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Spray at this point?
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Posted by
IBsmilin 6a (
My Page) on
Tue, Aug 7, 12 at 8:15
| I'm a newbie. I regrettably did not put a path between about eight feet by twelve feet of plantings and planted everything densely. I learned a lot this year! But now, I'm having a very difficult time getting to every plant. It's almost impossible to pull those squash bugs and to search for little eggs on all the leaves. I've also lost several zucchini to SVB and I'm seeing droopy leaves all over the place. I've just about given up at this point in the game. I've gotten a good harvest, and I feel like I'm just fighting back nature at this point. These plants were all planted in early june, and I'm wondering if they have enough life in them for a little longer harvest. If so, I'd probably do some sort of insecticide, but I'd need for it to not affect the pollinators (especially since I can't get to the middle to pollinate them! Shaking my head at myself right now!) I killed about a 50 squash bugs this morning and I am just positive there are hundreds more. As for the SVB, I am dumbfounded on him! I think I'll have to wait until I can actually get to the plants next year to figure out a solution for that.
Thanks for all your help. I've had to do fungicide treatments this summer too due to a drought that caused a nasty bout of powdery mildew. I thought I had it under control, but this is the second bout of it this season. This garden is wearing me out! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Spray at this point?
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| I pull my summer squash when it gets nasty with squash bugs, and do it very gently, so that most of the nymphs get a ride to the compost pile. If I pull only one or two plants a day, the survivors glom onto the remaining plants, making them easier to gather. This time of year I'm eager to clear out space anyway so I can plant fall stuff. I'm usually glad to see the summer squash go, especially when something fresh and new gets going in its place. |
RE: Spray at this point?
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I had similar problems like yours except I allow 2 feet between plants and 3 feet. I had no much problem with bugs except two rounds of Japanese Beatles which were controlled with STRACIDE It really killed them the bugs do not need to eat to die it is not a poison it attacks their nervous system and destroy it.
My main problem this year and I think lots of people has the same problems is fungi because of the heat. I am spraying fungicide once a week and I wish I Started from day one. Lost some plants green pepper, egg plant, tomatoes and sweet potatoes when they were babies. Then came the cucumber and squash problem. As soon as the plants are healthy , green with nice flowers even little fruits some guys come and kill the plant at the root and stem at the soil level. I made the mistake of depending on fungicide. I lost at least dozen cucumber and squash plants and was so frustrated. Some one told me drench the soil at the roots and the stem with one part peroxide and 4 parts water I did and had limited success. I said to myself if worms eating the stem and the root insecticide should kill them I mixed stracide 2 ounces per gallon of water got low chair and sat beside the plants and drenched the lower stem and the root area with the mix, I did it daily for 4 days then every three days. I said if it kills the plants so what they are dying any way. TO make the log story short it worked. I just harvested 40 cucumber and 35 squashes and smiled on my way to the kitchen carrying the baskets. I invited 3 neighbors to come over to take some. |
RE: Spray at this point?
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| Foolish, do us a favor and copy the name of that product from the label. There isn't such a thing as Stracide. Surely you aren't speaking of Spectracide. |
RE: Spray at this point?
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| The company =Spectracide and the product=Triazicide insect killer |
RE: Spray at this point?
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| If you've killed 50 squash bugs, there are surely many more. One thing to remember is that the survivors will overwinter and come back next year in full force. You might want to cut your losses, pull it all out and eradicate what bugs remain. |
RE: Spray at this point?
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| I just hate to lose any leftover harvest that's to be had! I also have some winter squash and pumpkins. Thankfully I can get to them fairly easily, but I know they'll be overrun as soon as I pull all of the summer squash. So no spray? Just pull em out, huh? Bummer. |
RE: Spray at this point?
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| No, pull them out and THEN spray. Or pull them out, leave one as a trap plant, and spray it. |
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