5 Deadly MISTAKES You Can't Afford to Make When Growing Squash

If you want to grow Squash that will produce until frost, you can not afford to make these mistakes!
Thanks for the kind words and support 😁🐕❤️
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Intro - 00:00
How to Heal Squash Plants Attacked by Squash Vine Borers - 00:15
How to Protect Squash from Pests - 01:55
Using Trap Crops to Protect Squash- 03:16
Varieties Resistant to Squash Pests - 03:48
Tuck Eating a Carrot He Harvested - 04:11
Biggest Culprits to Squash Plants- 04:35
New Segment, The Gnome Challenge - 05:06
2nd Mistake, Not Staggering Squash Plantings- 06:32
3rd Mistake - Allowing Bad Pollination to Reduce your Harvests 07:25
How to Hand Pollinate Squash - 07:35
4th Mistake, Causing Squash Plants to Stop Producing - 08:48
5th Mistake, Allowing Disease to Overtake your Plants - 09:48
How to Prune Squash - 09:55
Bonus Mistakes to Avoid - 11:00
Transplanting Squash to Early - 11:00
Getting Leaves Wet When Watering - 11:25
How to Save Space Growing Squash, Growing Squash Vertically - 11:38
Pruning Squash to Increase Late Season Production - 11:56
Outro - 12:28

[@jamesprigioni]

SHARE THIS VIDEO IF YOU ENJOY IT! 😁🐕❤

[@AlanBarrettVideos]

@5:24😂 Found it!

[@DesertRoseJRTs]

DONE on Twitter!

[@donnabrooks1173]

I just love Tuck, you and your videos. Always so much useful information to consider. I am gardening in grow bags this year out of necessity due to produce costs, no ground preparation (clay soil in NC). Haven't had one in several years but am inspired to grow whatever I can. Thank you Tuck and James for the inspiration. It is very much appreciated. ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jimmyboy2165]

James I don't know if you or your fans/followers know this but your male flowers from all those plants in your video today are delicious. I am not joking if you take a little oil get the oil heated up and throw your flowers in and cook them up you can spice them to your liking or just plain. But yes you should try them they really are delicious.

[@jimmyboy2165]

​@@AlanBarrettVideos🤣🤣🤣

[@ogr8bearded175]

Since I started sprinkling radish seeds around my squash I haven't had a problem with vine borers anymore. IDK if the svb doesn't like radish, the smell throws them off but it works for me. Try it out. Still get those squash bugs look like stink bugs, but no borers.

[@cbak1819]

I'll do that next year! Thanks for the tip!!

[@geedee2420]

Thank you! ... I don't even get Vine Borers but I'm going to try it for to reasons... 1. To prevent a future infestation and 2. Seems like a great use of garden space for the radishes 👍🏽

[@MaLiArtworks186]

Thanks so much!

[@katheringardening7093]

Thanks for sharing

[@tanyasteers4802]

I'm going to do that next year I have never ever had to deal with them well this year they killed my squash I have 2 I'm pulling today and my giant pumpkins totally destroyed

[@annettekilpela4723]

The best solution for cucumber beetle problems for my butternut squash was shared with me by and elderly gentleman. Plant radishes among your plants. Works perfect! End of problem.

[@SusanRogersMakingItWork4Me]

I'm going to try this! Thanks!!

[@brooklyn3534]

Thank you!!!

[@wisdomseekers479]

Tuck is the star of the show. Tried to give my dog a carrot....he looked at me like am mad and walked away

[@StillDreamingHomestead]

I've been gardening for 40 years. I still learned something new almost every time I watch your videos. We're not bothered by the squash Vine bore but I had no idea that you could grow more roots on your squash.

[@mrs.rogers7582]

I've been spraying Peppermint Castile Soap with water in a sprayer, the base of the plant after I water the plant. Also spraying the soap mixture on the earth around the plant. The base of the plant has hardened off to a thick stem. So far no pests!

[@8thcelisabeth]

I had not heard that trick, might have to try it and add it to my list of SVB tricks!

[@jackiecullari6785]

I’m trying this !

[@deborahlahita5688]

I’m trying it too!!! Hope it works!!❤

[@opraha1113]

Beginner gardener here. This is the most helpful video I’ve seen on growing zucchini. I had a great bumper crop and got about 9-10 fruits and then all of a sudden my female flowers started dying off before opening. I thought it was a watering issue or calcium deficiency but it turns out the pesky SVB got me. Thank you for suggesting burying the vine. I tried it this morning and I’m hoping to see improvement in a few weeks. Thank you so much!! Next year I will do butternut squash for the summer and plant zucchini for the fall.

[@Emeraldwitch30]

If you can find seed try honeynutt squash. They are like small butternut but super tasty and perfect size. I can eat one by myself for lunch or split one as a side for hubby and myself. Plus that are so sweet that I use them instead of pumpkin in my pies. Super creamy pie

[@karens3670]

It's nice to hear that young ones are watching the channel as well! Our four-year-old grandson was out in the garden today helping his grandpa by weeding in our raised beds. I asked him if he enjoyed it and he said he did! That was a win for us!! We hope he will grow up with a love for gardening. Our grandchildren have already enjoyed going through the garden and eating the raw asparagus and strawberries!

[@Gloria.A]

Tuck is the best boy. Getting his own snack and an amazing looking carrot too. Thanks for the gnome section too. It's fun getting the kids involved is a great practice too.

[@user-wd3po8sd7k]

Lucky doggo helping himself to healthy snacks!

[@wandacroy9094]

My biggest gardening 😮mistake was not discovering your KZbin channel earlier in the growing season. ❤

[@XroorX]

Surround WP. I will send you some if you cannot get it where you live. Also, plant daikon radish around the curcubin family plants and allow it to bolt. The sulfur compounds drive away borers

[@ProHomeCooks]

great vid James, packed with info. The squash vine bores got me big time last year on my first crop but I did find that squash will grow insanely fast if planted from seed from July. I had new plants in like 2 weeks!

[@jamesprigioni]

Thanks Mike! Yeah the vine borers are relentless. You’re right though, plant that second round of squash in July, and in no time they will be kicking out summer squash!

[@8thcelisabeth]

At one minute in of the video, you can see the SVB Moth egg, the small copper round single. Squash bugs (diff pest) lay eggs in a cluster, the SVB moth lays singular or in a line. I am an expert unfortunately. I have a ton of info, sourced, as I love my squash. The SVB Moth emerges per Growing Degree Days, James might have a second generation, common in hotter areas or hotter summers up north where I am. The damage he showed was quite advanced. I also do not recommend a trap plant for SVB specifically (might work with other pests) unless the plant is pulled well before the borer can hit the dirt and come back next year. I've been able to harvest quite a bit of squash using multiple strategies, but those darn borers are such a fight! Thrilled you had time for succession planting!

[@FloraM44]

​@@8thcelisabethwhen would be the point when they'd hit the dirt to lay eggs for next year? I might plant some for other pests but don't want to exacerbate the svb problem!

[@8thcelisabeth]

@@FloraM44 after 2000 Growing Degree Days specifically but generally, once the borer feeds enough to be over 3/4" long and gets fat, it will burrow into the soil, pupate and emerge when it has the correct time to morph into the moth. Here in South Dakota, the timing is generally as follows: Mid June the moth emerges and eggs are laid. Around 2 weeks later the eggs hatch and burrow into the stems. They spend a few weeks eating and getting fat. The first week they are still so small you won't notice damage. They burrow when they are barely visible to the naked eye. Once you see the frass and obvious damage, you can actually try to kill them with BT but I get hit so hard that isn't the best strategy in my garden. Frankly I need to get the plant out of my garden once I see them at about 1/2" long. I take no chances. I pull my plants before they are as damaged as shown in James video. That damage is from healthy fat borers ready to hit the dirt, if they haven't already.

[@FloraM44]

@@8thcelisabeth thank you! That's good to know. I've pulled them out of the stems before and was just curious if that would be fine or if it's a risk some of them have already borrowed. I used to wrap the stems in aluminum foil when transplanting but that doesn't always work. I really wish I could find kaolin clay in Canada but it's not sold here!

[@FloraM44]

Another tip for people who want to just make a lot of zucchini bread.. you can let the zucchini get really big before harvesting so you get more meat per fruit. It takes a while before they actually start overripening. I often pick them the length of my arm and several times the diameter! If the seeds look too mature just scrape them out, but this will really provide more food without necessarily sending the plant into ceasing production

[@ThirdCoastGardening]

The squash vine borer is very hard to prevent here in Houston, but I got quite a few squash before they killed my plants.

[@jamesprigioni]

Make sure to plant a second round of squash they don't lay as many eggs later in the season

[@ThirdCoastGardening]

@@jamesprigioni ok. You should see the size of the squash I grew.

[@azaliasimon1425]

Tell me about it! I have never been able to get a squash out of my plants! Even my butternut squashes were killed! Aparently there are two or more "generations" of the squash vine borers in our area in the year so even the second round of squash planting are in danger! This is my first year covering my squash plants , we will see what happens haha.

[@loverlyredhead]

​@@azaliasimon1425I think Texas actually has 3 😢 If you are covering, make sure you aren't doing it somewhere squash has been grown before. They bury into the soil and pupate next to the squash plants they just decimated. That said, I had very good luck covering with tulle this year. I've uncovered them now and managed to save 2 plants from SVB by injecting with BT when I saw signs of them (frass hole on one, wilting leaves on the other).

[@8thcelisabeth]

@@azaliasimon1425 I believe you! The SVB moth emerges from the soil generally based on degree days. The hotter or longer the summer, the more generations. South Dakota had a far hotter than normal May and June, and we got the SVB moth emerging at 850 Growing Degree Days instead of 1000! I was ready with the traps and all, but barely. The only squash/pumpkin I've found that has the thickest stems to stop the borer is a Musquee D Provence. Good luck!

[@kenbellchambers4577]

The clay spray seems like it would massively interfere with photosynthesis. Do you leave it on for long periods of time? Thanks for the tips on growing squash.

[@nicholasmoore3164]

James P, you are the GOAT. Tuck is the King And I'll say it again, your camera person is the real star of the show. Keep it going bro. I love your channel and my garden is doing better than ever because of your videos. ❤❤❤

[@TheTimtwnsnd]

They (vine borers) lay the eggs directly on the stem and leaves, when the eggs hatch the larvae burrow directly in. Often if you are addressing issues when you see symptoms, youre already too late. Preemptively reroot and bury stems to protect your later harvests

[@8thcelisabeth]

Yep. Looks like I found another SVB expert like me, sadly? My SVB's arrive at 850 Growing Degree Days, early for my area. I started rooting the nodes of my c. moschatas and c.maximas this week. Little bastards.

[@pricklypear7516]

James seems to be confusing the ubiquitous squash bug (a shield-shaped grey beetle) with the far more evasive, and MUCH more devastating, squash vine borer (a diurnal moth that resembles a wasp). They are two entirely different creatures, but the squash bug, by virtue of simply being more visible, gets a lot of the blame for the total and almost instantaneous plant collapse done by the SVB.

[@NicolaiAAA]

I've been keeping them at bay with injections of BT. I can never find the eggs and I've found the borers are a way bigger issue than the squash bugs, so this time I'm doing injections. So far it's working. I've seen the evidence of vine borers starting at the base, but then nothing ever happens beyond that and my zucchinis are doing great. 😀

[@Emeraldwitch30]

​@@NicolaiAAAI spray every week with Bt but recently found that my pharmacy has syringes for like .30cents so I asked for one. She refused to let me pay for it once I told her what it was for lol shooting up my squash with Bt. So I went out and injected bt into all different areas of my zucchini and summer squash as that is my biggest issue. Ive always felt like a crappy gardener as I could never get decent zucchini. Like who can't grow a zuke? Lol I'm growing Cherokee tan squash and lady Godiva naked seed pumpkins so all squash got the poke this week lol. And of course on the Vining ones I do bury the stems here and there so they root down everywhere.

[@marilynmitchell2712]

​@@pricklypear7516thank you for explaining

[@doloresreynolds8145]

James, I really enjoy watching you and Tuck in the garden, so thank you for your video presentations.💙

[@conroyburke4225]

This is everything I needed to hear today! Thank you for your brilliant content and your effervescent way of communicating it!

[@ImallamaToo]

I'm a new subscriber, and have been binging your videos. You've literally inspired me to get started on my own food forest. Thank you and Tuck for such awesome content. God bless you!

[@MsJuliah1]

My dad taught me to put something like a toilet paper roll or a frozen juice can with the bottom cut off to go down into the dirt and ring around the plant. This will have to be done when first planting or while very young. If you try to do this with a mature plant you risk damaging the stems and vines.

[@4loversofchrist]

Great tips!!! Thank you for taking the time to share!

[@avamolinaro5559]

thanks for the info! Sending love from up in north Jersey! I’ve been watching your channel for a while now but never checked out your description, just wanna say that I too am very excited about growing my own food!! Not only for health in the traditional sense but the way it connects you to the earth and to nature! Every time I go into the garden I feel so much gratitude.

[@clyczko]

Love your enthusiasm - you have a great articulation and personality - talking fast BUT so clearly - I am in my 60’s and you have a great Voice - sound and clarity - and tips! Thank you! Fun things for kids also - so important to offer to young ones so they can learn if they are interested - or just get them interested!

[@Mursi009]

omg thank you! My squash never make it to harvest and this year may be different thanks to your helpful videos!

[@bethsands7665]

Awesome information ! You keep on getting better ! I love that you kept your energetic intro with the awesome high-energy, positive song . Great new idea with the garden Gnome.... fun. Nice well-rounded information. Tuck is always fun to see.

[@pamelawalker8052]

You have always the best tips. Easy to understand and fun to watch, little Tuck is such a sweet little guy.

[@laurab8547]

Excellent tips! Thanks James! My squash aren't really thriving anymore and I've been considering planting out another round. I guess I will try that this year.

[@susanm1224]

First video of yours I have watched and it definitely won’t be the last. I have learned so much from you already. I am a new gardener and need this information. Already had these problems so now I know what to do next time. Thank you very much.

[@marcdavid5841]

Thank you James. Great info. You just showed me some of the mistakes I made last season. And taught me what I can do this growing season. From Central Valley CA

[@MikeR65]

I’ve been gardening since I was a young boy. It’s great that you are including kids in your videos. These tips are priceless! So far the weather in New jersey has not been ideal. The garden helps me keep my spirits up! . Tuck is the BOSS!!

[@mikeyyoon]

James, big fan from Jersey! My parents and I love to Garden. We have about 600 sq ft and a greenhouse in North Jersey. We love your positivity and outlook on both gardening and life. Keep up the great work! I would like to see more videos on how you manage obstacles in the garden for ex. Pests, storms, funguses, root rot, diseases, etc. Would also love to see even more variety attempts on your garden and partnerships with seed companies to give us seeds. Thanks for everything James and Tuck! ❤

[@vh6938]

Your videos are so helpful! This year is my first trying to grow veg. I didn't know about trap crops but seems the turnip greens are acting as such in my garden. God bless you for your great videos!

[@karenjkampskamps5208]

Thank you, I learn so much from watching your videos. I tell every gardener I know about you

[@pescatariangardener]

This was right on time. I knew I needed to take some leaves off but I didn't know hiw. Now I do thank you.

[@observer4292]

Let’s Go!!! Hoping to get some “life-saving” tips from James and Tuck! I fought the squash vine borer all last year and they have continuously won! I’m determined this year to at least do better than last year! 👍 💚💚💚 for Tuck! 🐕

[@jamesprigioni]

Let's Gooo!!! We hope some of these ideas help you out!

[@8thcelisabeth]

I get better fighting them every year. The first tip I tell everyone is to choose the Cucurbita Moschata cultivar when seed buying. It is the most resistant to SVB's. Butternut is one, I know a ton of other Moschata squash too. The Curcurbita Maxima is the most susceptible, such as the Blue Hubbard, the Red Kuri and many others. Summer Squash, mostly Curcurbita Pepo, get them pretty heavy too. I've been checking for eggs every other night this week and finding a ton. Gotta do what we gotta do to get them squash!

[@MaLiArtworks186]

@SkinnyBoyRandy said to grow them in the fall. I did this last year and didn't have any issues. I forgot this year and lost eight out of eight plants.

[@oddessy2g]

Make sure to rotate the crop. Also I cover my soil all winter to stop weeds and food for those pest. I also use wood charcoal in my soil from my wood burning stove. That slows them down. Also diatomaceous earth over the soil then cover it up. In the spring uncover and put more down. When plants grow do same thing. Use food grade diatomaceous earth. I never used the clay. But I'm going to try that next year. Been following Jane's for years. The guys is awesome.

[@beahappy1today]

This is great information! Thank you James. I look forward to your videos!!

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo! Me and Tuck are glad to hear that 😁🐕❤️

[@yukonsmomma3562]

Thanks James. I always appreciate your advice. Looking for the gnome sounds like a fun idea.

[@billgreene3410]

Brother, this is the best video I have seen on how to grow and maintain squash plants. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

[@myurbangarden7695]

I grow pumpkins have many of these same issues. It's kinda sad when you have a 10 ft vine with young pumpkins and loose a whole vine.

[@alexburdsall3580]

You’re garden is awesome! Can’t wait to make my own food Forest

[@jamesprigioni]

Thanks Alex! Make sure you send us some pics when you do 😁🐕❤️

[@GreenTea3699]

The sweet puppy digging his own carrot! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@janettespiers4242]

Thank you so much I never had a problem until this year and this is so helpful bless you!

[@farrahthomas3120]

I love watching this guy. He inspires me to start gardening. I know nothing about it. Keep those videos coming .

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo!! Thanks for the kind words Farrah 🐕😁❤️

[@VeganDoris]

I’m envious of your garden! Everything in my garden is turning yellow and not growing. I dropped off a soil sample with the county cooperative extension and I’m waiting for results now.

[@dannramirez9]

Thanks for your valuable information!!

[@Jaycee604]

Great information! Your channel is excellent and very educational. Your food forest looks incredible.

[@UrbanHomesteadMomma]

Knock on wood BUT I’ve had zero issues with SVB or powdery mildew since I started growing my summer squash up stakes. I tie the vine to the stake with twine as it grows. And then I keep any leaves that reach the ground off at the vine. This method has saved me from pests and disease and it takes up much less space in my tiny garden 🌱

[@jamiemillians9455]

I'm trying this for the first time

[@jodif8124]

Love all the squash! Also, the gnome challenge is adorable 🥰

[@whosedoingwhat]

Thanks Alotta! Good info & timely for me👍🏻

[@Mommy2Gav05]

Thanks James! My kids will have a blast looking for it! Theyre always wanting to work in our garden and they do lay and watch your videos since my husband and i both watch your videos. Im gratful for your tips and tricks! I never grew some of the things i grow now and every year i add more!

[@christinemccormick6645]

We are getting 5 zucchini's a day, but squash burrowers destroyed 2 plants and there are lots of cucumber Beatles. I will definitely be using netting next year. We did use yellow sticky tape, but they were full pretty quick.

[@llswink]

On good advice from you and other gardeners, I planted Blue Hubbard squash last year and I have to CRACK UP!!! It grew large early, it was planted in March, and produced abundantly with NO pest problems. My acorn produced some, but my crooks didn't perform at all. I'm trying again this year and will try your methods with rooting further along the vine and the Kaolin clay. Thank you, James, I really appreciate all your good advice. Hugs to the Tuck, too. PS: I learned to roast the BH in the oven, process and freeze it for soups, and surprisingly, the smaller sized green squash can be eaten like summer squash.

[@selenanieto8152]

Thank you for such great videos! That tip on burying the squash find further up is a great one!

[@puppetlady1]

This video was soooo helpful. Thank you and Tuck too.

[@alyssaperry2994]

I appreciate you! My zucchinis were turning yellow and dropping. I even hand pollinated them but my flowers aren't opening as much as yours. Am I missing something? Love the gnome idea!

[@tinabloomfield7228]

I never knew you could take the tip off the zucchini plant to force more growth.....I feel an experiment coming on in my garden 😅 The only thing....that I can do is bottom water, because my garden is massive and I plant everything together for the most part, but i also only water in the morning so hopeful my leaves have time to dry thoroughly 😊

[@normarosado5697]

Thanks JP. great info. Planting a garden 1st time

[@rosemaryangiolino3835]

I am a new Long Island gardener and I watch all your videos I really appreciate all you teach me just want to say thank you and keep the learning videos coming 👍😊

[@SirSkippy87]

I had this issue about 4 years ago with the vine borers, on varieties that aren’t resistant to vine borers I put an aluminum foil collar around the base that goes into the ground half an inch to an inch and up the plant 6-8 inches and I’ve had no issues since. Butternut squash is highly resistant to vine borers and other things, very easy to grow. Always hand pollinate, it’s worth the little time it takes, I check for open flowers in the morning if I didn’t already tie up the flowers the evening before that I know we’re going to open the next day!

[@carmen3091]

Your attitude, little Tuck, and the info I get from this channel make me so happy. You have a great channel, James!

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo Carmen! Thanks for the kind words 🐕😁❤️

[@eigleenalegri2664]

Marvelous video. I will try to keep up on my yellow summer squash

[@sgrvtl7183]

EXCELLENT information and video! Thank You for sharing~

[@sinatrez9932]

I don’t even have a house much less a garden yet I’m always watching these videos

[@Southern195]

Take notes because you may find yourself in a house and can grow some fresh veggies. 😁

[@jackpleb2360]

I've had waltham butternut and squash bugs absolutely wrecked them!! Now, we use diatomaceous earth to sprinkle, insect netting, and dawn dish soap to kill the squash bugs. Also use tape to quickly and easily pull squash bug eggs from the leaves. Works like a charm.

[@karenwoodford4776]

GREAT info on squash!!! I have not been successful avoiding the squash vine borer ever, so I’m excited to plant more now!

[@allenconiglio9417]

I love your videos and learn something new with every one. Thanks so much.

[@kriswest5729]

absolutely love ur channel learning so much!!!!

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo!!!

[@caroldragon7545]

If you plant a parthenocarpic squash, you can keep it covered all summer because it doesn't need to be pollinated. I use tulle instead of row cover because it is so lightweight it's easy to move for harvest or to keep it from pressing down on the leaves.

[@jamesprigioni]

Good point!

[@cindyspiess9963]

good tip 👍

[@caroldragon7545]

@@cindyspiess9963 THE VARIETY i plant is called Partenon. Even the larger fruits are tender.

[@rubytrotter3766]

I’m going to order the Partenon squash seeds and use them for my second squash planting. Thank u so much for this information

[@caroldragon7545]

@@rubytrotter3766 I am so disappointed. I used the last of my partenon seeds this year and I was going to order more. I got mine from Johnny's selected seeds originally, but they have been discontinued because of germination unreliability. I didn't have any problems with them. Two other parthenocarpic varieties that they carry are Dunja and desert, but I haven't grown those, so I don't know what they are like. I am going to see if other seed comanies have parthenocarpic varieties before I order any seeds.

[@Sparkysings2]

I live the idea of the Gnome Challenge. What a great and fun thing to do. I had a huge infestation on squash bugs last year. Didn’t even bother planting this year. Thanks so much for the tips

[@cindybroadus3277]

Great info on garden prevention and pruning!!!

[@reallygraceful]

i have never been able to successfully grow squash because of the vine borer... but i want to start a pumpkin patch this month so i'm going to try again...one last time lol

[@8thcelisabeth]

Your best bet will be growing the Cucurbita Moschata cultivars. Not a 100% promise, but the stems are thicker than for other squash, gives you a better chance. Some varieties are Butternut and the best one, Musquee D'Provence. Any help you need, lmk.

[@Sarairose]

Your channel is fantastic! Good luck with those borers they are terrible here… Preventative methods work if you work them. You got this❤

[@connecticutwormsgardens]

CT zone 5B. I love squash. Grow several types every year. Have 11 varieties growing now. This is the WORST YEAR in my 40+ years of organic gardening for squash pests. Despite numerous preventative measures and daily checking/removal of pests - they are relentless. Vine borers, squash bugs and cucumber beetles in mas numbers. Waltham butternut squash is my favorite winter squash. As you said, they normally aren't appealing to pests. This year, I can't find A SINGLE LEAF that doesn't have a cluster of squash bug eggs on it DAILY. I spend hours scraping them and the next day, they are back. Yesterday, I pulled 74! adult, mating, squash bugs off 3 butternut plants. It's insane. I spent a lot of money buying squash Vine borer traps from gardens alive. Love them. They work better than advertised. In 2 days, so many borers were caught the new ones were simply walking across the stuck ones without getting trapped. It's a BAD year for pests. Very bad. I have had very good success manually removing the borers from inside the stem. Seems to be the best approach for borers but the squash bugs are different. I found at least 1000 young hatchlings on the lower leaves of my crookneck squash yesterday. Question on the surround clay you discussed? Does rain wash it off? We've had severe thunderstorms almost daily with pounding rain. If it needs reapplying after rain, I'll go broke..... Where did you get it? Cost? Nothing is working for me this year. Sad, but I refuse to give up organic growing and refuse to give up my rare heirloom summer squash varieties that I (and the pests🤬) love so much so the war wages on😂 B t w - I just ordered a shirt😊

[@dionysos147]

Not organic but try seven. I was having the problems you were and I was ready to give up because I grown pumpkins. The bugs were just to much and I was spending all day out there picking eggs and they were just right back the next day. Even worse the squash bugs lay eggs on the ground and the baby larva crawl to the plant. I didn’t know that I thought they hatched and went right into plant but no they can move and find spots to go in. Then a gardener told me to try seven. You spray it on every two weeks. But I do it at dusk and always wake up the squash bees that are asleep inside the squash flowers. I have only ever tried the one that hooks to the hose. It’s been 3 years and no plants have died from bugs. You don’t even need to pick the eggs off. Good luck!!

[@nz5752]

​@@dionysos147 what is seven?

[@MAL71]

Love Tuck helping you in the garden! ❤❤❤

[@scottscriticalmass]

Quickly becoming my favorite gardening channel... Thanks James!

[@theteenagegardener]

Hi there, James! You should try growing ‘Dunja’ Zucchini. It is a really great variety; it’s resistant to Powdery mildew and a few other damaging diseases, it produces like crazy, and its fruits are very tasty. I have 4 of them planted in my garden and I have been so impressed by them!

[@Remember_when]

I wasn't getting any asparagus one year and couldn't figure out what was happening. They would start to pop up out of the ground then disappear. Then, one day, I turn around and see my pup eating the new sprout popping out. Disappearance figured out.

[@aliciaokiegal]

Perfect timing! I am not planting my zucchini for another week in hopes of avoiding those gross bugs. I love your and Tuck's videos!

[@54cal54]

Thank you for some great information, i didn't know that about butternut squash. My 2 & 5 year olds just love watching Tuck, now they can look for a gnome. Awesome.

[@maximevalentinantoinesabou8156]

Hey, something that also works well is spraying white vinegar diluated in some water (with a ratio of 1 to 5 max or a bit less). It is very effective against bugs. Just be careful not to spray it on a hit sunny day because it might burn the plant. Doing it at the end of the day is usually the best :)

[@sherriianiro747]

Funny! That was the only thing that saved my squash from powdery mildew! Smart!

[@maximevalentinantoinesabou8156]

@@sherriianiro747 white vinegar solves all problems haha

[@lizalcantara6304]

Where do you spray it on? The leaves or the vine?

[@maximevalentinantoinesabou8156]

@@lizalcantara6304 leaves and the vine. At least that's what I did :)

[@lizalcantara6304]

@@maximevalentinantoinesabou8156 thank you!

[@53peace]

I live in UK in zone 8b/9 and keep moaning about the cold and how it stops me from doing more. I just realised your zone is 7! You produce so much in your garden it’s unbelievable. Your channel is inspiring and I’ve been following you and Tuck since last year. Great stuff James and Thank you for your hard work and sharing vital information. Please do some winter protection and projects later this year if possible. ❤🙏💐

[@BronzeTheSling]

I'm in zone 8b but it's waaay hotter here than anywhere in the UK. Are you using a different system? When I hear 8b in the US it's always a very hot region with almost no snow.

[@53peace]

@@BronzeTheSling I’m not sure but if I google the map indicates 8b/9. I live in East Anglia which is pretty hot in summer but the problem is it can suddenly get frosty and ruin the plants. Very unpredictable weather. Short growing season, warm only until end of September and a bit of October.

[@marilynmitchell2712]

65 degrees is summer

[@paulineottaviano3462]

Thanks for sharing. I have had vine borers in my garden two years ago and they got into some of my plants. I’ll try this.

[@bassmastadee8246]

Thank you as always JP and Tuck! Can you use these 5 lb bags of Kaolin clay I see on Amazon or do you have to use the Surround WP? Also, do you have a link for the best place to get the Surround if we shouldn't use those 5lb Amazon bags?

[@FloridaGirl-]

Good question

[@bhalliwell2191]

Running so far behind this year that a "second sowing" of summer squashes will be the first sowing of summer squashes. Might still try a few winter squash varieties. Many thanks for this video! And, a suggestion, if I may: I plant white icicle radishes in my squash and cucumber hills to help deter the squash vine borers, and for the years I've done this it seems to work just fine.

[@cindyspiess9963]

My garden is so late also, cold spring , racoon digging up everything , today ( first day of summer ) 62 ° at 4:30 pm 🫣 and has been very dry for a while , but now cold rain 🤷‍♀️ idk , my enthusiasm is waning.

[@8thcelisabeth]

Cucurbita Moschata cultivars of squash are the most resistant to squash vine borers. Butternut is a Moschata. Hope this helps! I have a ton of info on SVBs, unfortunately. SVB's and Hail are the two things I fear most in my garden.

[@bhalliwell2191]

@@cindyspiess9963 Oh, do I hear this! Cold, wet, late spring, then warm but too, too rainy and the soil too wet to work it. Started *some* seeds indoors, but still had space constraints so a lot has been sequential, rather than simultaneous in the doing. But I tend to forget about time and about days to maturation, which is why about four years ago I was cheerfully and optimistically sowing cabbage seeds---early ones---around September-something for a second harvest, and a friend in a much different gardening area with a much shorter growing season said, "Well, maybe you can enjoy the leaves," because there wouldn't be time for those cabbages to head up. But regarding a lot of things to do with gardening, I can be a very hard-headed realist, e.g., some things simply can't be grown here, and that's all there is to that, so I focus on what we *can* grow. We've had to resort to physical barriers to keep the raccoons, skunks, possums and the *deer* out of the food garden.

[@bhalliwell2191]

@@8thcelisabeth Thank you for this! Himself will be delighted to know this about C. Moschata and Butternut, especially as it's his personal favorite winter squash and does very well for him. As it's also an excellent keeper, I am foreseeing a lot of Butternut squash in my future. Himself will be quite joyful! We've been fortunate---touch wood!---in that hail has been rare in my immediate area, at least since I started gardening vegetables. It seems unfair you've had to deal with both SVBs *and* hail, but we gardeners seem to be nothing if not optimistic, unless it's that we are sturdily persistent. Seriously and sincerely, have you tried the white icicle radishes among your squashes? Let them grow, and grow, and grow, and go to flower and make seeds if they do, and don't bother about whether they offer good eating quality (the radishes, I mean.) Leave them in ground until all the squashes have been harvested. The very worst that can happen is that you'll have no success with this (can be the timing), and you'll have lost some radish seeds in addition to some squash. In fourteen years, I've had only one squash borer get into a squash vine, and we plant a boatload of summer and winter squashes. Good success to you!

[@8thcelisabeth]

@@bhalliwell2191 Well thank you! I let radish to reseed willy nilly as I use it as cover crop and for soil tillage. But I haven't specifically planted it among my squash, might be another cool experiment to try! Does the white radish have unique properties? I took some video of the weather we got last year, it's on my page. We received HUGE hail, a haboob (!!!) and green skies. It was wild last year. We are supposed to get severe weather this Saturday. We need the rain (drought 4 years now) but not the damage that may come with it!

[@lukecombs7338]

You sir.....are a genius! Thank you for the tips.

[@jeanneblackwell5123]

Fantastic tips!!!!! I am a life long gardener and you are always offering up things I have not heard about anywhere. Am loving it James. You are a wealth of very useful information and am so grateful. I am in California and all your tips can be used here. Zone 9. You and Tuck are a dream team. Thank you!!!

[@c.schuurman2092]

These 'Mistakes you can't afford to make' videos are so helpful, James. What do you think about an updated video about wood chip mulch gardening, in order to introduce a whole new set of gardeners to what you've learned about this great method?

[@jamesprigioni]

I like that idea 💡

[@ingridbond3432]

james, you're wonderfully helpful, thank you so much. one thing to add for you to confirm or deny RE: summer squash pests. someone (who has a garden)said that the first year of growing squash, there were no pests. the second year he planted in the same bed and dealt with a pest infestation that took out his crop. the third year he relocated the squash patch to a different area on the property -- no bugs. from then on out he rotated the squash patch to avoid infestations and it worked. what do you think about that?

[@jamesprigioni]

I don’t think it’s just from rotating, but it is a good idea to not plant in the same location year after year. It could have been a number of things, like timing, or just a year where the pests weren’t bad

[@8thcelisabeth]

Depends on the numbers of the pest population and the distance between the beds this year and last year. SVB's overwinter in the soil and emerge after about 850 Growing Degree Days the next summer. Generally a SVB moth will find it's way to any squash plant nearby. I got SVB's the very first year I grew squash, which is rare. Some just have quite refined receptors to find those blossoms. I also have traps that catch the male SVB moth, which tells me they have arrived so I can start egg hunting. I am an unfortunate expert, I have them badly. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I've got tons of info.

[@ingridbond3432]

@@8thcelisabeth sounds like netting is the way to go

[@8thcelisabeth]

@@ingridbond3432 That is definitely a strategy that works for many. Good luck Ingrid!

[@buffalopatriot]

Great tips. Thanks James. Good job Tuck.

[@melindaroth5796]

JAMES, ARE THE APHIDS DIFFERENT FROM THE VINE BORER? THANKS 😊

[@jamesprigioni]

Yup, the vine borer adults look kinda like wasps and the larvae are big nasty white worms 🤢

[@Steve1026.]

Jp, it is I, the viewer, comin at YOU live from..........the living room sofa❤

[@jamesprigioni]

Haha! Let's Gooo Steve!

[@beverleygregory]

the best video on the internet, such enthusiasm , I assume you sell all your produce at a farmers market, great life

[@susanwurtz4344]

How do we keep robins out of my garden they unroot all my plants do u have any advice for me I’m very devastated have to cover my plants every day

[@jamesprigioni]

I would use an insect netting to cover the young seedling. When the plants get a bit bigger they should stop. I had this issue early this year cause a Robin had a nest nearby and was ripping out my young seedlings

[@catiepower3550]

Best part of growing different varieties of squash is figuring out what you’ll use them in.

[@jamesprigioni]

Haha, so true!!

[@8thcelisabeth]

What is your favorite? I am partial to fried zucchini. Not healthy I know lol...

[@catiepower3550]

@@8thcelisabeth this is my first year successfully growing zucchini. I’m enjoying Patty pan squash. I can’t help myself with growing pumpkins. I have pie pumpkins and baby boo and Jack be little pumpkins. For fall I have sweet dumpling squash and burges buttercup squash. I love the colors and the shapes.

[@8thcelisabeth]

@@catiepower3550 your fall display photos are going to be so lovely!

[@catiepower3550]

@@8thcelisabeth I have my vining squash going up a cattle panel trellis. The blooms stay at the top and the fruit stays under the canopy. I use old stockings as hammocks for heavy varieties. Works perfectly

[@dianafigueroa6764]

Thanks for the video. The cucumber Beatles seemed to come early this year and really decided my squash tasted really good and enjoyed feeding on the leaves.

[@nyssabryant7324]

Thank you for sharing! I lost so many little squash to poor pollination and I didn't know why. Always improvong in this great experiment of gardening

[@alexburdsall3580]

9:55!

[@jamesprigioni]

That was quick! Congrats on being the first winner of the Gnome Challenge! Send me an email at [e-mail] with the details on which shirt you want, a Food Forest shirt, or Gardening is Life shirt and I will send you a link to the free T-shirt! 😁🐕❤️

[@Bigfoottehchipmunk]

Thank you for these tips and encouragement. I may plant more squash yet! My few squash seedlings that survived are planted at the foot of a very large, kind of bent up pair of old, wire, round cages that are stuck together, sitting in a corner near the compost heap. It happened by accident one year, and now that is where I grow at least some type of squash. They like the privacy, I guess. haha

[@kb1236]

Thanks! I love squash and almost gave up on growing it. I have tried many ways to fight the vine borer in GA without success and look forward to trying your suggestion.