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Hello all,
I've a summer squash outside which has developed a split in the stem.  It is still developing healthy-looking leaves and flowers and I've noticed on other gardening forums that some people with similarly-afflicted plants have been "mending" with tape and letting the plants continue; but my gut instinct is to replace with a healthy specimen.

...What would you all do?...

Best regards
Sue

If you have a healthy replacement use it... you can bury the stem to beyond the split, it works sometimes...  :-\

I tried that, last week, it had been chewed through a bit by a slug, covered it up and it died

 :'( hence, sometimes...  :'(

I've often had squash with longitudinal splits and they've carried on quite happily.

I've had it happen frequently and it hasn't been a problem.......tape it up to make it stronger.

I've often had splits, it isn't necessarily the end of the road.

I had one last year, taped it up and it was fine :)

Hi
This has happened to a courgette and 2 of my pumpkins, the courgette has definitely recovered as I just shoved, sorry covered the split with compost, don't know the verdict on the pumpkins yet. But what kind of tape? And wouldn't the stem of the plant get too thick for the tape?
1066

Quote from: 1066 on May 27, 2009, 06:51:02
But what kind of tape? And wouldn't the stem of the plant get too thick for the tape?
1066

I was wondering what tape to use aswell.  Any ideas please?     ???

What about Micropore (as it still breathes)

was just reading up on google some people sugest use band aides as they can be replaced when needed without damage to the plant there is a artical that sugest he used them on Tomato plants would have thought would have more success with a squash/ pumkin in that case

Thanks for the info. So far I've managed to bury the split stem in soil, but had a look at it yesterday and it still hasn't "healed" but the plant seems ok, so I think for now I'll leave it alone

1066

They don't heal, but the plant continues to grow normally as long as the wound isn't too bad.

Thanks for the info Robert, I think I'll also peg them down a bit when I finally plant them out, and hopefully they'll thrive

1066