[QUOTE=Black Krim;687503]How about BT instead???

I was thinking about giving a dusting to the stem to get thru the prime borer season. From what I have read, after the moths lay their eggs for the season, the moths die and that is the end of laying for the season. Just the maggot to deal with.

Sealing a wound with dirt seems counter-intuitive. My thought when I have read covering the cut with soil in a number of places is, dang, doesnt that intro disease into the wound?

Mensplace-- have you actually used tar?? Perhas any grafting goop would work???[/QUOTE]



I've never had any issue with disease after cutting out a borer and burying the cut. Even in spots where it's impossible to cover the wound in any way, the edges of the cut dry up a bit, but that's it. In both cases the plant just carries on like nothing happened.

This just amazes me that covering with dirt works. Good to know wound will sort of heal up.

[QUOTE=Black Krim;687503]How about BT instead???

I was thinking about giving a dusting to the stem to get thru the prime borer season. From what I have read, after the moths lay their eggs for the season, the moths die and that is the end of laying for the season. Just the maggot to deal with.

Sealing a wound with dirt seems counter-intuitive. My thought when I have read covering the cut with soil in a number of places is, dang, doesnt that intro disease into the wound?

Mensplace-- have you actually used tar?? Perhas any grafting goop would work???[/QUOTE]

If you will get a little bulb duster and apply a dusting of Sevin dust to the first few inches of the main stem you will not have a problem with vine borers unless you get an extended period of rain and can't reapply it soon enough. I have been doing this for years and haven't had any borers since.