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Cduross1@rochester.rr.com

My third season of growing Giants is coming up this Spring and I have a quick question about Vine Borers.

I had a good dose of them this last season, and wondered what I can do to keep them at bay this next season as I plan on using the same patch again this year and would like to keep them out of my patch as much as possible.

We've added a ton of organic material to my patch this year including aged cow/horse manuer, leaf compost, peat moss, gypsum, and sulfur. I'm just wondering if the amendments I added in there will help/hurt controlling these guys this year.

Also will burrying the vines help keep them at bay next year? A bit of pre-planning and proactive attitude this year to help solve some problems, I think were a big issue, and some newbie mistakes. I'm trying to solve some of them now, LOL!

Any suggestions, short of using pesticides?

12/12/2007 12:54:04 PM

Georgia

The only thing I know how to do without pesticides would be to till the soil to try to kill them. Burying vines does help because its hard to feed on what you cant find. I battled them too and Im hoping tilling in the early spring will help and then systematic sprays followed by contact sprays. Im also gonna try to use those sticky yellow traps and hope that will get them next year.

12/12/2007 1:39:39 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Check out this thread, its current:

http://bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=6&p=226549

12/12/2007 1:51:34 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I dont think what you added will stop them much. I dont think it will hurt either, unless there were a bunch of living pupae in what you added, which is not likely.

Burying is almost mandatory. If you dont bury, then you have to search all vines top and bottom, as well as leaf stalks for eggs. The bottoms of vines get dirt on them which makes finding the eggs much harder. Further, burying the vines will promots more root growth from nodes...just dont bury too deep because wet vines quickly become rotten vines.

Unfortunately, you really have to use pesticides if you want a fighting chance. Many try the organic route, but you wont set any records going organic.

12/12/2007 1:54:42 PM

Rhode Island

diamond lady

unfortunately squash vine borers will take you down if you dont take drastic measures to eliminate them
once the female lays her eggs under the leafs its only a matter of time befors they hatch and crawl down the leaf stem and bore into the vines
we use warrior tea and other harsh pesticides because its the only sure way to dispose of them.

pap

12/12/2007 11:35:50 PM

Westford, MA

My 1st year w/AGs, but this worked for me.
I wrapped the 1st 2-4' of the trunk/stem with old panty hose.
the Moths lay the eggs but the borers can't bore thru the nylon. The material allows the trunk/vine to breath so it doesn't rot.
I split the hose and fully wrapped the material around some just past where I start to burry the vine. Some I drapped the material over the stump/vine, burrying the edges.

There's also a systemic that's supposed to be a naturally occuring protein to build up the immune system of the plant, to resist some diseases and insects.
MESSENGER, I'm not sure who makes it. I use it in my food garden, and on my AG seedlings.
It's rather expensive comes in small powder packets, to be mixed and sprayed on the foliage.
Don't forget it's a preventative not a cure. so apply before a problem.
It also needs to be applied every 2-3 weeks.
I used it when the AGs were small, then started using it & MERIT, so I'm not sure if just the MESSENGER alone would do it, as the AGs are huge and fast growing.

"I too like to be all organic..........except for the chemicals I use."
Good Luck
Kevin

12/13/2007 4:05:24 PM

Ham Lake, Minnesota

pap, please explain warrior tea and what other methods. I for one would like a borer free year and with small patch I depend on it! Where can you get this stuff is the problem I run into. -Alex

12/30/2007 12:03:01 PM