Jo planted three hills of squash on 6/19: Two yellow summer squash and one zucchini. She built row cover huts to protect the little squash plants once they sprouted. The huts provides some protection from the intense summer sun, but more importantly, they keep squash bugs and squash vine bore moths off the plants for a little while. Both pests are inescapable here if you garden without using pesticides as we do. The plants will eventually succumb to the bores or the bacterial wilt spread by the squash bugs. The goal is to get as much production out of the squash plants as possible before they die.
All the squash sprouted well and by 7/6 the zucchini filled its row cover hut. The summer squash plants are smaller and can probably remain covered until they bloom. They must be uncovered then so they can be pollinated and produce fruit.
Jo uncovered the zucchini on 7/8. They now on their own against the squash vine bores and squash bugs.
I'm not a big fan of summer squash or zucchini. Both are okay if stir fried with enough other veggies to cover their taste. Jo likes both so we grow them. We also grow cucumbers which Jo doesn't care for.
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Garden 2009: Zucchini Unveiled
