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chattanooga,TN

Butternut squash
I have read that planting butternut squash around pumpkin plants helps prevent squash vine borers from laying eggs on pumpkin plants. Is this true? Thanks EW

5/27/2007 7:14:28 PM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

I know squash bugs and borers love butternut squash but consider this...is it possible that by planting squash to draw them away from our pumpkins we are just attracting them to the area and they will eventually end up on the pumpkins anyway? Just a thought.

5/28/2007 6:53:41 PM

chattanooga,TN

well butternut squash has a resistance to squash vine borers. regular squash does not have a resistance so by putting butternut squash in with the pumpkin plants would give the squash vine borers a option to lay eggs on woulden't it.

5/28/2007 7:42:37 PM

Lilburn, GA

EW,
Butternut is more tolerant/resistant but will not prevent svb from getting on other plants. Here's a list rated on susceptibility:

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/bugreview/squashvineborer.html

I've read somewhere that planting corn as a companion plant near pumpkins confuses svb and squash bugs - can't remember right now where I saw that.

6/4/2007 3:46:12 PM