Pumpkin Planting!

[DMF]

Very nice set-up! I would love to be able to plant our pumpkins that way.

We get our seeds from Harris. We planted "Mystic Plus", "Magic Wand", "Gladiator" and "Super Herc" all treated for powdery mildew resistance; 250 each. All were 110 to 115 days. We also planted ornamental corn. We started gourds but not one of them came up...?

I just checked our plants last night and it looks like we have some cucumber beetles already...several plants had holes chewed in them. Do you have problems with them? If so, how do you treat them? We usually spray the plants with Sevin when we see them.

[Luremaker]

Thanks for the complements on the planter. Every year I say I'll plant new varieties of pumpkins but always seem to order the sames ones that I have had success with in the past.

I moved my pumpkin patch this year and I have not seen any cucumber beetles yet. Last summer they were the worst I have ever seen them. I sprayed Sevin to help control them, but I won't spray after the plants start to flower. I have Sevin for this summer but Ontario has now added Sevin to the list of banned pesticides so I do not know what I'll do in the future to control cucumber beetles and squash bugs. I may have to get an applicator's license.

[barrybro]

I have about three acres of pumpkins and I just sprayed mine this morning with sevin for cucumber beetles. I wouldn't wait to spray. I have lost at least 30 hills to bacterial wilt carried by the cucumber beetle.

Barry

[DMF]

I did spray them last week. This weekend we cultivated and side dressed them with some manure. The weather we've been getting has saved me from watering, but we need some sun!

[Luremaker]

I have not yet had to spray as I have not seen any beetles. I think it's just too cool for them. It's been getting down to the high 40's most nights here. Very cold for July!!

Do you guys spray before seeing any beetles or wait until you actually see them? I have always waited until I see them.

I did run the tiller between all the pumpkin rows on the weekend to clean up any weeds. I'm having trouble keeping up with the weeds in my corn patch.

[barrybro]

I wait until I see them. Not sure that was a good strategy this since I lost so many plants. I was in my field last night and noticed squash bug eggs on several plants so I am going to start my 7-10 day interval of spraying sevin and a fungicide.

As weeds go I did the same as you, I tilled until they vined. I felt like I kept bringing up new seeds and once they vined I had really lost the battle. This year I planted them closer together (I can't run the rototiller between them), and I planned on using herbicides to help control the weeds. I put strategy down right after planting. I have then put down poast after they had 3-4 leaves. This has worked good on the grasses. My plan was to use Sandea for broadleafs (or permit) but it is just too expensive so I am trying to keep the broadleafs down by hand. Quite a task on 3 acres. I also used by two row cultivatio to weed while the plants were still small.

My soil is very sandy so I use drip irrigation which seems to work really well. Even if I have some weed pressure I get water and nutrients right to the pumpkin and they seem to do okay.

Barry

[Luremaker]

This is the first year year I spaced my pumpkins in rows wide enough to till. In the past I have always spaced rows five feet apart and used my cultivator to weed the rows. It's difficult to spray in the narrow rows unless I sprayed by hand, which I do not like to do.

This year I decided to space things out a little more to give me easier access. I also left grass rows between patches. I have not decided yet if I prefer one large patch or multiple smaller patches.

Here's a photo taken (mid July) a few summers ago with five foot row spacing. Healthy plants and very few bugs.

[barrybro]

Great looking pumpkins! I have an old orchard sprayer that I use so I don't have too much of an issue getting the spray on the pumpkins. My weeds are much worse than in that picture (I don't see any). This is my second year so I am still learning.

My farm is at:
Harvest Moon Acres

Barry

[Luremaker]

Originally Posted by barrybro

Great looking pumpkins! I have an old orchard sprayer that I use so I don't have too much of an issue getting the spray on the pumpkins. My weeds are much worse than in that picture (I don't see any). This is my second year so I am still learning.

My farm is at:
Harvest Moon Acres

Barry

Great website Barry! You have a great looking farm. I have thought of doing something similar but have to wait for a few more years before I could commit the time. Right now I sell a few pumpkins road side, give to the local schools, friend and neighbors.

[DMF]

Originally Posted by Luremaker

Do you guys spray before seeing any beetles or wait until you actually see them? I have always waited until I see them.

I wait until I see them as well. I really dislike spraying...partly because I don't like to put chemicals in the ground and partly because my set-up to spray isn't the best. I use a small 12-volt sprayer on the back of my Ranger. (See below)

Originally Posted by barrybro

My farm is at:
Harvest Moon Acres

Barry

Very nice website and I love the pumpkin slingshot! Can you provide any construction details to what you have there?