Not at all. General recommendation is to cover from day one of transplanting otherwise you could already have eggs laid on them. Of course you will have to hand pollinate.

Dave

PS: and make sure it is the light weight cover aka insect barrier. Otherwise heat can build up inside.

OK, my plants are covered. My only concern is the vine borers that have not yet emerged from the soil will be stuck under the row covers and free to lay their eggs hither and thither.

In most of zone 7 they have already emerged. Once the soil temp hits 65 they are out. But that is one advantage to tilling the area first and then covering the plants from day one. At the very least you will have reduced their access substantially.

Dave

PS: That is a lot of plants for such a small area anyway so the loss of a few plants may actually improve your overall production.

I may have to double up the width of this row cover by attaching another one beside it. Anyone know how to combine them together?

There may be multiple generations of SVBs, depending on where you are. You might consult your local extension service to find out about that.

Staples are a convenient way of attaching fabrics. Doesn't look that elegant, but it works. They'll rust out later in the season, allowing you to use the pieces differently.

You do have a LOT of plants. A single row might have been more appropriate for that bed, and would have been easier to cover when young.

You can also inspect the plants and scratch off any SVB eggs you find. The moth lays them on at a time on the stems and they will be in several spots on the plant. They are a light brown color and a little smaller than a sesame seed. You can scratch them off with your fingernail without any problem.

Last year I scraped all my plants every 3 days all summer with a toothbrush . Every plant was destroyed by vine borers.

Inspection for SVB eggs is sort of a scam. With the usual squash bed, which goes on for many square yards, it would take hours to adequately inspect all the plants. That's a bending over, kneeling in the soil, and squinting kind of hour. You miss ONE egg, and you lose a plant. Searching for frass and doing surgery on the vine is slightly less of a scam, because the frass is more conspicuous. But it's still vine surgery, and needs to be done with great care and some skill.

I think row covers is the way to go, and if you have a long growing season like I do, just waiting them out works as well.