Category Archives: Garden Advice

Garden Advice

Organic Pest Control: Squash Vine Borers

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Early White Bush Scallop Summer Squash

Squash vine borers are a type of clearwing moth. They’re a bit unusual because unlike other moths they’re active during the daytime. The adults resemble wasps, are about 1/2 inch long, and have an orange abdomen with black dots. The adults lay eggs near the base of squash plants. These eggs take only about a week to hatch and then they bore into the base of the squash plant and up inside the stem, preventing the plant from getting water or nutrients from the soil.

Signs of their presence include the plants wilting, holes at the base of the plant, and of course spotting adults flying around plants. If your plant has vine borers present you can slice into the stem and kill the insects. If you carefully bury the wounded part of the stem with moist soil and keep it well watered your plant may survive. While this is an option, the best methods for combating vine borers are preventative.

Plant late.

Depending on how long your growing season is you may be able to avoid vine borers by planting your summer squash at the end of July. Adult vine borers typically lay eggs in late June or early July so your late planting of squash won’t be mature until after vine borers are finished laying eggs.

Use crop rotation.

Once squash borers feed for 4-6 weeks they burrow into the soil where they spend the winter pupating. Rotating crops can help minimize the pressure on your plants.

Choose resistant plants.

Some cucurbits are much less likely choices for vine borers. Try planting squashes in the moschata and argyosperma family as well as watermelons and cucumbers.  Check out the post below for how to use young winter squash like summer squash.

https://blog.southernexposure.com/2014/08/winter-squash-as-summer-squash/

Invest in row cover.

Covering your squash with row cover before late June can prevent vine borers from reaching your plants to lay eggs. This method needs to be used in combination with crop rotation as vine borers hatch from the soil.

Plant a trap crop.

You may be able to eliminate some of your garden’s vine borer population using a trap crop. Wait until your plants have vine borer larvae present and then pull and burn the plants. You may never get all of them this way but it can help reduce the problem next year provided you don’t have close neighbors also growing squash.
If you struggle with squash vine borers in your garden consider trying one of these preventative methods this summer. They can help you combat squash vine borers in without resorting to pesticides.

Garden Advice

Don’t Let Downey Mildew Get You Down!

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DMR 401 Slicing Cucumber

A few weeks ago we asked our Facebook followers what their biggest gardening challenge is. While there were a variety of answers (and we hope to address many of them here on the blog), one common one we’d like to start with is downy mildew.

It may look like a fungus but downy mildew is actually a parasitic organism closely related to algae that can affect a variety of plants including basil, lettuce, spinach, melons, cucumbers, and squash. It causes pale green and yellow spots to form on the upper surface of the leaves. Spots of blueish or white fuzz may also form on the underside. As it progresses the leaves will turn brown and fall off. It rarely kills the entire plant but can cause a significant reduction in crop yields.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many organic methods available to treat downy mildew. Some studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that copper or neem oil may help in some cases but they both seem to be far from reliable. Instead, we’ll discuss ways to prevent downy mildew in the first place.

Use trellises.

Downey mildew loves moist conditions so providing your plants with good airflow is an excellent way to prevent the disease. Getting vining plants up off the ground is a great way to accomplish this. Many cucurbits can be grown on a trellis.

Vertical Gardening: The Beginners Guide to Trellising Plants

Water carefully.

Another way to prevent downy mildew by controlling moisture is to water with care. This means watering in the morning so the plants can dry throughout the day and/or using drip irrigation or soaker hoses rather than overhead watering.

Prune your plants.

If appropriate, prune your plants to increase air circulation.

Space your plants properly.

While it’s sometimes okay to space plants closely together if you struggle with downy mildew, give them room. Following spacing instructions is another way you can increase airflow around your plants and avoid moisture. It also helps ensure your plants have adequate nutrition and are less susceptible to disease.

Be vigilant.

Downey mildew can spread from plant to plant so diseased individuals should be removed as soon as you notice them.

Try disease-resistant varieties.

While there are many different strains of downy mildew there are some downy mildew resistant varieties. We carry DMR 401 cucumbers from Michael Mazourek’s breeding program at Cornell University that offer good resistance and excellent flavor.

Choose short season varieties.

Due to the fact that downy mildew thrives in humid conditions, you may be able to avoid it by growing short-season varieties and avoiding the bulk of the wet weather in fall and spring. Short season watermelons like Blacktail Mountain and winter squash like Burpee’s Butterbush or Table Queen are great choices.  

Unfortunately, there is no organic cure-all for downy mildew. However, following these tips can help you keep it from wreaking havoc on your garden.

Garden Advice

5 Butterflies Found in the Mid-Atlantic & What to Plant for Them

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By now many have heard about and understand the plight of the Monarch butterfly. Over the last few decades, their numbers have been steadily declining as they face food and habitat loss as well as pesticide exposure. Though they’re certainly a deserving and beloved species (plant milkweed!), Monarchs aren’t the only insect or even butterfly that’s struggling. Here are five slightly lesser known butterflies found in the Mid-Atlantic and what you can plant this year to help them.

Photograph of an American Copper from Mass Audubon

American Copper Lycaena phlaeas americana

The American Copper’s is a fairly common butterfly though anecdotally it is seen less frequently today than in the past. These butterflies are orange and grey with black spots.

American Copper caterpillars preferred larval host plant (the plant where a butterfly lays eggs and is eaten by caterpillars) is Sheep Sorrel though it will use curly dock. Leaving sheep sorrel and curly dock available is important for their survival. As adults American Copper butterflies will feed on a wide variety of available flowers.   

Photograph of a Black Swallowtail from Mass Audubon

Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes

Commonly mistaken for other swallowtails this mostly black butterfly can be distinguished from other species by the black center on the orange spot on the inside corner of their hindwing. 

If you love the black swallowtail you may have to be willing to share a few of your crops. Black Swallowtail caterpillars will feed on carrots, dill, fennel, and parsley. As adults black swallowtails will feed on a variety of flowers. Like many other butterflies, they are particularly attracted to species such as milkweed, thistle, and clovers.

Photograph of a Common Sootywing from Mass Audubon

Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus

This butterfly can be identified by its glossy black (sometimes dark brown) appearance and the double rows of white dots prominent on the outer margins of the upper forewings. 

The Sootywing’s favorite host plants are lambsquarters, amaranth, and cockscomb (celosia). Adding some of these to your garden or in the case of lambs quarters simply letting them grow can help this butterfly thrive in your yard. Adult Common Sootywings can be found feeding on dogbane, common milkweed, purple loosestrife, and wild indigo. 

Photograph of a Long-tailed Skipper from Mass Audubon

Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus

The Long-tailed Skipper gets its name from the long tails on its hindwings. It can also be identified by its iridescent blue-green head, thorax, and basal areas of both wings. 

This species of caterpillars feed on legumes, including cultivated varieties. Legumes include all sorts of beans and peas, alfalfa, clovers, and wisteria. Many of these species also happen to be really easy to grow. In their butterfly stage, they will feed on a variety of flowers. 

Photograph of an Orange Sulfur from Mass Audubon

Orange Sulfur Colias eurytheme

The Orange Sulfur can be identified by yellow-orange to darker orange upper wing surfaces.

Like the Long-tailed Skipper, Orange Sulfur Caterpillars feed on legumes. However, Orange Sulfurs have a strong preference for alfalfa earning them their nickname the alfalfa butterfly. As adults, they aren’t selective about which type of flowers they feed on.

Additional Tips

A few great flowers for many butterflies include:

The most important consideration with flowers is providing blooms throughout the season. Plant successions and choose flowers with a variety of bloom times from early to late. Choosing native plant varieties can also help butterflies succeed.  Check out our Welcome-to-the-Garden Pollinator Collection.

Avoid the use of pesticides whenever possible. Even certified organic pesticides can affect more than the targeted species. Especially if you live in a dry area consider adding a water feature for butterflies and other pollinators to drink from. 

These are just a small fraction of the Mid-Atlantic’s native butterflies. If you’d like to help butterflies and other pollinators consider some of these tips as your planning and working in your garden this season.