problems better than I did last year. Which is why I've been researching the problems and solutions NOW.
VINES TURNED TO MUSH
The biggest problem, which killed the plants totally, was that the vine turned mushy not far from the roots. So mushy that the vine literally detached from the roots!
Cause:
I knew that this was a result of squash vine borers in the stem mucking about first, and now know that the mucking about allowed the vine to get infected and turn to goo.
This year's approach:
First, I'm going to plant the vines farther apart - I had them too close last year so I had a hard time finding and treating ANY problems, as well as a hard time harvesting!
The vine borers like the first foot or so of the vine, I will check it often for signs of rot. If there IS rot I'm going to cut into the vine and squish the borers, then work on re-rooting the vine farther along it's length. Like about a foot farther down it's length. To do this I'll anoint the vine with rooting hormone and mound earth over that part of the vine, topped with some compost or plastic to help keep it moist. Once new roots form I'll cut off the vine on the 'old root' side of the new roots, to try to keep the rot away.
University of Illinois - where I was an agriculture major - says that the ONLY pesticide that squash borers are not immune to is carbaryl (I have NO clue what that is), and to try applying it once a week. I'm not trying that myself.
SUCKING BUGS ATTACKING LEAVES
We had a really nasty infestation of these, but while they reduced harvest they didn't kill the entire plant.
Cause:
We had two different insects at work here in the Mid Atlantic: regular old squash bugs as well as stink bugs. They act the same, they are treated the same, they even look pretty much the same - both 'shield bugs' type. They have different colored eggs, but they are the same size, both lay 'em under leaves, and both lay them in the same pattern.
This year's approach:
First, since I've already determined to have the plants farther apart, I'll be able to check the leaves for egg masses better. Once found, I'll squish those egg masses! I may put boards down for the bugs to gather under and squish them there, too. Yes, both types of insects CAN smell bad when squished.
I might also try diatomaceous earth on these buggers and see if that helps. Pyrethrins are my back-up plan, if needed.
BACTERIAL WILT
This wilt can kill a plant in 6 weeks, sometimes even before it fruits at all. It's not a problem I've had ... yet. But I'm preparing.
Cause:
A bacteria - but it's carried/spread by cucumber beetles. Smalllish, striped beetles. If you don't have the beetles you won't have the problem.
This year's approach:
Keeping alert for the beetles will be the first thing. If I see them I'll probably do the diatomaceous earth, or if needed go for rotenone.
These are the main threats to your garden's squash supply. With out them, two hills of zucchini will feed a small army. With them, you may not get any zucs, let alone any more nutritious hard squashes.
Frondly, Fern.
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