Sad News

 The heat, lack of nutrients in the soil, vine borers and squash bugs have claimed the lives of 3 Zucchini plants, 4 pumpkin plants, and one Watermelon plant :-( Although we were lucky to get a harvest from each plant before their demise, I am very upset about this garden defeat. I continue to remind myself this is a test plot and a learning process for next year.  This heat, lack of water and lack of soil nutrients made these plants vulnerable to the attack. I have learned a lot about farming and pesticides, the more stressed a plant is the more susceptible to bugs, therefore the more we use pesticides. Apparently the squash bugs and vine borers are a common malaise of cucurbita family in this area. Part of the planning for next years garden will involve their prevention and management. Any suggestions, tricks and advice is welcome.