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How To Defend Your Summer Squash From Going To Seed

Delicata and acorn squash are best eaten in the first few weeks after harvest.
Pamela Joe McFarlane
/
iStockphoto
Delicata and acorn squash are best eaten in the first few weeks after harvest.

Downy mildew and gummy stem blight, squash bugs and vine borers, oh my! There are plenty of diseases and pests going after your squash harvest. And there are some organic strategies to deal with them.

There is a magic to the bounty resulting from seeds brought up in the garden, but the dream of garden fresh vegetables can disappear if you aren't careful. On this episode of Talk of Iowa, it's Horticulture Day. Guest host Jason Burns talks with two horticulture experts about how to make the most of the summer grow season and how to prevent vegetables from expiring in the summer heat.

Dan Fillius said that while overwatering is always a concern, amid a heatwave with dry conditions, summer vegetables are looking for a great deal of water.

Guests:

  • Dan Fillius, horticulture specialist
  • Cindy Haynes, associate professor of horticulture at Iowa State University
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Hort DayHorticultureGardening
Contact Jason at jburns@iowapublicradio.org.
Zachary Oren Smith is a reporter covering Eastern Iowa