If you know me well, you know that my nemisis is the Squash Vine Borer. I have been battling this pest ever since I started growing my own food. Although I have a few tried & true methods in my arsenal to defeat this pest, when I started growing resistant varieties, I leveled up folks! I mean to say…SVB, BRING IT! GAME ON!
I am sooo happy to share these SVB resistant varieties with you! It takes a village, people, to win the war!
Update: All the companies listed below are sold out of Squash vine borer resistant squash varieties! Here is one still selling- http://www.sampleseeds.com/?page_id=2633
She is a small supplier so might have delay in shipping because of demands. I have never ordered seed from her before, but got a good recommendation from a wonderful viewer. I love to support the little guys!
Zucchino Rampicante Squash
This is hands down my favorite squash variety: https://www.rareseeds.com/zucchino-ra…
A few things about this squash:
- It is a beast– Go up with, it if you can, on a trellis. It did really well on my tunnel trellis last year. If you want to know how to make a tunnel trellis see here.
- If grown on a tunnel trellis; it will grow straight down – I didn’t realize that this might get a reaction from my neighborhood (I grow in my front yard garden) My straight talking neighbor called to ask what kind of veggie I was growing in my front yard that looked like a +?!!*#! I will leave that to your imagination. Moving on…..
- It will start out sloooow, then take off all at once– It took that little plant a while to get up & going. Once it was on the move though, all bets were off! What I learned from this: start it early & plant other fast growing varieties somewhere else in your garden for a constant source of food; as they are dying off this will be ramping up!
- The seeds are in the little bulb at the end– That means that most of this can be used for food without having to bother with seeds. You can easily scoop them out of the bulb at the end & save them to plant more the next season; so easy to dry, label & store!
- This squash is both a Summer squash & a Winter Squash– picked when young it can be used just like zuchini, left on the vine longer it can be picked & stored in a cool place to use like a butternut squash.
Tatume Squash
What a little work horse this was: https://www.rareseeds.com/tatume-squa/
It was easy to go up with on a trellis, which is such an advantage in an urban garden. Space saver!
Desi Squash & Eight Ball Squash & Poquito Squash
Move over yellow squash & zucchini; you can’t compete with these round orbs of goodness! All resistant to the squash vine borer. You’re welcome;)
Desi Squash- https://www.rareseeds.com/desi-summer…
These next two are Hybrid Squash(meaning that you can’t save the seeds to plant the next year & have the fruit turn out the same) But still SVB resistant & delicious!
Eight Ball Squash- https://parkseed.com/eight-ball-hybri…
Poquito Squash- https://parkseed.com/squash-poquito-h…
Cucuzzi (Zuchetta, Guinea Bean) Edible Gourd
There is one more that I am still testing out: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/cucuzzi-culinary-gourd/
This one has potential, but you have to pick them very young or there alot of seeds to deal with that take up most of the food potential. I am going to try it again this year to see if I like to cook with it. It is also a slow grower getting started, but once it took off it was VERY prolific & best of all squash vine borer resistant.
I hope you will try some of these varieties this year & win the war against the squash vine borer. Most importantly, I hope this helps you grow more food for your family this summer season!
Happy veggie growing, Dash
Thanks for your presentation on the Home Grown Food Summit! It was great!
Thank you so much!! what a great way to introduce garden pests! I feel like I can take them on. I am a beginner (well, I have dipped my toes and failed for decades because the problems were too overwhelming ) and a video of each plant and problems and how to combat them is wonderful. Thank you!
Just a thought, could the plants be doing well because they are off the ground? If you staking or trellising plain old zucchini and trimming off the bottom stems at the main stem produce the same “resistance”?
Hi Ellie,
Thank you for your kind words! Good thinking about trellising regular squash. I don’t think that would work because the main stem in the resistant varieties seemed to be more solid. I think that is why that pest had so much trouble. But sadly all the companies seem to be out of seed for these varieties at this time. So maybe, if you have regular seed try it to see this year.
Blessings, Dash
Thank you Julie! Thank you for cheering me on! Dash
I did cucuzza no borers , planted pumpkin this year just found the black seeds all over it. Cucuzza growing awesome. One of those deals you let it go to gourd and you havd a zillion seeds that are tough little fighters for next season. I so long to beat these borers though ….appreciate my gramma had no idea what a feat it is to grow squash to term.