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Sun, Aug 24, 14 at 21:30
| All of a sudden I'm inundated with squash bugs. I had straw around my squash plants and recently read where this is a no, no . So I wonder if wood chips tend to harbor the squash bugs like the straw does. Does anyone know. Should I rake the straw out of my garden instead of tilling it into the soil? Donna |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by chickencoopcomposter none (My Page) on Mon, Aug 25, 14 at 23:48
| I've had nothing but trouble with bugs in my veggies whenever I've used any kind of mulch: it provides them with too good a living environment and especially a good haven in the winter. A friend of mine who owns a CSA organic farm says he's done with mulch for the same reason. I've used both straw and wood chips. I would do whatever is easiest to remove the straw. Tilling it in would be OK, but that sounds like more work than removing and composting it. |
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- Posted by potterhead2 z5b NY (My Page) on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 9:30
| I've read the opposite - that straw is good under squash plants. It deters the cucumber beetle from laying eggs in the soil at the base. If you are not bothered by cucumber beetles your best bet to deter squash bugs is bare soil. Then the squash bugs have nowhere to hide. I don't till in straw, it doesn't break down enough by spring in my long winter. I rake mine up and put it in the compost pile. |
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