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hamilton,Ontario

Hello to all my fellow Canadians. Well once again Ive been defeated by SVB's.. I spend alot of $$ and time working in the small garden I have.This year I saw approx 10 moths and managed to kill most. I followed all I read...When I cut open the vines yeah I saw the nasty buggers...SO as I prepare for next year does anyone have any helpful hints??> First off I started a little compost. I beleive I could have grown a fair size if it wasent for those nasties. I did get hit with some mildew also which is a new challenge..What I was basically looking for is a rough planning schedule for next year...example..May 02/06 get soil preped... May24..spray xenoxide into ground..May 31..soak leaves with milk...etc...Just a rough guide. Also for anyone that has been successful with actually seeing SVB's and still growing A big pumpkin I would love to know what they are doing. I have the infactuation to grow . Im not even asking for 1000 lbs...Id be happy with half that...Any help would be appreciated... Email or post...thanks guys.............I would prefer to stay as much as possible from the bad pesticides but at the same time will do what I have to do. I was asked by someone the other day why I continue if the svbs got me the last 5 years....I should just quit.....I WONT I WONT.....There are too many people on here that are obsessed like me and its funny we all want to grow the biggest but we also want everyone else to grow bigger toooo......Please help

9/14/2006 7:34:02 AM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

You could move to BC, we don't have SVB's out here... there's got to be some sort of pesticide you can use, keep at it, I'm sure someone with experience dealing with these nasty little bugger's will offer you some help here.

9/14/2006 9:17:10 AM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I guess I not the best one to give you advice because, touch wood, Ive never seen a SVB or had a problem here in Picton Ontario, however, I am a certified crop advisor and a licienced pesticied applicator so I do have a few credentials.
We are very limited here in Ontario because of the regulations on pesticide distribution. The best product you can buy over the counter is Ambush. This is not the best product, just the best one you can buy with out a licience. If you apply once a week starting about the first of June threw to the end of July, it should control the beast!
Another issue is coverage. You need to make sure you are using enough water to coat the plant. You also need to spray the vines direectly.
I would also suggest you hire a landscaper (the weed man) to come in and apply Merit to your patch. Tell him wink wink that you are planting grass seed and want to control grubs. This will provide systemic protection as well.
I use Admire, soil applied which is the same a merit, applied about June 1st. I also apply Mattador, which is the same as Warrior T sprayed foliar every 10 days starting about mid June. This works very well. I do have a pesticide licience so I can access these products.
I hope this helps
John

9/14/2006 9:38:53 AM

hamilton,Ontario

when uswing the ambush...should I be putting into the soil so the roots suck it up???Or just applying it to the leaves........

9/15/2006 8:16:03 AM

Ontario

I've had them in my patch the last two years despite using Merit. I've heard that Merit will work only for a 15 day period before it needs reapplying. I found the best defence is simply being dilligent with burying your vines. You should only have a few feet uncovered at the stump and about 4 to 6 feet uncovered at the pumpkin. That makes a daily search and destroy mission very easy. I've also found that the period of the SVB being in the grub stage limited to a few weeks also and then about a month later they'll show up again. Your just going to have to make sure you do daily checks. The SVB doesn't do too much damage in one night. Oh, and make sure your vines from this year are destroyed or disposed of away from your patch.

9/15/2006 10:21:42 AM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Cowpie may be right about the Merit. I woulnd count on it as the only product. I also agree that Vine Burrying is likely the best defence.
I don't think there would be any advantage to soil applying the Ambush.

9/15/2006 11:01:09 AM

Ontario, Canada.

I saw the Red bodied bastards this year at both my sites. I burry my vines extensively every day or two and never really had a problem. I used Ambush regularly.

9/15/2006 1:37:40 PM

Ontario

I use talstar, warrior t and admire(merit). All available if you know the right people. I caught about 20 of the bastards this year and they still manage to bore into the stems of leaves and any uncovered vine. Best defense is to bury but not too deep seems to promote rot during the latter part of the season. I dust the main with sevin every week because I like to see my main so I only bury a little. If you need some for next year I'll try and hook you up with some. You can also get merit granular in the states as grub control, I apply twice in a year and a bag lasts about 3 years for 3 plants, roots suck it up

drew

9/15/2006 5:46:15 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ambush will not be root absorbed....it's a contact insecticide.

Merit/Admire will be root absorbed but is not the strogest against SVB. When timed right it helps catch misses, but you still need a good contact (timed even better) to kill the adults.

Since Furadan was just banned for good, the best bet now would be either Warrior/Scimitar or Talstar/Menace/Capture applied so a liberal dose is fresh right before the adults arrive next year.

The most important considerations are timing & application quality. Missing the leaf stalks is easy to do if you're playing with a dime store weed sprayer.

How do you usually apply your insecticides? What type of sprayer?

9/16/2006 12:17:26 AM

hamilton,Ontario

it was just one of those pump sprayers cost 2o bucks..Pump them up and spray once filled

9/17/2006 5:31:47 PM

hamilton,Ontario

when we talk/discuss burying the vine, i had 2 seeds i planted this yeqar one i buried and the other left open..I received way less females on the one I buried..probably 2/3rds more on the one un buried...was this just a fluke???

9/17/2006 5:34:01 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I made that mistake my first year. Leave the leading edge of the main unburried untill the secondaries are well established. Also stop burrying the main towards the end of June untill you get a female at that node. The rest of the main can be buried after fruit set.

9/19/2006 1:22:03 PM

hamilton,Ontario

intersting...I was burying as it grew...........hmmmmmmm

9/20/2006 9:25:52 AM