Prevent Squash Bugs and Cucumber Beetles With A Trick An Amish Farmer Taught Me
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- Опубліковано 17 сер 2022
- Squash bugs and cucumber beetles can be such a nuscence. In this episode we will be covering how to control them using a trick I learned from a local amish farmer.
When bugs come along, I run the ducks through the garden for 2 hours each evening. They will eat also the lower growing peas, beans or ripe tomatoes. I consider these as ‘wages’ for clearing the bugs out.
nice
I used to expect that my zucchini and cucumber plants would last the entire growing season. Once I got it into my head that my first planting of zucchini and cucumbers would last until maybe late July/early August when they'd succumb to the wilt that the cucumber beetles carry, I've been much more relaxed! I now appreciate that they are half season crops. I start a second sowing of them sometime in late June/early July so that they are ready to plant out in August when the first plantings begin to die. For winter squash, I only grow C. moschata varieties that tend not to be as affected by squash vine borer. I also keep a spray bottle of water and dish soap that I use to spray the squash beetles. They are dead in 30s!
Ha another dish soap user. Works on evil witches too!
Maybe that’s what I need to do, just accept that I need to do a second round of them. Right now my poor cucumbers look so sad!
Tell me more about the water and dish soap mixture for squash beetles, please.
@@bethstolts8311 Soapy water is a very simple but excellent solution for squash bugs! Just get yourself a spray bottle (dollar store or reuse something from your home) and fill it with water and a good squirt of dish soap - maybe a tablespoon for a large bottle. Voila, you've got yourself high octane squash bug killer. Give any squash bugs a good spray and they will die within a minute. The soapy water must come in contact with the squash bug to be effective. You can't just spray the plants like you would an insecticide. This way, you only target the bad squash bugs and the pollinators and good bugs are left in peace. I keep my spray bottle in my squash patch and everyday I go on squash bug patrol and when I see the buggers, I give them a shot. Also, the soapy water does not negatively affect the leaves. Good luck!
After fighting squash bugs last year I decided to plant late summer, and they are looking amazing and ZERO pest pressure. I will gladly wait the 3 months to plant them every year.
I have all of it planted not realizing until watching Luke that late summer is fine. When did you start your seeds?
What about them getting cold before they produce
What zone and when did younplant
@@maryzanwarren6514 I’m wondering the same thing. We are overrun with insects this year.
I’m getting my soil ready for planting within the next week or two. My cucumber seedlings look great that I started indoors from seed. I just started my squash seeds yesterday and my peppers also. Wish me luck everyone.
I spray my cucumbers, squash and cabbage with garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper and I have had really good Luck
Would you mind sharing the recipe?
@@karenbecker4339 Yes, please!
I, too, would like the recipe pls!
Pete would you share your recipe?
Yes…Please Share!
Don't forget- crook and straight neck yellow squash are identical to Zucchini plants. But, they grow yellow squash. Here in the south, we love them. Nothing like a crook neck squash casserole.
I planted Marigold's around all 3 of my raised beds and I have zero bugs so far. It's really hot now too.
My sister gave me a tip from the south (I'm still in mi) grow nasturtium flowers around your squash. I did it this year and never had any squash bugs until last week. I found about 5, when the last few years there were hundreds. It was worth the 5$ in seed.
Last week, I heard an older gardener say that she planted dill with her squash. She said it deterred vine borers as well.
You can harvest seeds from your nasturtiums, just let them sit out and dry in a plate.
Love the "calendar pose" at 2:38. LOL!!
I had squash bugs 3 seasons ago while growing acorn squash. They then moved to my zucchini. Dish soap in the pump sprayer made short work of them quickly. I followed up daily after the main kill.
Planting Blue Hubbard squash as a trap crop is pretty effective. Plant 2 weeks before your other squash and then you can watch just the one plat and treat it if necessary because they will chose it first.
I just want to point out one small defect in your plan and the way to adjust for it. IF you take the days to germination and days to maturity and add them together then subtract from your first frost date, that gives you the absolute last day to plant, BUT...
Things to account for:
1) days to germination are only approximate, and do vary based on things like moisture levels and temperature.
2) Days to maturity are again based on established normal growing season conditions. Cooler nights as fall and winter approach will affect that number, and days to maturity will increase.
Always remember that the statistics given on a seed packet are approximate at best, and are based on normally expected conditions. Shifting the season also shifts the necessary days to germination and maturity.
Also, I’d suppose the days to maturity is for the very earliest fruit/veg. You probably want to be able to harvest some more than just the first ones.
Right! We could never plant in the late summer/fall in Seattle. By end of Sept we can have cooler temps, and the rains can come back, leading to powdery mildew and also very few pollinators
My cucumbers are slowing down so I thought I might be crazy to plant new cucumbers - but I did it anyway. Thanks for confirming this was the right choice!
Hello there
I only have a 16x16 garden and containers, and I am overwhelmed. I am in zone 5. I had planted starters in june for the first time as a back up. In July I had the vine borer come in, squash bugs, and cucumber beetle, as well as rabbits and more. I don't use any sprays. I pulled out and replaced all the plants with the starters and seeds. I also used tulle around the bases of the plants and stems. Seedling's I covered. My garden is sooo productive, healthy, and minimal pests! Other people I know at work lost their gardens. Mine is the only one thriving. I believe it was using tulle, and time of year knowing my season, and having the back up plants. I was sure to rid the area of the plants that were the issue. Great video!!
Amazing! I am zone 5 too! Thank you 🙏
Smart!!!
I’m Z5 also and yes, the VB is a problem. I never thought to just wrap the base in tulle-thanks! There are apparently 2 life cycles of VBs and late July is the second one. They can fly in or come up from the ground I believe. I’ve had them bore into the stem also and not just the base so wonder if that would work. I’ve tried a different pumpkin and squash this year, but they were both planted in new areas and are doing great. I have so much fence around them that I can’t get into that area, lol,so I will wait and see if these varieties have a hard stem or hollow at the base. I’m trying to find the best varieties that are not affected by VB. The pumpkin was Connecticut? From Bakers Creek and squash is Violina Rugosa from BC also. The names may be off. To my surprise they are both vigorous and thought the pumpkin was for pies, but they are huge. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the squash that it is better than Walthams. So thankful someone gave me these seeds to try or I wouldn’t have known.
The old standby butternut and pie pumpkin got hit and I bury a portion of vine so it can reroot and dig out the borer every year and manage to save them-it’s a pain. Good luck to us for a great harvest.
@@dustyflats3832 I think about anything wrapped around the base of the plant (and stem) that doesn't hinder the growth would work. I saw one lady on youtube use the medical stretchy tape like a small ace bandage. That might be reusable for the next year, maybe? I personally, haven't tried it, but willing to do anything next year to try and get my plants to produce. We had a total of 3 squash this summer & I gave them away thinking we'd have a ton more coming. Lol
@@lmullens75 I seen the bandage video also. I pulled out ours we had for the dog years ago and it wasn’t sticky enough. If there was a paint on stretchy substance that would do it.
Oh man, is it too late to ask for the squash back🤣🤣
I planted petunias in along my squash plants in the garden - zero bugs. My squash plants in grow bags on the other side of the yard - dead. I’ve heard the petunia scent deters vine borers.
Someone said planting sunflowers around helps?
one thing that has also helped me with the cucumber beetles at least, is mixing in some flowers and herbs around the cucumber and squash plants. typically its zinnias, cornflowers, marigolds, borage and dill all planted around by my squash and cukes. i think i only encountered one, maybe two cucumber beetles the whole season and havent seen another since then. Will definitely be planting some zucchini tomorrow now that i am reminded of how well they do in the fall too
One of my companion planting books said an iowa study found nasturtiums helped deter squash pests, so I'll definitely be pairing that. Catnip as well, apparently? (Just heard that one online though)
I grew up in Brown City too! We visited the Amish frequently at Yoder Discount and the produce stand across the road! Some of my favorite memories were made there!
Great video, but I'd like to add one bit of information. There are squash borer resistant varieties out there! Butternut squash and Korean zucchini (aehobak) are two of them. As you said, you can't grow butternut squash later in the season, so you have to plant those in spring, but also get some Korean zucchini going in spring, then in late July, get your traditional zucchini going. I live about an hour and a half south of Luke and I'm still plucking traditional zucchini that I planted on July 25th, but I completely avoided squash borers in June and July with my Korean zucchini.
I planted zucchini a few weeks ago and it is huge and blooms already! I also tried your baking soda spray and it stopped the mold! Thank you!
Hello 👋 Reletta
Do any of you have the baking soda recipe and the dish soap recipe yes I notice the powdery mildew on my zucchini leaves I have hear people say they used a milk mixture for mildew on their zucchini leaves
What is the baking soda remedy?
Half tb baking soda with water spray in morning
Do you spray the baking solution daily or is it just a one-time deal?
Thanks for the tips. We're in zone 9a and have a very long growing season (pretty much year around). Fall has definitely become my fav season in the garden.
I planted pumpkin and spaghetti squash last week. I am in 9a. Summer was heat was brutal
Same here. Just moved her this early summer. Fall garden is all I’m going to fret this year so I’m enjoying it! I was in zone 6a before and couldn’t grow much when the snow fell haha (nor did I want to). Now I want to grow EVERYTHING LOL.
Their present here in Central Alabama all the time no matter what time of year you plant I’ve tried every season that you can
I had already decided to plant squash for a fall harvest. I like the yellow scallop squash. They are easy to see
I looove that he got right to the point. Awesome video.
You're kidding, right?
I have absolutely done this when living in the Ozarks. I also started corn on my birthday (July 3rd), and had a fantastic, almost overwhelming harvest, lol.
What kind of corn did you plant?
@@jude7321 It was Candy Sweet, my favorite! We filled the freezer!
@@jude7321 I almost forgot, I also like Peaches and Cream corn
This is the first year I've grown zucchini and cukes here, but I'm growing them now for the fall season, and they're looking wonderful! Very few bugs, no cucumber beetles at all.
Hello 👋 Marie
When did you plant them may I ask.
@@natalijaasbjornsen8827 end of July. And my first frost date is around October 1
Well I planted my cucumber about this time. It grows kinda slow. And here in Ohio we have winters.
@@frankallen42
Hello Frank
God bless you real good
Jude, from Kentucky
✝️🐴 🇺🇸⚒️🇺🇸🌱
I am trying that in Indiana! Thank you and good luck with ALL!!!!
I'm in Northern Indiana and still getting squash bugs today.
Love your Amish farmer tips! Thanks! I have never grown squash late season. Will be trying that this year.
I love hearing Luke say “Couldn’t be further from the truth!!” 😆
It's nice to see confirmation on what my gut was telling me! Thanks for all you do good sir!!!
Thanks Luke! Almost perfect timing! My sis and I were just having this conversation!👍
Blessings! 💜
Awesome! This is my first year of success with those crops, so my first acquaintance with squash and cucumber bugs.
Thank you!
best video yet ! appreciate the lil tips n tricks
VERY interesting (and optimistic) tip! Thank you kindly. 🙏🏼
This is my first year growing in an area where squash bugs and svb are a thing, and they absolutely destroyed my spring garden, but I planted a huge patch of summer squash, also pumpkins and spaghetti squash on July 1, and only some aphid pressure so far :)
A very timely video for me, just discovered squash bugs yesterday!
Thanks for this info. I have been fighting squash beetles and squash vine borers all summer long and finally just pulled the plants last week. Will definitely give waiting a try next year and try to method for eliminating powdery mildew.
Brown City! My mom’s family is from there. Great advice, thanks, I’ll try planting more summer squash and cucumbers in my CT garden. And fantastic idea for powdery mildew. Thanks!
Thank you, you have educated me on so many things!
Great advice. Thanks for sharing this information
This is just the video that I needed. Now I feel better about planting the cucumbers I just bought from you!
Hello Pam
Thank you, my seedlings are starting to thrive now that the drought is over. I'm going to have a good harvest of squash and cukes!
Glad to hear this since I have started seedlings already. Wasn't sure they'd have enough time to mature. I'll transplant this weekend.
Thank you so much for the info. Wrote it down & will plant & spray!!
Very good information!!
Another very informative video, thank you.
Thanks for all of the information! I had no idea you could plant zucchini and cucumbers in your fall garden. Genius!
This was SO helpful!
All my cucumbers and squash slowly died towards the end of august. It was disappointing but we did get a nice harvest. Squash bugs!! So happy to know I can avoid these issues next year 😁
Awesome advice!
Great advice! Thanks!
Thanks so much Luke!😊
I definitely needed this I just lost a zuchinni to squash bugs they are still active here but hopefully will be fewer when my other zuchinni mature
Thank you!! Such good advice!!
Great tips. too often we forget, that shoulder seasons are still good growing time
we started a new round of zucs from MIG seeds for a fall crop. thanks for the advice.
Normally, I would agree with planting after cucumber beetles have come and gone. This year, however, they have been on almost every type of plant (fruit, vegetable, flower) since July. I even saw some in November the morning before our first snowfall a few hours later. Numbers weren't as huge as the big infestations I normally battle once a year, but I couldn't be in the garden the rest of the season without spying a few.
Thank you so much for this information!👍
Thanks for the *short* lesson!💚😉
Hello Laurie
wow! thank you for this information!!!!!!! i have been struggling with zucchini because of the squash bugs and almost gave up on them..thank you so much!!
Thanks Luke for the tip about 1/2-1 Tbls. baking soda to a gallon of water.
Thanks for the great tip.
Hello dreama
Good video information!
Good Suggestion 👍
Great! Tks for sharing this information
Great tips. I spent some time in Pennsylvania in my youth near Mennonite communities. Wonderful culture.
Butternut squash when young and green are sweet and creamy and delicious, much tastier then zucchini, which I find to be bland and watery. So go ahead and plant that butternut squash since you don't have to grow them to maturity to harden off for winter. Any winter squash when eaten young, are tasty.
Great tips! I already planted my zucchini but if the bugs get bad I will try again in the fall. Thanks!❤
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I just started a new batch of squash seeds last week.
Hello dawn
We just finished with zucchini now I think I'll replant!! My cukes got choked out by my butternut squash so now I have room to replant! Thanks for the info!!
Thank you i like your information. God Bless you
I'm waiting to plant squash in the fall from now on. I live in NW Arizona in zone 8b. I'll focus on tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and green beans mid summer. I love our long growing season here! I did have good luck with butternut squash and it's producing like crazy right now but got stunted from the heat in June and July.
Great idea!
Thanks Luke!
I'm going to fall plant squash in 2023 because over this summer my squash were attacked by: Groundhogs {eating the leaves of zucchini, yellow squash, & scallop squash}, Squash vine borers, birds picking off all female blossoms, & powdery mildew in our humid warm environment. I still got a decent harvest to preserve before all of those things finally did them, the vine borers put the final nails in the coffins 😂🤣. As for our adorable groundhogs, we used a Havahart trap in a shady part of the yard to catch & then relocate them in early summer, to rural area 8 miles away. *To insure their survival we relocated them during the brief window of time 'after' their young had become fully independent & foraging for themselves, and 'before' they began preparing for their winter hibernation.
You're nice
God bless you
Jude, from Kentucky
✝️🐴🇺🇸⚒️🇺🇸🌱
@@jude7321 Thank you, 🛐May God bless you too☺!
I'm growing some Biet Alpha cucumbers for a Fall planting and they're doing amazing despite the drought here in the NE. I've never ever gotten cucumber beetles so I'll be growing these Spring and Fall. I will never grow any other kind of non-pickling cukes. They self pollinate. This video really should have been made two weeks ago. I never thought of squash. Brilliant idea. The Amish are so wise.
Good tips I’m going to try this 👍😊
Awesome thank you! Got some more cukes planted, will definitely start some zucchinis today, mine didn’t grow in the spring (not your seeds) and I just got my seed order from you with new zucchini seed woohoo!!
My pickling cucumbers are just now fruiting, same with my zucchini and summer squash. Cant wait!
Texas weather has been so challenging. Growing them in the fall might be my best option
I just wait until July. That works where I live when the borers have turned into moths
Thanks Luke!! That's the best advice I've heard. I have been the 90%, squash bug, fighter! I even let my chickens into the garden for the past week. I was hoping they would thin the bugs before I plant my seedlings. They have done a good job. However, I don't recommend it. Lol
I did the same thing this year, but it was because of grasshoppers... in my high tunnel. Now, I have to figure out how to get the chicken wire back up so that my little squash plants & cukes don't get eaten for dinner by the chickens... The grasshoppers are pretty much gone, though!
Thank you for this! I’m in zone 9a and gave up on squash but I’m starting them soon since we have a longer growing season. Hopefully I won’t deal with as much SVB and squash bugs.
@Christine Aguirre I am in zone 8b-almost 9 (AL-FL panhandle border) and not sure if they EVER stop breeding in our area. I planted at 4 different times this year (yellow summer squash & zucchini, along with spaghetti squash, Cherokee Tan Pumpkins & even Cucuzzi Squash (that is supposed to be a squash vine borer, squash bug resistant variety) and every single planting the vine borers got every single plant no matter what I did for prevention. I have tried everything under the sun, even injecting the stems with BT (Organic Pesticide), keeping them sprayed with BT, using tinfoil around base of plant just to name a few. My 5th planting about 3 weeks ago I tried even more new techniques I had learned. Spraying with BT & Dr Bronners Peppermint Castile Soap. This worked as long as you sprayed every single day. I missed a day here & there due to rain and by dang, the vine borers found all but 2 of my squash plants. I plant in raised beds & containers. I have read that in our area these pests NEVER LEAVE. They may have a small window when they burrow underground for winter but that is in Jan/Feb here and when you couldn't plant squash of any kind. I have never had such a problem growing squash AND Cherokee Tan Pumpkins and I'm at my wits end as to HOW to grow my favorite summer vegetable. Even the pollinators are fewer this year than ever before & I'm having to plant flowers to try to attract them. I thought of planting them in my greenhouse but I would have to hand pollinate unless I collected some pollinators and let them loose to have free reign in the greenhouse. AND the recent heat wave/drought we had didn't help matters either. What didn't burn to a crisp the bugs got. The only green beans I had to survive the UV/Radiation Rays from the heat wave were planted in partial shade. Not sure if it is worth the effort anymore to try to have squash of any kind. But before I totally GIVE UP, I will try planting squash one more time outside then also plant some in the greenhouse & hand pollinate. I tried planting in early early spring way before recommended plant date but about the time they started producing & I got ONE little harvest, the squash bugs & vine borers appeared. I worked with those beautiful lush HUGE plants for hours a day, every single day but all it takes is missing ONE SVB and the plant is history. So trying to plant at different times of the year HERE in our zone doesn't seem to matter to the SVB or SB's. I will also try using Diatomaceous Earth & working it deep into the soil to see if I can kill any larva that tries to overwinter. Not sure if that will work but it is worth a try since everything else has failed.
Glad I came across this. Almost fall here in 8a.
I seeded scallop squash in mid July in Boston and cucumber beetles still savaged most of the young plants. The one they didn't is in a container away from the raised bed with the others and that one looks great and just started flowering. will see how it goes. maybe I could start even later next season. I would add that at least in a region like mine you can dodge the Squash Vine Borers with a later planting like this. they went at my first round of squash really hard this year
I planted my summer squash a month ago and it is doing better than the early planting.
Best thing that I've used was cedar shavings as mulch. It doesn't completely get rid of squash bugs, but it really reduces the numbers. Here in the texas panhandle, we could have 2 rounds of squash bugs. Just depends on the weather
Interesting idea! Thanks for the tip :)
I'm in northern AR. I'm going to try it! I had squash bugs like a biblical pestilence this year and I garden organically. I'm desperate!!
@@jessidutton3441 Me too in central TN. I finally pulled the plants up last week after removing eggs at least once daily from the leaves. Consumed so much time and effort.
@@jessidutton3441 : Here's another channel's suggestion:
1-2 teaspoons peppermint oil
2-3 tablespoons castille soap
to 1 gallon of water, pump spray gallon
Spray at night, after pollinators, like bees disappear
This worked well but it must be maintained on a consistent basis, every 5-7 days was suggested. I missed a week this summer. Yiks - those squash bugs multiply quickly. I found slimy white bubbles of slime on the zucchini, too. GROSS! Tossed all those zucchini. Still got a good amount of zuc from 8 plants but the maintainence and flipping the leaves for eggs is tiresome. (Used petroleum jelly for the eggs - carefully smeared a thick dab to cover the eggs. If more is used and gets on the leaves, that area of the leaves will turn yellow).
@@jessidutton3441 Read my comment if you can. I lived in Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri (West Plains) and did this every year.
I'm just now seeing squash bugs...this year is so crazy
Maybe they'll be done in a couple of weeks?
This makes me feel good because I thought I planted my cucumbers way too late. They are about 3" tall right now. They look good so I will keep my fingers crossed.
Hello Sheri
@@williamwoods8765
Hello William
God bless you
Jude, from Kentucky
✝️🐴🇺🇸⚒️🇺🇸🌱
In NS, Canada, we are lucky to get 3 months of good growing season....before the hurricanes/or frosts hit in late September....
Thanks for the great tips. I've plenty of courgette (zucchini) this year (gold rush and black beauty), but having tried straightneck and crookneck summer squashes, I can't get enough of them. Zucchini's just don't taste so good anymore. I'll be sure to plant a few more now, although last year I found they produced right through into the autumn.
I am trying both this fall!!
I'm right in the middle of planting my fall flush of zucchini and cucumbers, in hopes of avoiding the squash borers and cucumber beetles that have already destroyed the ones I planted in the spring. I did not have the same pest problems with my Tahitian butternut (Cucurbita moschata) chayote (Sechium edule) silk squash (Luffa acutangula) or bitter melon (Momordica charantia) which are mostly ignored by insect pests. The cucumber beetles did attack my winter melon (Benincasa hispida) but the plant seems somewhat more resistant to bacterial wilt than my cucumbers were.
Just pulled out sweet baby watermelon. I am going to try and put a couple cukes in that spot and see if i can get a few. Ideas are awesome thanks.
Thank you good info
I planted here in Mass. In July. The bugs are less but are catching up now.
I replanted my yellow summer squash because the squash bugs got more than I did. Fingers crossed. I may do the pickling cuke like you suggested.
I just sowed pickling cucumbers and beans this week, and some dill too. My average first frost here in Oregon zone 8B is Oct. 21 so we'll see what happens. Nothing sown, for sure nothing harvested.
I understand what your saying Luke I well definitely try that Instead of growing them In the summer of course I am still having problems at this time being this Is August
Thank You!
Thank you!