When I tell you that Honeynut Butternut is my favorite squash variety, y'all…. It's quite literally the best winter squash variety that you can get when it comes to flavor and convenience. I remember having issues growing it the first year or two. At first, I thought the vines were stunted, and it just didn't grow well. It didn't yield much of anything, and the squash bugs took it out quick. It wasn't the borers though, it was the squash bugs.
I quickly realized in the following years that the vine itself is much smaller. The vines are shorter, the leaves are much smaller (see photo below), and the fruits are personal sized. Even the flowers are smaller. This plant is simply petite, there is nothing wrong with it! Not once has this variety gone down due to a borer, either!
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| Miniature squash plants?! The Honeynut Butternut Squash is a really unique mini squash vine. These leaves are very small compared to other varieties, and they stay low to the ground. |
Overall, it has proven to be quite a hardy plant if you can keep the squash bugs under control. Since the vine itself is smaller, it doesn't grow as quickly or produce as much leaf mass. This means that squash bugs do have an advantage here: they populate far more quickly than the vines can tolerate.
The fruits are very small, typically personal sized. The smallest ones? One person can eat two of them. It’s really convenient when you're not having to process and put away the remainder of a 4 lb squash!
The flavor though, the texture… This variety is out of this world. The flesh is perfectly sweet, and it's also very silky and smooth. It's not stringy, it's not juicy- it's finer, and drier. If I had to compare it to something, I think I would compare it to a cross between a sweet potato and a wax potato. I absolutely love the texture. On top of this, the skin is edible. It crisps up when roasted in the oven, adding a nice crunch in contrast with the velvety flesh. I know winter squash and summer squash are two very different flavors, but this one? This is forever a winner in my garden, even over the summer squash. It's a must grow every year. Hopefully, none of the other entries will be this long, or we're going to be here all day. But to be fair, I had to give this variety the recognition it deserves. Onward!
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| Roasted sweet winter squash is a staple here! |
Dickinson Pumpkin: The Variety That's Used for Canned Pumpkin
I really wanted to love this variety, I did. The first year, it grew a massive, beautiful plant that went down. I couldn't confirm whether it was the borers or not that caused it (if I'm not mistaken); so I couldn't say why it went down (even though that's generally the answer.)
This year (2025) I was absolutely able to confirm that it is susceptible to borers. It gave me some lovely fruits, but I did have to inject it with BT to keep it alive and eliminate the larvae that I found inside.
Lungo Di Napoli: It's a Big One!
This one has performed well for me this year and is absolutely vine borer resistant! This is a fairly large squash, as you can see in the photo below. It seems to be a low producer- maybe 1-2 good, large squashes per vine. Unfortunately, borers did decide to wiggle into the actual squash itself- not something I was very happy about. At least they can be cut out, rather than losing an entire vine.
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| Lungo Di Napoli Squash: I really enjoyed this one, and it's squash vine borer resistant! |
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash has performed well for me as far as squash vine borers are concerned! It looks like a larger, shorter version of the Rampicante. The yield isn't excellent (1-2 fruits per plant seems to be the going rate around here) but the fruits can be huge. The flesh is very tasty! It's an excellent winter variety, and I do recall it being very good as a summer squash substitute. It may have been a little juicier though, over the spongier raw texture of many summer squash varieties. I still really love this variety and highly recommend it!
Lechebneya: It's a No
This variety was DELICIOUS as a summer squash substitute, when harvested green. However, it wasn't borer resistant. It went down just as fast as any other summer squash would, which defeated the purpose. This is definitely a variety that is worth growing for eating green, but it doesn't hold up to the vine borer's wrath.
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| Lechebneya Squash was delicious as a summer squash substitute; unfortunately, it wasn't a good substitute as the vines collapsed due to the borer. |
Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash: Was It All a Dream?
I've planted this one twice (maybe thrice), and I swear I never had anything come up. I thought I was losing my grip on reality- but I never had a Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash grow in my garden, so I don't think the plants ever did anything (if the seeds sprouted.) I might try again one year to confirm borer susceptibility, but I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the seeds were extra tasty to rodents. That brings about the question, "Why didn't the other seeds go missing?" It's a mystery, really.
Seminole Pumpkin: The Everglades Native
I'm pretty sure this one either didn't show up or didn't perform well the first year; perhaps I confused it with another variety. Another time, I never saw the plant pop up.
However, it ended up performing decently well this year! I actually harvested quite a few Seminole pumpkins. I did not eat them green (I don't think) so I cannot say (or remember) how they tasted as a substitute. If I did, it was a few years ago. I can say that they were one of the last varieties standing this year, so they're a winner against the vine borers!
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| The Seminole Pumpkin is native to the Everglades in Florida, and is an excellent, squash vine borer resistant squash variety for growers in the southeastern United States. |
Tatume Squash: My Favorite Summer Squash Replacement
This variety is hands-down the best replacement for summer squash in my opinion. Nothing (summer squash-wise) tastes better than grilled Tatume squash! If you haven't grown this variety, I highly recommend it!
It's fairly borer resistant, but it can succumb to the vine borer. You can combat this by planting 2-3 plants per space or by planting in tighter rows, and adding extra fertilizer as needed. I may lose 1 of every 2-5 plants, so it's pretty resistant but not as resistant as other varieties. I still consider this a win against the borer, though! Some crops yield greater seed losses for me, so I'm okay with over-sowing Tatume Squash as I know the surviving plants will yield lots of squash. (For example, I lose 20-50%+ of my bean seedlings most years due to slugs depending on weather; I simply over-sow beans to make up for the losses.)
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| Tatume Squash is my favorite vine borer resistant summer squash substitute. You simply must try it grilled as "steaks!" |
Butternut Squash: A True Ole' Faithful Variety
Butternut squash is such a common variety, and for good reason: it's a hardy plant that yields consistent, large, delicious fruits, with little guesswork. To add to it, this variety is absolutely borer resistant. This is one of the most reliable squash varieties I've grown: and it's pretty good when cooked while green, too!
You can rely on this variety as a trustworthy workhorse in the garden. It'll produce, it'll produce well, and it's dual purpose- as long as you can pick it early enough.
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| Winter squash is delicious when simply roasted with a little avocado oil and salt! |
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin: Productive, Excellent Summer Squash Sub!
This was another great substitute for green squash in my opinion. However, I've found myself eating them more as a winter squash. It's productive and borer resistant, but I never had this squash grow to the size that it's supposed to grow to. I wasn't sure if perhaps it was the seeds themselves (potentially crossed), or potentially the strain. Sometimes, strains within varieties can prove to be a little different in size, but still possess similar shapes, colors, and flavors; I've seen this in other vegetables to varying degrees. In any case, I still enjoyed it, and I plan to get a packet from a different company to try in the near future, just in case. It could be a different experience with a different vendor's seeds.
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| Long Island Cheese Squash is another good summer squash substitute in the southeastern US! |
Musquee De Provence: Another No Here
This particular variety was reputed to be resistant, but I'm pretty sure this plant has failed to thrive each time. I am not sure if the seeds germinated this year; but Musquee De Provence has gone down as a seedling before, and I've never gotten a single fruit from this variety. I cannot say that it is susceptible to vine borers, but I cannot say that it's been a variety that performs well- as it really hasn't done anything for me. It was still a great one to attempt to trial, though!
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| Zucchino Rampicante is a borer resistant squash variety, and I personally love to harvest it between the green stage and the ripe stage; while the skin is still soft but turning from green to whiteish. |
Zucchino Rampicante: One of the Best Green Summer Squash Replacement Varieties
Now, this is a great variety, all around. Its only cons are that it's not as tasty as grilled Tatume, it's a little lower on production overall, and it sort of requires a trellis. You don't absolutely have to trellis it, but I'm telling you: you want to. It just seems to perform better when trellised.
First, it's a very borer-resistant variety. I don't think I've lost any of these to borers aside from one plant, if I'm not mistaken. It's definitely quite resistant and has been the "last man standing" among the squash vines for at least one year. This makes it a fairly reliable variety in my opinion.
The flavor is absolutely wonderful green, ripe, and everywhere in between. You can use it as a replacement for summer squash when young and green, you can use it as a winter squash when ripe, or (my personal favorite) you can use it during that in-between stage. The flesh will be green with an orange tint, and it'll possess a subtle hint of sweetness. It's incredibly delicious that way, and very versatile!
Now, I will say I have a slight bone to pick with Rampicante. It yields well some years, and not in others. Trellising it improves yield, but overall, it's not the highest yielding variety I'm finding. This year, I only got 2-3 fruits from 2 trellised plants. It just didn't seem happy, and the other varieties took off. It seems finicky overall. Next year (2026), I'd like to give it it's own space, it's own cattle panel, and lots of chicken manure. Just to see what it does with that kind of attention.
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| Tatume Squash and Rampicante Squash are two of the biggest winners when it comes to squash vine borer resistant replacements for zuchinni and crookneck squash. |
My Overall Winners for Getting Squash While Dealing with Squash Vine Borers
I think my three favorite varieties, overall, are:
- Honeynut Butternut Squash
- Tatume Squash
- Rampicante Squash
I will include the 2022 experiment results in the next section.
Honeynut Butternut squash is resistant like many winter squash varieties are, but it has distinct, personal sized fruits with edible skins. It's a different culinary experience overall, and the personal sized fruits are highly convenient. It also results in a more consistent harvest, with more fruits produced more frequently.
Tatume squash is a little more susceptible, but it's still resistant. It is a productive variety that is one of the best when it comes to being used as a summer squash substitute. It's top notch when grilled, and I've had no other green squash (including summer squash) that is remotely as tasty as it is!
Rampicante (Tromboncino) is one of the most versatile squash varieties, it's delicious no matter what stage you harvest it at. It's also one of the best summer squash replacements, right behind Tatume squash- just as long as you harvest it young enough. However, missing that window still yields one of the most delicious squash in my opinion; a green summer squash replacement with a hint of orange flesh, and the slightest sweetness. It really is a wonderful addition to many summer dishes, even with that slight touch of sweetness. I just wish it was a higher yielding variety overall.
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| Lechebneya Squash with freshly harvested wild blackberries, Black Eyed Susans, and Zinnias. |
2022 SVB Resistant Varieties Experiment Results Video
The Problem I Didn't See Coming: Vine Borers Have the Element of Surprise
The squash vine borer isn't as much of a problem for me and my garden anymore, after adopting multiple ways to fight back against it. I've had total losses due to these pests, so I do consider this problem that I'm about to discuss as relatively minor in comparison to the losses that I could have.
I've learned over the years that, if there isn't an ideal host for the squash vine borer, they will absolutely head for the fruits. Now, not all of the moths (or larvae) have figured this one out. I'm not seeing all of my squash fruits being invaded by borer larvae. However, I do notice at least a handful of compromised fruits per year.
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| Lungo Di Napoli squash with borer frass (yellow dusty stuff) in the fruit. |
There seems to be a pattern when it comes to vine borer damage. If you grow only resistant varieties, the borers have a problem getting into the stems. Therefore, the few that you might see are the ones who bore into the fruits. This seems to be more common later in the season, and much more common in years where the borers seem to have higher population numbers. I saw quite a few fruits that had borers in them this year, and I think there's a couple of contributing factors:
- I left more squash on the vine for a longer period of time, increasing the amount of time that borer moths had to lay eggs nearby.
- I did not have any summer squash reach fruiting stage this year, meaning the borers likely didn't have any ideal hosts to lay their eggs on for most of the summer.
- The Tennessee Spinning Gourd is resistant to the borers, but they like to bore into the fruits late in the season when they've got no other choice. I've had a MASSIVE problem with volunteer spinning gourds for years, thanks to both toddlers and voles spreading seeds. Therefore, there were lots of opportunities for the borers to reproduce in those. However, I've stayed on top of pulling spinning gourd volunteers this year, and only a few made it past me. Therefore, there were way fewer spinning gourd fruits for them to use as hosts this year.
- Neighboring gardeners seem to have thrown in the towel on gardening, in unison. The moths had to go somewhere, and that was likely my backyard.
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| Netting or covering squash is a great way to keep squash borers away, but it does still require extra effort as hand pollination is required to produce fruits. |
My Closing Thoughts: Fighting Back Against the Vine Borers Requires a Multifaceted Approach
Over the years, I've learned that there's no "one size fits all" solution for the squash vine borer and the devastation that it can bring to the garden. Our needs as gardeners change with each passing season in life; some years are more hectic than others for an endless number of reasons. You might not always have the time to be organic and inject or to hand pollinate. Maybe you'll have to reach for a conventional pesticide against your previous wishes. Maybe you'll have to forego that beloved zucchini variety and grow some Tatume squash. Another year, you might be able to opt for netting and hand pollinating, with zero pesticides. Your needs will change from year to year, so it's always a good idea to practice a multifaceted approach in your garden to stop the borers.
My favorite approach has been utilizing resistant varieties. Some years, I've gone ridiculously large with summer squash plots, diluting the pest load among an extraordinarily large population of plants (this works too... until later in the season.) Other years, I've just grown one or two summer squash plants to make injections quick and easy. It really just depends on the amount of time, energy, and determination you have for a given year's garden.
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| Bacillus thuringiensis injections to stop pumpkin borers. |
Discussion/Comment Prompts:
- Have you tried any of the varieties listed? If so, what was your experience?
- What's your favorite management technique when it comes to squash vine borers?
- Are you an organic gardener? Did you swap to conventional pesticides?
- Have you experienced a total loss due to vine borers? Did you throw in the towel afterwards?
- Do you have any other thoughts, ideas, or experiences you'd like to share with other gardeners?
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| Squash Vine Borer Resistant Varieties |
