Are My Cukes And Zukes Done For?

The first thing I noticed the other day was the cucumber vine was looking kind of dry.  I didn't think much of it with our weather having been alternating heat waves and rainstorms.
For a brief moment, I wondered if the fly had anything to do with the dryness, 'cause  I know insects can do damage to plants. 

But then I looked over at the Zucchini plant (which we'd been surprised to find was Golden, not the regular green kind) and realized it had worse-looking issues.
And then noticed that about half of the little zucchini fruit I'd been seeing was starting to turn brown and shrivel.


By this time, I remembered it was the cucumbers that got me started looking, and I saw this leaf that looked so nice and green.  However,

when I lifted the leaf -- you can probably guess what I saw --- 


Yes, both the zukes and the cukes are messed up!  

Am I correct in guessing that this "yuck" on both plants is frass, the evidence of a Squash Vine Borer?   So disgusting to think about!


     Now, assuming that 2 -or more- nasty little SVB's are the problem here, my creative mind is trying to figure out if there could be any way to save these plants.  I know I could slice the stems lengthwise and pluck out the offenders.  But then what?  Wait, I have some medical tape left after my hand surgery a couple of years ago -- maybe that would work to wrap the stems once the little buggers are evicted from them.  
     I also thought of seriously trimming the yuck (as I've come to think of it) from the plants, and, rather than put it back down where it was growing before & face the possibility of being re-infected(?) maybe "replant" it in water, somehow.  I'm thinking, I guess, somewhere between hydroponics (about which I know next to nothing) and how you can set little plant pieces in a jar of water near a window to root.  
     Then there are nutrients to consider.  Do I put my cukes & zukes in a bucket of compost tea, or in water with a bagful of something like Garden Tone mixed in, or some other way?  Anyone got any other ideas?  Well, maybe I can think about it in my sleep, since it took way too long to create this picture-heavy post, and now it's well past my bedtime!

I'm going to be the first to "guess" what is happening.  I don't have SVB where I live, but it sure looks like something did a number on it.  I'm not sure if there is enough xylem and the phloem left to make taping it worth while.

I notice that they are planted in dirt.  Do you also have a SFG bed with Mel's Mix?  If so, have you tried growing them in the Mel's Mix?

sanderson wrote:... I notice that they are planted in dirt.  Do you also have a SFG bed with Mel's Mix?  If so, have you tried growing them in the Mel's Mix?

Oh, no! I've been found out! 
Do I have to turn in my official Mel Bartholomew SFG ID card and Secret Decoder Ring that figures out formulas like "What does 50%, 20%, 10%, and 2% mean?"   And "1/3 +1/3 + 1/3, divided by 5 types equals _?"   And ...

But seriously: My beds, not being cedar or teak (or plastic or steel) gradually disintegrated after several years.  And being a poor, jobless person,  I just haven't been able to rebuild 'em, even though I knew where the box sides and squares were (the grids went first.)  It used to be my SFG next to my boyfriend's traditional garden, but this year I just planted in "his" garden.  So, yes, that's "dirt" you saw, although pretty rich amended dirt, with years of our compost, plus a few of "the 5 types" added over time.  And believe me, I really wish I could've been growing in Mel's mix, in one and 2 squares each! 

At least a little good news:  There are a couple of other cucumbers and zucchini plants in another section of the garden that have produced some of each.  I guess that's why they sell seedlings in six-packs, even when you think you don't need that many!  And, I did see this after I took all those depressing  pictures above:
There are tiny cucumbers on this healthy-looking plant, next to the others.  So, looks like I know what my chores are when I get up and out tomorrow!

Hi!  

Yeah, that is unquestionable SVB damage.  It is over.  Unless the plant has somehow managed to find another way to get roots in…my Red Kuri succumbed to SVBs but some of the downstream vine managed to get rootS i??? Who knew

If any of the vines are somewhat salvageable, you might be able to use the technique outlineded here:

uconn.edu wrote:As soon as frass is seen, cut a longitudinal slit halfway through the vine near the base and remove any larvae.  Make the cut as short as possible.  Bury the cut section under moist soil.

(More advice at the site).

I was going to ask about my cucumbers! Nothing looks like it’s rotting but all the laces just died over a week or so, despite rain and watering! First year mel’s mix. What’s happening?!

Looks like bacterial wilt—what do others think?  If it is, the plants should be removed and destroyed.

Scorpio Rising wrote:Looks like bacterial wilt—what do others think?  If it is, the plants should be removed and destroyed.

I had one plant that had bacterial wilt. It looked exactly the same and I removed it. All the others around it are fine.
Brian

I haven't dealt with SVBs, but I've got squash bugs this year and they killed all my pumpkins. It's easy to find out if you have them; check under the leave and see if they've laid a bunch of eggs. Or pick up a piece of the squash plant near the base and look underneath it (they like to hide under things). Yuck yuck yuck! I'm going to make sure to plant nasturtiums and marigolds next to my squash next year; squash bugs don't like them.