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I'm one of those gardeners who has complained and complained about squash vine borers. I had tried EVERYTHING I had ever heard about or read about, on this forum and other places. The vine borers got my summer squash every time. I had just about given up when I decided to try something one more time. Had tried it before with no success.
I'm talking about planting white icicle radishes next to the squash and zucchini. I think the reason it had not worked before was that I had not planted enough radishes. This time I planted squash and zucchini in rows and alternated squash -- icicle radish -- squash -- icicle radish, etc. This time it worked. I had more summer squash and zucchini that I knew what to do with. I have 7 squash casseroles in the freezer for the winter! And lots of zucchini bread (until we ate it recently).
I hope this is not just a fluke. Will try it again next summer and see if the success repeats itself.
milesdt,
do you have a picture of what you are describing please?
A while ago I also try to plant radishes between the zucchini, but the zucchini plants grew so big that they went over the radishes.
50% of the radishes did dye and 50% did bolt because of the heat ... then the SVB came ...
So I am curios to see how you did manage your planting space.
Also, which growing month are your talking about?
He probably has a traditional garden of at least 50' x 30' guys, and radishes are a nurse crop like sunflowers, his rows could be 3' apart, or even 2.5'. We didn't get radishes, but did get a lot of radish tops where I live, can't say that I was there to pay Attention to em
Gymgirl, I don't know why the icicle radishes work. Was hoping someone on this list would know. I'm just wondering if the smell of the radish leaves/plant keeps away the flying insect (I think it's a black and orange wasp-looking thing) that lays the eggs on the squash plants that become vine borers.
Drthor, my radish plants and squash plants overlapped and grew all over each other. Maybe that helped to keep away the vine borers. The radishes are a sacrifice. They aren't being grown to eat, but just to keep away the SVB. I let the radish plants go to seed and then saved the seed for next year. In my zone, radishes are a winter vegie anyway.
Ok, this isn't complete and scientifically worded, but here goes. Daikon radishes are part of the brassicas, like mustard, rape, etc. They help reduce soil compaction, work as a non legume nitrogen fixer, among other good nutrients, smother weeds, winter killed, are an edible compost, and break down into 'sulfur' based glucosinates, they may draw harlequin bugs! But also can help control nematodes, and like garlic, onions, hot peppers, marigolds they can repulse some bugs, whew, there is more info on them as a cover crop than I can remember!
