A military spouse's take on blooming where you are planted. I continue to pretend I am living on my dream farm while in reality, I live on a military base, gardening in a plot alongside a Navy flightline, with half of my homesteading supplies perpetually packed in boxes and have a habit of being overly involved in every community we live in. I'm a busy mom to 2 boys and a spouse to a Navy sailor soon nearing retirement. I love this chaotic life wouldn't trade it for anything!
right now
Jul 1, 2011
Warning: Explicit Photo!
I know, I know... it's a little early in the morning to be subjected to this...
It's damage from the squash bugs? Does that eventually destroy the whole plant? I'm starting to think our cool, short growing season is not such a bad thing! Your heat seems to be a lot more condusive to a lot of insects. :o(
Anke, 'tis the season! *** Mama Pea, that's not squash bugs, that's Squash Vine Borer. The SVB moth that we were chasing down like crazy people a few weeks ago apparently was able to complete it's life mission LOL. The SVB moth lays it's eggs at the base of any squash family plant, 7-10 days later they hatch and the larvae burrow straight down into the stem, where as they eat they kick out the excrement, or "frass"... that's what you are looking at. It's warm enough here that there are two generations of them a year also. The entire plant will be dead darn near immediately, it doesn't take long. There's no real "cure" short of killing the moths before they lay eggs. Some people actually inject BT into the stem but the amount of people that are actually successful with this are few. How's that for the short primer? LOL...
OMG-not another disaster. My dear, you seem to be having the worst luck this summer. Do you think the weather has something to do with it? We seem to have more bugs than usual this year too.
Well since all of our gardens are going to pot - and fast- I think we all need to pick a central location, load up the homemade wine and brew, and have ourselves a grand old time. I sure think that would be better than standing in our gardens, crying in our beer alone.
I don't know if this is going to work or not, but I did plant radishes in with all my squash/cuke types and will just let them go to seed. Have you ever tried that? And if so, any luck? Or did these poor buggers have them around it and it failed? :(
I planted radishes all over the place, too. But blight is creeping into my tomatoes. I think Jane has a wonderful idea. It would be interesting to see what the central location would be! Also, it's another good reason to take up what has become my favorite garden position - prone. You can see a lot (of horror) from that venue!
That does it--I am sending in the army-better be the navy I guess ] to stomp all those squash vine bores out ,once and for all----all joking aside -its so bad your garden getting attacked again.Hope you can enjoy the holiday week-end a little bit.NEXT WEEK I expect to see a lot of photo's about water fights with water guns from you'all.
Quoting from my favorite gardening book, Crockett's Victory Garden, spray the vines with the plant-derived insecticide rotenone, beginning when the runners are 1-foot long. Spray the base of the plant and runners about once a week for the rest of the month (July in his instance). IF a borer does get in, the entry hole will be quite obvious. Dig the borer out with the tip of a sharp knife, then cover the wound and several feet of the vine with 2 inches of moist soil. Or...grow Waltham Butternut squash, which is resistant to borers.
Ohhh I had to avert my eyes! Boy Erin it sure has been a tough year for your garden. That's the thing about gardening that I don't like, how you can't control the bugs easily or the weather.
Oh, my!! My eyes aren't used to such sights!! I volunteer my house for a central meeting place! We can all cry in our drinks and at least have a good time. Judy
Central meeting spot...I'm in! The gardens this year are just insane, aren't they? Evil borer. Evil weather. Evil everything. Sorry you're having such a rough time. I think the only way to deal with it is to do what Jane suggested!
Boy, does this look familiar... :-( I already had to rip out two zucchini plants and my last one isn't looking too hot, either. I hate squash bugs!!
ReplyDeleteIt's damage from the squash bugs? Does that eventually destroy the whole plant? I'm starting to think our cool, short growing season is not such a bad thing! Your heat seems to be a lot more condusive to a lot of insects. :o(
ReplyDeleteAnke, 'tis the season!
ReplyDelete***
Mama Pea, that's not squash bugs, that's Squash Vine Borer. The SVB moth that we were chasing down like crazy people a few weeks ago apparently was able to complete it's life mission LOL. The SVB moth lays it's eggs at the base of any squash family plant, 7-10 days later they hatch and the larvae burrow straight down into the stem, where as they eat they kick out the excrement, or "frass"... that's what you are looking at. It's warm enough here that there are two generations of them a year also. The entire plant will be dead darn near immediately, it doesn't take long. There's no real "cure" short of killing the moths before they lay eggs. Some people actually inject BT into the stem but the amount of people that are actually successful with this are few. How's that for the short primer? LOL...
Also.. those are my Sugar Pie Pumpkins!
ReplyDeleteI hate those darn SVB's...sounds like some type of venereal disease doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh the horror! I had to cover my 4 year old's eyes.
ReplyDeleteOMG-not another disaster. My dear, you seem to be having the worst luck this summer. Do you think the weather has something to do with it? We seem to have more bugs than usual this year too.
ReplyDeleteWell since all of our gardens are going to pot - and fast- I think we all need to pick a central location, load up the homemade wine and brew, and have ourselves a grand old time. I sure think that would be better than standing in our gardens, crying in our beer alone.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is going to work or not, but I did plant radishes in with all my squash/cuke types and will just let them go to seed. Have you ever tried that? And if so, any luck? Or did these poor buggers have them around it and it failed? :(
ReplyDeleteI'm there for the party!
Annoying isn't it? I'm expending our squash to look this way a month from now. Oh the joys of veggie gardening.
ReplyDeleteI planted radishes all over the place, too. But blight is creeping into my tomatoes. I think Jane has a wonderful idea. It would be interesting to see what the central location would be! Also, it's another good reason to take up what has become my favorite garden position - prone. You can see a lot (of horror) from that venue!
ReplyDeleteI am not going to recover any time soon from that shot. How dare you on a Friday?
ReplyDeleteBlech. I feel your pain. I think I'm pulling the rest and growing crowder peas in their place.
ReplyDeleteRibbit
That does it--I am sending in the army-better be the navy I guess ] to stomp all those squash vine bores out ,once and for all----all joking aside -its so bad your garden getting attacked again.Hope you can enjoy the holiday week-end a little bit.NEXT WEEK I expect to see a lot of photo's about water fights with water guns from you'all.
ReplyDeleteQuoting from my favorite gardening book, Crockett's Victory Garden, spray the vines with the plant-derived insecticide rotenone, beginning when the runners are 1-foot long. Spray the base of the plant and runners about once a week for the rest of the month (July in his instance). IF a borer does get in, the entry hole will be quite obvious. Dig the borer out with the tip of a sharp knife, then cover the wound and several feet of the vine with 2 inches of moist soil. Or...grow Waltham Butternut squash, which is resistant to borers.
ReplyDeleteI forgot that as we get deeper into the summer, these explicit photos start showing up on many bloggers' blogs. :-)
ReplyDeleteOhhh I had to avert my eyes! Boy Erin it sure has been a tough year for your garden. That's the thing about gardening that I don't like, how you can't control the bugs easily or the weather.
ReplyDeleteOh, my!! My eyes aren't used to such sights!!
ReplyDeleteI volunteer my house for a central meeting place! We can all cry in our drinks and at least have a good time.
Judy
Oh how I despise the borer. They are right up there with ticks on the list of God's creatures I would eradicate if given the option. So sorry.
ReplyDeleteCentral meeting spot...I'm in! The gardens this year are just insane, aren't they? Evil borer. Evil weather. Evil everything. Sorry you're having such a rough time. I think the only way to deal with it is to do what Jane suggested!
ReplyDelete