Spring squash

We actually have some squash! I have been battling squash bugs for several years since we first started our garden. This year things look promising. We planted straight neck squash rather than our old faves the crookneck. The crookneck is supposed to be the favorite plant for squash vine borers when they hatch out of their eggs and bore into the centers of the squash vine where they basically eat the life out of the plant.

This year, we covered our squash with row covers, then uncovered them when the squash needed the blooms pollinated. I did try to pollinate with a brush but quickly realized that it was a lost cause. I decided to take a chance and see how the plants grew and spray them with BT to kill worms.

So far, so good. As I said, I did plant some straightneck squash and the vines are a bit larger than crookneck so they might fare slightly better.

I also have some Ronde de Nice squash. They are zuchinni squash that are nice and round like little balls. I really like how they look on the vines. These are really putting on fruit and are looking good so far. I have read that they are an Italian variety and also a French variety. I can't really say but they are supposed to be a good squash for stuffing.

We will be watching very carefully and inspecting for vine borers. We may try injecting the plants with BT and we may also plant a second crop right away and cover them with row covers. That way they have a chance to mature a bit before the second wave of the vine borer attacks begin.

We are taking nothing for granted and I must say I am very thankful for each and every squash we havest!