Hi Naturegirl - I just remembered that I meant to answer your question! I have spring-planting brain. Does it really work? Well, my answer would be the same as to "Are you indecisive?" "Well, yes and no" :). The quick answer is: When trellising your squash up above the radishes, no, it absolutely did not work for me! However, in 2007, when the squash were all on the ground, I did not have any problem with SVB, so my guess is that it worked very well. The one caveat is that 2007 was my first year gardening in this spot. I've been told that the SVBs hadn't found me yet, but I find that hard to believe (the cabbage worms had no problem). My neighbors all grew squash and I'm sure the SVB were already here. I planted the radishes at the same time as the zucchini, but it would probably work better if they were started ahead of the squash. I broadcast the seed between the plants and used the white icicle radish. I wanted to plant more than once, but the zucchini became so dense that I was not able to. As I don't really like radishes, I let them flower for the predator insects. I've never heard that they need to flower to repel SVB. dutchess_9 Most of the long vining varieties will say "suitable for trellising". Some of the shorter vining varieties I tried to trellis based on previous growing experience. Some of the more regular catalogs may not have any zucchini that are good for the trellis. I find them in the smaller catalogs, like Sandhill Preservation Center, Baker Creek, Pinetree. Bellatrix

I received this interesting article form the local extension office. I'm in Zone 6 West Virginia. It just FYI The established controls for the squash vine borer are somewhat deficient. The gardener who goes on the offensive for controlling this pest will: A. Inject Bt into the hollow stems near the base. B. Slit open the stem, remove the borers, then cover the infected stem with soil in order to grow additional roots. C. Cover the plant base with shaving cream or some other barrier. D. Cover the plant with a row cover; then pollinate by hand. These procedures seldom work well because the borers from previous seasons have entered your soil and pupated. In fact, following the above prescriptions will insure that you continue year after year to cultivate the squash vine borer as though they were your pets. The Bt does not work, because the borers work in the solid portion of the plant base, and some always seem to escape. The slitting operation does not work because you always miss one or two borers, and the plant is too weak to save at that point anyway. The barriers and row covers don't work because your pets are already in place, despite your crop rotation efforts. The above are mostly anecdotal remedies, similar to those for slugs and snails; a real waste of time and effort. With this pest, it is better to operate with defensive tactics. First, minimize your plantings of hollow stemmed cucurbits. Instead of pumpkins or winter squash, grow butternut squash. Limit your summer squash to a single variety or grow a solid stemmed variety such as Zucchetta rampicante (Pinetree Seeds Co.) As soon as your hollow stem summer squash starts to lay down from the weight of the plant, place aluminum foil on the ground underneath the stem at the base to disorient arriving moths. This will result in minimizing the attraction of your garden to the moth from adjacent and removed properties. Second, minimize the number of moths originating on your own property, by not allowing any larvae to reach the ground, ever. We'll discuss how to do that in the next paragraph. The result of this procedure, is that over time you will eliminate the number of moths hatching on your own property. And, in a few years you will have no moths except for the stray one that was blown to your property by the wind. Since you have minimized your hollow stem plantings, the outside incursions will be small, infrequent, and occur in random years if your immediate neighbors are not also growing hollow stemmed cucurbits. If they are, then you need to act in concert. If you live near to commercial growers of cucurbits, the problem may well be insurmountable. You would have to follow all of these suggestions in addition to protecting your plants with row covers. In addition, there may be some sections of the country where the squash vine borer moth is found in great numbers. As to procedure, here is where I suggest you start: First, plan on succession plantings. Pretend that your zucchini is lettuce or any other veggie that we are accustomed to replant several times. Harvest as much fruit as you can before the stems are invaded. Inspect every day that you harvest, and guess when it is about one week before first leaf wilt, based on the amount of frass and the number of holes in the stem, then pull the entire plant out of the ground. Cut off the lower section containing the larvae, and place in a bucket of water, or soapy water, or no water - whatever it takes to destroy existing larvae, or at least prevent them from ever reaching any soil, so that they can never pupate, or wrap in plastic wrap and send to the landfill with your trash. Put the rest of the plant in your compost pile. Plant one or two (or more, depending upon family size) zucchini seeds every 14 to 21 days, so you will always have fruit all summer. Over the years, your squash vine borer problem will slowly disappear (again, depending upon your immediate neighbors.) If you minimize the attraction, gradually destroy all those moths originating on your property, and plant successively, you will enjoy plenty of summer squash, and eliminate the need for chemicals on one more garden challenge. If you have but little space for summer squash, then your succession starts will have to be in containers. As you throw each infected plant away, another good sized one will be ready to take its place. Instead of having a continuous supply of squash, you might have to go without squash for a week or two between plants. That will not be hard to take, compared to the alternative.

Gumby - Yea the garden with raised beds and pretty new straw in the aisles always look nice the first year. That was my first year growing squash. The SVB's hadn't found my garden yet. I built 8 of those 2 x 2 boxes with the intention of planting artichokes in each one. That did not come to pass. So I tried squash. The first time I try growing a vegetable, I always experiment. So I tried 6 different varieties of summer squash but back then I did not record my success/failure so I have no idea what varieties these were. I do not have a pic of when the plants filled the cages. This is what I am doing this year. Whiskey Barrels with two zuchinni in each pot. Perfect Pick and Partenon (both parthenocarpic to try to foil the SVB), I circled each barrel with a cage that comes about 2 feet above the barrel and one stake in the middle of the barrel. Then I used tulle around the outside of the cages and secured it to a top rail with a large clip. So if I need to get inside, just undo one clip and lower the tulle. (it is way too high but I did not want to cut the tulle because it just fits another project I will be doing in the fall).

Lots of rain, lots of big zucchini. lol! A few years ago, someone on the cooking forum posted this zucchini pickle recipe. I love it!!! I just use some regular yellow onion (vs white onions and shallots), and I sub about 1 tsp crushed red pepper if I don't use fresh hot pepper. Zucchini Pickles 3 medium zucchini (1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g), thinly sliced
 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
 3 shallots, thinly sliced 
1 1/2 tablespoons fine grain sea salt 
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh dill sprigs 1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds 
3/4 cup / 180 ml cider vinegar
 3/4 cup / 180 ml white wine vinegar
 1/3 cup / 1.75 oz / 50g natural cane sugar 
 Toss the zucchini, onion, shallots, and salt together in a colander and place over a bowl to catch the liquids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Toss once or twice along the way. You're aiming to get as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible.

When you're finished draining the zucchini, shake off any water. At this point you want the zucchini as dry as possible. Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar along with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds. Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and continue to boil for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles are good for a couple weeks. 

Makes one large jar.