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WARNING: GROSS POST
doesn't this plant look healthy? it's not! it's infested with vine borers... after reading more about these pests, i've decided not to keep them as pets. so, this weekend i went on a search and destroy mission. next year, if i grow zucchini, i'll start midseason seedlings to replace the sick ones... in the meantime...
here's a healthy stem...
here i plunge my knife into an unhealthy stem to reveal the sections of a vine borer, at left...
can you say "ew?" there are three vine borers in this, the main stem of the plant pictured at the head of the post. i carefully collected this stem and bagged it for the trash. i searched the soil for pupae, but did not find any.
though this stem looks really ugly, i did not find borers in it. i searched around the dirt for pupae, and, finding none, covered the stem with dirt. i will carefully watch this plant, which is still producing, for new vine borer holes.
i also investigated the winter squash, and fortunately did not find vine borers. next year i'll grow butternut squash, which is apparently immune.
here's a healthy stem...
here i plunge my knife into an unhealthy stem to reveal the sections of a vine borer, at left...
can you say "ew?" there are three vine borers in this, the main stem of the plant pictured at the head of the post. i carefully collected this stem and bagged it for the trash. i searched the soil for pupae, but did not find any.
though this stem looks really ugly, i did not find borers in it. i searched around the dirt for pupae, and, finding none, covered the stem with dirt. i will carefully watch this plant, which is still producing, for new vine borer holes.
i also investigated the winter squash, and fortunately did not find vine borers. next year i'll grow butternut squash, which is apparently immune.
1 comment:
Good grief! We're fighting a war! Thank heavens we haven't seen any of those nasty critters, but we didn't have any zucchini or yellow squash this summer. First time ever! There were no friends giving them away either. No one up here had luck with them.
We grow Buttercup winter squash (among others). You should try it, it's delicious...our personal favorite. Freezes beautifully too. We only have a few vines of that this year, although Hubby planted lots. Lousy year for squash.
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