Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

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agee
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Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#1

Post: # 39830Unread post agee
Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:38 am

I am part of the leadership of a community garden and for the last two years we have been overrun by squash vine borers, squash bugs and cucumber beetles. The squash vine borer is probably the worse of the three because it is the most deadly and both the prevention and cure methods are labor intensive.

We are planning for 2021 and are trying to see if we want to take measures regarding growing these plants. We will start selling beds soon, and if we are going to adopt restrictions we need to communicate that to members before they make a purchase.

General Information and Conditions:
* The garden follows organic gardening practices.

* The garden has a section that is private beds that individuals rent from 4/1-4/1 each year. There is also what communal growing area where the people who rent private beds can also help themselves to vegetables grown the communal area.

* Member can access the garden anytime during daylight hours.

* Our key limitation is that we have workdays every other week and on those workdays we have numerous things on our plate and varying attendance.


Options being considered (some of the options can be combined):
1. Taking a year off from growing squash anywhere in the garden. The logic is that we need to break the cycle and if there are no hosts plants then the pests will either die out or go elsewhere. It may be too optimistic to think that taking a year off will totally get rid of the pests but if we keep planting squash each year, and are limited in how we can control the pests, then the pests problem magnifies from year to year.

2. Taking a year off from growing squash in the private beds and growing squash only in the communal area.

Of course this will not break the cycle but it will allow squash to be grown for the enjoyment of our members in an area that can be controlled and maintained better than growing in private beds.

One of the challenges is that renters of private beds have changes in circumstances and end up not maintaining their beds. We have a rule that the member will forfeit the bed after not tending the bed for a certain period of time, however the pests will have overrun that bed and spread to other beds before we take that step.

3. Grow Zucchetta Rampicante, also goes by Tromboncino Zucchini and other names. Most zucchini and other summer squash are Cucurbita pepo and Zucchetta Rampicante is classified as Cucurbita moschata and supposedly the pests don't like the moschatas as much as the do the pepos. Cucuzzi (Lagenaria siceraria) is another option.

4. Determine the window(s) when planting Cucurbita pepo leaves the garden most susceptible to pests, especially the squash vine borer and plant around it.

Right now I am leaning towards steps 2 and 3. Step 4 is a possibility but I think that finding the right window in Georgia is trickier than in other locations.

I am resistant to Step 1 but a tough measure like this may be necessary especially since we cannot be at the garden on a daily basis.

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MissS
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#2

Post: # 39832Unread post MissS
Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:56 am

Community gardens do pose a challenge when it comes to pest control. You have a very diverse group of gardeners with all kinds of experience levels and as stated many give up on their plots mid-season. I think that if you mandated what the paid gardeners could or could not grow would make people mad and they would leave. They have rented the ground and ought to be able to plant it with whatever they like.

With that said, I think that if you make a bulletin and send a copy to everyone as well as have it posted that these insects are a huge problem and that you would like people's cooperation to help control them. This can be done by foregoing planting squash or planting it later after the squash bug mating season, using DE or Surround, and Neem seemed to work really well at our CG for all garden pests. Make it a priority for them to HELP you with the problem. Most people do like to help.
~ Patti ~

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brownrexx
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#3

Post: # 39838Unread post brownrexx
Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:30 pm

I love squash and grow it every year. I would not rent a plot where it was prohibited.

zendog
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#4

Post: # 39842Unread post zendog
Sun Jan 31, 2021 1:14 pm

When you say squash, do you mean zucchini types specifically or are you including all squash? I have all those bugs and primarily grow muschata types now, which survive and produce despite the bugs, so I would be annoyed if I grew there and I couldn't grow muschata types in my plot. Some of the new small ones like Honeynut have reasonable small vines so work in smaller spaces. Instead of Tromboncino, which has large, rampant vines, I'd suggest trying Tatume, which is a much smaller vine and produces round squash that is a great substitute for zukes when harvested in their juvenile state. There are also several muschata type Korean Zucchini which are more manageable than the Tromboncino, but I found they weren't as flavorful as Tatume. Unfortunately, all these types are vining, even though smaller than some, so definitely take more space than a zucchini plant.

Unless you can find some good studies (e.g. long term University studies) that show a year off is a viable solution, I think that is a non-starter. Both because of people not wanting to be limited, but more importantly, I just don't think it will be successful. Even if it is lessened in the first year you start back with squash, it won't last long, so you'll be stuck making squash an every other year crop of something. The first year I grew squash I had borers, so if you are in the southeast I just think there are enough around that they'll find you. I also find they get my zukes no matter when they start, so I don't think there really is a good window. But I have had some success with Zucchini growing some of the shorter day to harvest varieties and succession planting, so that I get some harvest off one before the SVB get them and the next planting is sizing up in time to produce when the first ones are fading from the borers.

I have a bed at a community garden and I know there will always be a bunch of SVB, squash bugs and cucumber beetles and just know I need to grow and plan accordingly. Sorry not to be more encouraging...

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JRinPA
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#5

Post: # 39866Unread post JRinPA
Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:45 pm

I know what you mean about absentee comm gardeners...tomatoes sprawling rampant encourage blight. Squash and beans have pests which will run rampant. Even some exhausted cabbage and broccoli last year drew late summer harlequin beetles that migrated to my fall radishes after the former were pulled and composted. There will always be problems, one way or another.

Still, I don't think a year off is the way to go...winter squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, pumpkins, watermelon. That is a lot of varieties that are affected by the bugs. It might help some, as long as there are no other gardens within 1/4 mile growing any of them. Bugs fly to the scent...maybe a half mile is needed. I could do a year off in my backyard, and do at times for beans or squash. It helps some, but asking everyone to do so at the comm garden is asking a lot.

Comm garden last year, for zucchini, transplanting early, covering with row cover until flowering, and then using DE worked very well for us. I do worry about it killing bees though. SVB still the main killer by mid season. I haven't figured out how to treat for them. Need a robot programmed to do it, honestly. "I can cut the grass myself, robot, you go patrol the squash." They did so well last year I actually pulled the rest just due to being sick of them.

Comm garden last year, for butternut/pumpkin, I saw all three. Lots of squash bugs, but really the pumpkins and butternut held up pretty well. The SVBs killed some plants. I think cucumber beetles poisoned others, the vine withers from the flower back I seem to think. That was a new patch of ground turned over, too.

I have had no luck with cucumbers and little with cantaloupe due to striped cucumber beetles withering the vines before their time.

One plot in the back of the comm garden is very well maintained, tended daily, with ample mulch of grass clippings and reasonable spacing in rows. I think they till in the spring. They seem to get the least bugs, but only have a few butternut and spaghetti squash.

I have had some years that were terrible with squash bugs to the point of damaged butternut, and the next year, growing the same way, not much damage. Even though there had to be 4x as many eggs in the ground to hatch that following year. I think it is a year to year thing depending on the weather. A year off prevents the earliest crop of bugs only, unless you are far from other gardens.

For example, my very first year for backyard squash, I didn't know about any of the pests, but by August I had learned of all three. Lots of other gardens around here for them to fly from. Previous to that it was basically just tomatoes in the back yard, so that first year, they weren't from my yard. That next year, they came much earlier. They probably came from my soil, but it was also a bad weather year for butternut, and I had zucchini already pulling them in.

Another year, bean beetles were absolutely murderous to my pole beans. Other comm gardeners plant bush beans, picked once, and then the bean beetles destroyed their next picking, basically, then found my pole beans. I thought it was worthless to ever try pole beans there again, since they will always be later than bush beans. But I did try, and the next year was not nearly as bad. They do get beetles, but there are also plenty of beans that get through, as long as they aren't ignored too long.

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brownrexx
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#6

Post: # 39868Unread post brownrexx
Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:00 am

As I was reading this I had a thought. I am assuming that you might communicate with the gardeners by e-mail.

It is not a cure-all but possibly you could send out periodic e-mail asking them to pull and compost any plants that are no longer producing or that they are not harvesting for various reasons and do not allow volunteer squash to grow unless they plan on harvesting the fruits.

Explain how the insects living and reproducing in these unneeded plants and ask people to help others by disposing of them.

Texgal
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#7

Post: # 40548Unread post Texgal
Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:30 am

I have a community garden plot and last year had to deal with stink bugs and striped cucumber beetles. My nephews and I grew giant sunflowers and I noticed they attracted quite a lot of them. Perhaps could could find plants that would make a good trap crop and plant them in certain spots of the garden and then encourage gardeners to plant more herbs and flowers that specifically repel them among the squash. One of the things I’m focusing on this year is planting a lot more flowers in my plot this year to attract predators and repel the bad bugs to see if it helps.
~ Emmie ~

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brownrexx
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#8

Post: # 40559Unread post brownrexx
Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:45 am

[mention]Texgal[/mention] I love having some flowers in my garden. They look pretty and attract all sorts of beneficials including bees for pollination.

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stone
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#9

Post: # 40563Unread post stone
Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:24 am

What about a nice community backyard chicken pen?
I catch bugs and hand them to my birds who are happy to eat them out of my hands... when there is an infestation, those plants go to the chickens who eat the bugs and... they even eat squash leaves... cuts down on the carry over when the chickens get to eat the bugs!

It's difficult to beat SVG, so... solid stem squash make sense... they can be eaten the same way as the hollow stem types... as well as being allowed to mature. Lots of plants work as trap crops for cucumber beetles... Amaranth aka pigweed gets a free pass at my house... and after it's kept the cucumber bugs happy all season, the chickens are happy to eat what's left.

And... let's not forget that when the chickens turn our compost... we don't have that chore to waste time and effort on.

At my house, the above ground critters are the least of my worries... where I am... voles and root knot nematodes are the bane of my garden.

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Tormato
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#10

Post: # 40581Unread post Tormato
Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:00 pm

For SVB, I foil them with aluminum foil.

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habitat-gardener
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#11

Post: # 40602Unread post habitat-gardener
Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:32 pm

stone wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:24 am What about a nice community backyard chicken pen?
...
A few years ago, rats were the biggest problem at the community garden. There was only one chicken coop at this garden, but the rats lived under it and ate the chicken feed. Once the chicken coop was gone, so was the rat problem. (Also, open compost piles for kitchen compost were banned.)

A nearby community garden still has a couple chicken coops, but there are a lot more roaming cats in that neighborhood, and the rats have never been as big a problem there.

Re the original question, I think good communication would help. Let all prospective gardeners know that growing squash at the CG has become problematic, and let them decide whether to risk an unsuccessful crop, spend time dealing with whatever bugs appear. or grow something else instead. Maybe hand out a FAQ for identifying and dealing with all three bugs. The earlier the bugs can be spotted and dealt with, the better the chances that they can be controlled.

I used to have a plot at a small CG where the source of all the brassica-infesting bugs (harlequin and bagrada) was one person's intentionally unkempt ("permaculture") plot. He refused to change his gardening methods, and the rest of us gave up growing brassicas, because by the time the bugs were really bad that year, there was nothing we could do about them.

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stone
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Re: Pest Problems with Growing Squash in a Community Garden

#12

Post: # 40614Unread post stone
Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:18 am

pea-pen.jpg
I don't know what kind of beds the community garden provides, but... here's an enclosure that I put up last week to protect the spring peas from rabbits. 18 foot by 8 foot...

after I get a crop, I may add wire across the top and reuse the pen for baby chicks... they scratch up any weeds and weed seeds, bugs, and whatever... then I take down the wire and plant.

For larger birds, I use larger wire... Didn't take pics of those enclosures... but no rats when chickens are on the ground... My chickens catch anything that has the misfortune of going inside the pen... And... they prepare the soil for the next crop.

Seems to be a lot easier to erect "temporary" enclosures then to build chicken tractors... I've been doing both.
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