Zucchini war

[rile]

It's time to get ready for the annual war between my zucchini plants and the dreaded squash borer. This year I've decided to at least make an attempt to slow the accursed things down. After reading numerous posts, I've decided to make a many fronted attack. I am going to line the base of the plants with aluminum foil, spray shaving cream on the stems, cover the plants with row covers, check for eggs, and be ready with a syringe and Bt. Also, I am going to plant several times over the summer, especially in late June after, I assume, the egg laying is ended. Now some questions: where can I find the row covers needed (Remay has been suggested), and how do you hand pollinate the blossoms if bees can't get through the row covers? Any other suggestions are appreciated.

[ricks555]

Squash vine borer can be killed by chemicals but the trick is in the timing of the application. An insecticide is effective when applied at the time that eggs are hatching. A preventive treatment regime is to apply an insecticide when vines begin to run, and re-apply every 7 to

10 days for 3 to 5 weeks. The application should be directed to the base of plants, at crowns and runners.

Chemicals used for borer control in gardens are methoxychlor, rotenone, pyrethrum, malathion, or carbaryl (Sevin), applied as sprays or dusts. Restricted-use insecticides used for borer control by commercial growers include endosulfan (Thiodan) and pyrethroids (Ambush, Asana, Pounce). The biological insecticide BT, in the forms currently available, is not effective because it cannot be applied to the plant parts that are eaten by the borer.

[ricks555]

You may want to try a daily spritzing of the squash stems with soapy water. It will kill the eggs and is also a great way to kill aphids on other plants without harming pollinators.

[Val]

Ramey will work and you can "tickle" the blossoms to pollinate. You need to watch them closely get your timing right. Squash have male and female blossoms on the same plant (monoecious). The male blossom is borne on a slender stalk. The female blossom has the swollen embryonic fruit attached at its base. The blossoms of both sexes are open and fertile only during the morning hours of one day. During this time pollen must be transferred by bees or by a person using an artists paint brush or Q-Tip, the female blossom will close without being fertilized, the squash will not enlarge and in a few days it will drop from the plant to the ground. The male blossom may open a second day, but the pollen will no longer be fertile and the blossom will close, wilt and drop from the plant that day or the next. There are many more male blossoms than female blossoms on a squash plant. There may be 3 to 4 male blossoms opening for several days to a week before the first female blossoms open.

Val