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Dealing With Squash Borers

If you’ve grown squash plants in your home gardens, be they pumpkins, zucchini, or butternut squash, you may have dealt with squash borers and not even known it. Have your plants ever wilted seemingly overnight? Have you seen big, mushy holes in the plant stems? That’s a sure sign that you have squash borers. Here are a few tips on how to avoid these highly destructive pests so you can produce a bountiful harvest from your summer squashes and winter squash plants. 

Squash borers are the larvae form of a certain type of orange and black moth about an inch long that is active by day. Many people may recognize these adult moths as wasps because they have a similar look; but they’re not wasps, in fact, the adult squash vine borer is a moth. 

In early July adult moths begin looking for host plants on which to lay squash bug eggs. They lay shiny copper eggs on squash stems at the base of the plant, or sometimes on the leaves themselves. Once the eggs hatch borer larva emerge and eat their way into the stems of squash and pumpkin plants. They reside inside the plants, eating away at the stems until the next phase in their life cycle happens and they become moths, starting the whole thing over again. 

There are a few tricks you can try to prevent squash borers. When the plants are young you can wrap the stems in aluminum foil to inhibit the moth’s ability to access the base of the plant. As the plants age, you should loosen these wraps so as not to strangle the plants. 

Floating row covers that cover the entire plant will keep squash borer moths off your plants and interrupt the life cycle. 

Some people place yellow bowls filled with water and a drop or two of detergent near the plants to lure the moths and drown them. 

Another tactic is to mulch the stems; this will help support the plant and prevent the moth from reaching the stems. 

The best way to prevent squash borers is to spray BT (beneficial bacteria spray) on the base and stems of the plant once a week. BT is a naturally occurring bacteria that ONLY kills caterpillars and eggs. It does not harm beneficial insects like bees. By using BT, any borers will quickly be killed before they can munch on your squash garden. BT is considered organic and many organic farmers use BT spray.

Whichever method you choose (or even if you do several) remember to keep your squash well-watered. They’re big drinkers and if they’re weak from dehydration they’re more easily susceptible to being infested with pests. Follow these tips and you’re sure to have a bountiful season’s harvest!

Tips for Growing Pumpkins

It’s almost pumpkin season, and while they’re already showing up in supermarkets, if you’re growing your own pumpkins it’s likely that they’re not quite ready yet. Whether you’re a pumpkin pro or want to research how to grow your own for next year, these tips can help you grow pumpkins for pie, Jack-O’-lanterns, or just to feed the critters in your yard. 

First Up, Planting.

Pumpkins and squash have a very long growing season, about 100 days to 120 days, to mature depending on the pumpkin variety. This means you’ll want to plant them as early as possible. If you’re growing them from seeds, sow seeds indoors during March or April and then after you plant the seeds let the plants start to grow indoors until the danger of frost has fully passed.

Where to Plant.

Large pumpkins need a lot of space as they have sprawling vines that can take up to 100 square feet of space. These pumpkin vines can be trained on a trellis; however, supporting the fruit can take a little bit of imagination. Miniature varieties will utilize less space, so choose the variety that works best for your situation. 

Pumpkins like full sun to light shade, so choose your planting location with that in mind as well. 

When planting pumpkins place the seeds or seedlings in the ground in a mound. This will help the seed create new roots and allow it to warm quickly, improving drainage and deterring pests. Use pre-fertilized soil, compost, or manure and continue to feed them throughout the growing season, as pumpkins are extremely heavy feeders. 

Not every flower will bear fruit as some flowers are male and the male flower is there to fertilize the female flower. Make sure to be careful when spraying because bees are necessary to spread the pollen and many insecticides also kill beneficial insects such as bees. 

Pumpkins are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases including squash vine borers, aphids, and powdery mildew, so be on the lookout for these and treat accordingly. 

To make sure the fruit lasts a long time, only harvest the pumpkin when it’s fully mature. To test if the pumpkin is mature, thump it with your finger—it should sound hollow and the rind should be hard. It should also resist puncture if you press your fingernail into it. The pumpkin should also be a deep bright color (depending on the variety, this can be orange, yellow, green, or even white). When harvesting be sure to cut, not break, the stem and include several inches of stem on the pumpkin. This will help the pumpkin to keep as long as possible. After you harvest the pumpkin let it cure in the sun for about a week to toughen the skin. Once that’s all done you can get cooking, or carving, to your heart’s content.