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cucumber beetles and wilting zucchini
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Posted by imtoobusy z6bMD (My Page) on Sun, Jun 26, 05 at 22:01
I am having a devil of a time with striped cucumber beetles this year. They have swarmed and killed off a whole bed of melons (about 40 plants) and are now concentrating on a zucchini bed (about 20 plants). I am only using organic methods so I have to be careful about what I am using. (I have 2 neighbors who both used Sevin this week and both of them burnt up their entire vegetable gardens-- Hot weather, no rain in 3 weeks and a pesticide was just too much for their gardens to handle. I feel so bad for them!)
I have used sticky traps,Pyola and Liquid Rotenone/Pyrethrin. All seem to work, somewhat. It knocks down some but there are always a few back within days.
Right now, I am having a problem with the zucchini that they are wilting during the day and coming back at night. Could this just be an issue with the very hot weather and this variety (costata romanesco)? Some of my other summer squashes are doing fine all day long and still others are having this same problem. I ahve read that cuc beetles can spread a few different kinds of wilt diseases and am wondering if that is what is happening and what should I do about it? Are there any products that I can use to help these plants? I will be spraying again with rotenone/pyrethrin for the bugs but I am wondering if the plants can be saved??
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: cucumber beetles and wilting zucchini
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- Posted by vstech z7 Charlotte (My Page) on
Sun, Jul 3, 05 at 23:54
If the leaves are only wilting during the day, it is likely they are just not heat tolerant as the plants that are not wilting. if they are small enough you could try a large row cover of bug screen while the sun is so hot. day wilt is perfectly normal. they should perk up fine at night and early in the day before the sun cooks out the moisture.
my OG book recommends a bug screen FRC with pex tubing supports. Although this was recommended for protecting cold crops, not squash, so use your own judgement. the screen lets plenty of sunlight through, but not the burning heat that wilts the fragile plants. it would also cut down on the beetles. though fertilizing could be reduced, unless you keep plenty of openings for benificial polinators. |
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