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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!

When to Harvest Vegetables

We’re just about in the middle of summer and that means that some of your vegetables are ready to harvest while others still have a while to go. But how do you know exactly when harvest time is?

First: the time of day. Early in the morning is the best time to harvest vegetables. Vegetables harvested in the morning tend to be sweeter and crispier, with more taste than vegetables harvested in the evening; this is because the moisture that has been lost during the day is replenished overnight. 

Next: the time of the season. For many vegetables, you should harvest throughout the season to ensure the plant’s productivity. Plants like zucchini and cucumbers should be harvested throughout the summer months when the vegetables feel full. Summer squash like zucchini should be 6–12 inches long whereas cucumbers should be 7–9 inches long to ensure that they don’t turn bitter. The vegetables are done when they feel full and firm.

Winter squash should be harvested when the color of the fruit is deep and solid (except for speckled varieties) and the rind of the fruit is hard. It should thump when knocked on. Once harvested, store them in a cool, dry area and you’ll be able to keep them for months. 

Brussels sprouts are ready to harvest when the little sprouts are round and firm and at least an inch in diameter. Twist off the individual sprouts from the bottom up. You may also remove yellowing leaves at that time; the plant will continue to grow upward, growing more leaves and sprouts. 

Leaf lettuce is harvested by snipping off the outer leaves and leaving the inner leaves intact. While head lettuce is harvested when the lettuce head reaches full size and is cut off at the base, leaf lettuce can keep producing as long as there isn’t too much hot weather, and the main body is left in the ground. 

Green beans, snap beans, and bush beans will be ready for harvest from 50–90 days after planting. Beans will reach full size at about 3 inches long. Pick just before the seeds begin to grow plump and bulge.

Finally: flower seeds. When flower buds turn brown and dry out you should be able to harvest the seeds easily. This should be done on a dry, sunny day. Then, when the seed pods turn brown, you can easily harvest the seeds.

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