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Summer has arrived. How do I know? I have my first mosquito bites. Perhaps it’s not my favorite first sign of summer, but it’s a sign nonetheless.

Mosquitoes aren’t the only summer pests I’ll have to contend with this year. Two of the most consistent pests in the summer affect the squash plant. These are vine borers and squash bugs. These two insects are single handedly responsible for many people giving up on gardening.

If you are going to grow squash, I can almost guarantee an encounter with these fellas. Take a moment to let that sink in. Accept it. Make your peace with it. The happiest gardeners are those who work with nature instead of fighting to manipulate her.

Of course there are many chemicals that will kill squash bugs and vine borers. They will also kill ladybugs, bees and all the other beneficial insects that you want to attract for a healthy garden. Clearly, I won’t discuss the use of any of those. Let’s talk about some cultural practices that will help protect your plants from these damaging bugs.

Squash bugs:

• Planting nasturtiums or marigolds in and around squash plants will repel squash bugs.
• In the evening and early morning, take a bucket of soapy water on your garden walk and inspect the undersides of leaves and the stem for eggs, larvae or grown squash bugs. Pluck them off and drop them in the bucket.

Vine borers:

• Cut a toilet paper roll vertically, wrap it around the base of the squash plants and tape it closed. This will prevent the vine borer moth from laying her eggs in the main stem of the plant.
• Companion plant onions with squash to repel the vine borer.
• Choose winter squash varieties instead of summer squash. They are less susceptible to vine borers. (see my article here for the differences between summer and winter squash)
• Plan on having a short season. Squash matures quickly, so you can just plan on doing a few squash crops over the course of the summer instead of trying to keep your first crop alive all summer.

The best advice I can give you when it comes to deal with pests is, don’t get discouraged. We get hungry and so does nature. Do what you can to prevent damage, but understand that it does happen and it’s a learning experience. Last year I let aphids take over my squash in order to attract ladybugs. If you allow nature to thrive, your garden will find a healthy balance without chemicals.

Tiffany Selvey is a Master Gardener who writes about her passion for growing, cooking, and living naturally at www.Songbird-Gardens.com. When she’s not elbow deep in soil, she enjoys raising a very active son, laughing with her husband, and wrangling their pets. Follow Tiffany’s gardening adventures on facebook and on twitter.

• Weed control- Grasses and summer weeds are going to be in full production soon, so stay diligent about removing all weeds before they bloom. Once a weed goes into bloom, it is making a seed, which will create more weeds for you to deal with next year.
• Pruning- Prune any spring-blooming perennials like azaleas as soon as the blooms fade. This is when they start putting on buds for next year and if you wait too long to prune, you will be removing next year’s buds.
• Mulch- Your summer plants will thrive with moist soil and warm air, so this is the time to add mulch. I use straw around all my veggies. Although it’s next to impossible to find straw that is completely seed-free, it’s worth pulling a few oat sprouts for the benefits of straw. I often use leaves as mulch, but because of the cool wet spring, I’m having problems with slugs, so I don’t suggest that right now.
• Pests- Aphids have arrived and more pests will arrive shortly. Be sure to observe your plants for damage. I don’t advocate much in the way of pesticides because they are indiscriminate, even organic methods will kill pests AND beneficials. Most pests can be handled by dropping them in a bucket of soapy water or can be repelled by natural sprays like cedar oil. If you see aphids, a spray from the water hose will get rid of them for a time.

A common question I get about summer plants is, “What’s the difference between summer and winter squash?”. It’s a little confusing, because both types are grown in the summer. I’ve certainly never seen a squash could be grown in winter, although that would be pretty neat!

The differences between these two types comes down to one main thing: summer squash is meant to be consumed fresh in the summer, while winter squash can be stored in a cool, dry place for winter eating. There are quite a few differences between these varieties, which I’ll outline below. First, let’s talk about the similarities.

• Both summer and winter squash seeds can be sown at the same time, after the last frost, and can grow until the first frost of winter.
• I’m sorry to say that both are susceptible to squash bugs.
• Some winter squashes can be harvested and eaten as summer squash, but summer squashes can not be kept as winter squash.

 Differences:

• Summer squash has soft skin, while the skin of winter squash is tough and hard.
• Summer squash has a wider window for harvesting. Most can be harvested once it reaches a few inches or can be harvested when it’s quite large. Generally, the best flavor comes from smaller fruits. Winter squash must remain on the vine until the fruits are mature and develop hard, thick skin.
• Days to maturity for summer squash is about 40-60 days while for winter squash it’s about 80-100+ days.
• Summer squash is more susceptible to vine borers than winter squash. (although winter squash can be affected.)
• Summer squash is generally a bush-type plant (yellow squash and zucchini), while winter squashes are vines (delicata, acorn, butternut and spaghetti).
  

There are some varieties, such as the Tatume squash, that can be harvested early and eaten as a soft-fleshed summer squash, or left on the vine for winter storage. I love these multi-purpose plants for saving space in the garden and you will certainly find the Tatume variety in my garden this year.

As I mentioned, in our area squash bugs and vine borers are very prevalent. There are some preventative measures that I will discuss in a future article. For now, the best thing you can do is inter-plant nasturtium seeds with your squash. They repel pests including squash bugs, are beautiful and are edible.

On a side note, I will be offering tours of Songbird Gardens this summer. Please contact me at songbirdtiff@gmail.com if you want to receive an invitation or like my facebook page for future updates!

Tiffany Selvey is a Master Gardener who writes about her passion for growing, cooking, and living naturally at www.songbird-gardens.com. When she’s not elbow deep in soil, she enjoys raising a very active son, laughing with her husband, and wrangling their pets. Follow Tiffany’s gardening adventures on facebook and on twitter.