Squash

About to give up on squash this year. I planted in late March and replanted a few months ago... they are just not producing. Last year I had lots and lots of squash.....I'm seeing clusters of little red eggs and am destroying them as I find them, and have seen some squash bugs. I just can't seem to get rid of them. Is there any thing I can do to prepare my soil now for next spring to prevent whatever is keeping them from producing? Anything I can work into the soil?

I had squash bugs galore the first year we moved where we are at now (Eastern Panhandle,WV) and was scraping and smooshing their eggs daily. I read up on the bugs and organic ways to deal with them and discovered in my searching that nasturtiums repel squash bugs. Tried it last year and only saw maybe one or two of the buggers. This year I haven't seem any! I plant my summer squash in there own 2 x 2 box. I planted a nasturtium on all four corners pf the box. I also plant them in and around my winter squashes.

Neem oil or Rotenone are two organic pesticides you could try. Spray in the evening after the flowers close and the bees are done for the day.

In my 2 x 2 box I usually plant 3 seeds per square and thin down to 2 per square. This year I left all twelve of my yellow squash to grow and I have an abundance! My zucchini is slower producing, but there's still more coming on.

Now I am battling powdery mildew, but I think I found something that kills it. Sprayed last night and except for a few spots I might have missed, I think I might have licked it this time! I used GreenCure, an organic potassium carbonate fungicide.

What kind of squash did you plant? You still have time there in Tennessee to plant another crop. Find one that has a short growing time and go for it...and see if you can find some bargain nasturtiums at your local greenhouse.

https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP291-G.pdf

pattipan

Thanks so much for your response. I am going to check out home depo tomorrow to see if I can find the plant you have suggested. It's just been a very strange year for yellow crookneck squash.