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Abbotsford, B.C

This morning I checked in one of my plants, and there was a small hole gaping in the side of the vine, 1/4th inch long and 1/8th inch long. Here's the link I just posted in my diary, two pages, one without the drawing I made so that you people can see what I have written right away, because the post with the picture will take a day or so to be posted.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=35208

One other thing, even if I do identify what made the hole, I still need to patch it up. What do you recommend for patching up a hole in the vine, to prevent disease from entering? Hope someone can help me here.


Cameron

6/11/2005 2:10:16 PM

[email protected]

Nice drawing. I'd leave the hole alone if it dires. If not perhaps a dusting of fungicide.

What might have made the hole is more concerning. Have squash Vine Borers been spotted in your area yet?

6/11/2005 7:15:52 PM

Rhode Island

cameron

if a squash vine borer ate his way in there should be some saw dust like droppings by the hole
you can take a sharp razor blade and make a 2 to 3 inch cut along the hole and if its a borer you will see where its chewed inside the vine
keep slicing for a few more inches and you can extract the borer
afterwords if your concerned with other borers entering just wrap th vine in some gauze type material to cover the opening

6/11/2005 9:14:28 PM

Montoursville, PA

My compliments on the drawing. Nice work for sure. I would take a hypo needle and shoot it up and down with DE if I had it and any good fungicide mixed with an insecticide as my step back and punt. The only other option is more dangerous but you could use a craft knife with a #11 blade and perform an operation. Follow with a dry fungicide to help the vine heal over. One direction or the other you are going to hit the butt of something I bet cha.

SVB is showing up in a few places. It sure could be one.

6/11/2005 9:19:31 PM

Leamington, Ont.

I split my main vine and when it healed it was a hole/circle. It didn't resemble a split at all. Could it be possible that yours split on the way down? If you want I could send you a pic of what mine looks like.

6/11/2005 9:23:58 PM

Abbotsford, B.C

I wish I could say that it was a split vine, but now that I think about it, it was a fresh hole, it wouldn't have had time to split on the way down, and heal, close to the end of the vine, without my noticing it. Besides, it hasn't even healed; when I first saw it, it was fresh, and there was a bead of water coming from it. As to whether squash vine borers have been spotted in my area yet, I'm not even sure whether or not they exist in my area. No book on the Northwest says anything about them for Curcurbit plants, and in Don Langevins 2nd book, it says that they are found east of the Rockies in Canada and the U.S. And I have not contacted any growers close enough to make any squash vine borer sightings accurate for my patch. Actually, I just checked, and there is no excrement around the hole. It's really quite puzzling, and a bit worrying too. Again, I get the impression that something poked through the vine, rather than ate, by the way the the hole almost has a pushed in appearance. Anyway, one other question, if I take the razor blade and slice through the vine, and I go several inches either way and don't find anything, how badly is the vine going to be damaged, if after all it was just a split? Oh, and yes, I would like that picture please, thanks. It would be nice to know that it is just a split I am dealing with.

You know, it's almost worse not knowing what did it, rather than knowing precisely what did, and being able to take appropriate action. Thanks for all the prompt replies everyone, yours truly,


Cameron

6/11/2005 11:36:05 PM

Leamington, Ont.

You have mail

6/11/2005 11:56:05 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

I haven't heard of SVB around here, but I've only been growing here for 2 years...

6/12/2005 12:23:08 AM

nanaimo,B.C,Canada

Hi Cameron. My 845 Bobier plant did the same thing as yours. I think it's the wet weather causing growth fluctuations. It's amazing how AG's heal themselves over. Also Don't over fertilize with nitrogen.

Dave

6/12/2005 2:17:18 AM

Joliet, IL

i have 2 similar holes on my 1247 main luckily after 2 fruit that have been recently pollinated. they holes are side by side, they do not go all the way into the vine, yet they are definately roundish holes. next to them are some mini tears. i took it as a weird split and put captan on it and it has healed and the main after it has continued to grow at the same pace. i didn't think svbs are on that side of the rockies, but i maybe wrong.

6/12/2005 8:10:56 AM