PLEASE help me--haven't had ANY squash survive in years

[Smart Red]

When I start melons, squash, cukes, etc. I use school milk cartons, paper, or styrofoam cups. These plants do not like transplanting. When they are ready to go into the garden, I tear the bottom off their holder and stick into the ground. Their roots never know they've been moved and they get off to a good start.

 

[catjac1975]

I did let them get to maturity. I found them to be extremely sweet. I think they could be used as any winter squash or even pumpkin. One thing about them. They are so big I left the one I was using on the kitchen counter and cut off a chunk to use as needed. The cut end healed over without any mold or rot. I added it to veggie soups and to bread like pumpkin bread. My favorite was eating them small (if they are ever really small). Rather young they are like summer squash, a nice texture and bit of a nuttier flavor than yellow squash. Mine were planted a bit later than normal. They flourished until the first hard frost. I grew them on a fence. They are beautiful to look at too.There were no bug issues at all.

 

[baymule]

I am going to plant Tromboncinos again this year, but I will let them run on the ground. Maybe the vines can root themselves at the joints and foil the vine borers.

 

[ducks4you]

baymule, I haven't started any squash in the last few years, just brought them home, so they were probably infested, or at least I'm gonna blame them!!
I have a nice setup in my basement with grow lights.
TheSeedObssesser, I have one of those sprayers! My clogged, too.
catjac, I do rotate my beds, but we all could use reminders. I'd love to try this kind of squash. Haven't met a squash I didn't like to eat, yet.
Still copying down all suggestions...

 

[thistlebloom]

Regarding clogged sprayers...I have never used Kaolin, but since it's a clay I can well imagine the particles being coarse enough to clog the small pre-filter screens that are fitted onto the end of the take-up tube in the quart size sprayers. That little filter can be removed to accommodate the liquid to dispense. Sometimes the nozzle will clog too, but it's then a simple matter of removing it from the end and blowing it out, or poking a needle through to clear it.
I keep a safety pin attached to the harness of my backpack sprayers for that, or pinned to my clothing for the small sprayers.

On my backpack sprayers I finally began removing the little filter in the nozzle because it was constantly clogging.
I spray deer repellents mostly and some of them can get viscous and a bit lumpy in high heat. I also always use a fine mesh paint filter when I pour repellents into my sprayer. It has cut down a lot on clogging.
....Lets see...what was the topic of this thread again? oh yeah...squash...

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

That was Bucka that mentioned the sprayer.

Something that I haven't tried (yet) is planting the right companion plants in with the squash, like radish and camomile, to deter bugs. I do not know if they work for squash bugs, but if it deters others pests, then it should at least help with the squash bugs.

 

[baymule]

I put 2 cups of frozen shredded Tromboncino in a batch of venison chili last week. I needed to thicken up the chili and thought I'd try the Tromboncino--AAARRGH!!!! It was stringy and very unappetizing looking. WHAT HAVE I DONE?? My chili looked like I swept the floor at a barber shop and dumped it in the chili. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I was already rehearsing my "eat it it's good for you" speech. I simmered it all afternoon and S-L-O-W-L-Y the squash strings disappeared. Yup. Cooked down to nothing. GONE. As in it's-in-there-but-you-can't-see-it-GONE. And the chili thickened up-just perfect. Served it over Fritos, sprinkled with chopped green onions and grated cheddar cheese. Yum.

 

[catjac1975]

I added some to my hamburger veggie soup. It disappears and adds a lot of sweetness.

 

[jhook1997]

Frankly I would starve before using Sevin.
Let your chickens forage in the garden on the off season to eat the larvae.
Choose seed that the insects like less. I love Rumbo squash for this reason. I grow it on a fence to keep the vines off the soil.
Plant consecutively. One crop should be off of the insect's cycle. Do not use leaf mulch around squash. Squash bugs hide in it.
I use Rotenone which is effective and organic. Pyrethrum is good also. Last year was the first year in a long time that I used an insecticide because of striped cucumber beetles.
Try bug juice. Catch the offending bug, mix with dish soap and water, blend in an old blender, let sit for a few days, strain, and spray on the plants.
Floating row covers are supposed to help though I have not used them in a long time.
Plant radish seeds near each plant and leave one to go to seed.
Plant an early trap crop outside of your garden to attract insects. Pull and burn if you see pests.
Rotate your crops.
The organic mantra is healthy soil makes healthy plants that do not attract pests.
I have had the most success since the chickens have been in the garden winters.The next most important thing is consecutive planting.

Sorry to be ignorant but what do you mean by consecutive planting?

 

[catjac1975]

Consecutive planting is planting the same crop at various intervals. For instance, I plant out squash seedlings under cover in early may. When I uncover them in late May I plant seeds of the same crop. So, when one set of plants is done because of time or bugs, the next set will be ready to produce. With squash, sometimes bug problems are averted with the timing of the plantings. Here is an old link to one of my posts.
http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/poor-mans-cloche.10856/

You can do this with any crop. Every 2 weeks for beans, every few weeks for lettuce. I plant my last squash around the 4th of July. August 1st for Beans, (they may or may not make it before frost.) The only cost is a little work and a bit of seed.