Pumpkin Planting!

[Luremaker]

I'm happy with my pumpkin row spacing this year. I spaced my rows so that I could clean up around the plants with my cultivator and between the rows with my tiller. My corn is a different story. Between the rows it's weed free but between the corn it's all weeds. This year I have around and acre and a half planted. I actually tilled a few rows of corn last week because the weeds had over taken them. Any more would be stretching my weeding abilities. Barry, keeping three acres weed free is quite a challenge. Let's see a few pictures.

[Luremaker]

Originally Posted by DMF

So...my plants look more like your second picture, probably a bit bigger, but not as large as your first picture.

Think they'll be ready in time? If not, any idea who would buy large quantities of pumpkins AFTER October?

I think it will depend on the heat. We need a few weeks of hot weather to get the plants up to size and producing large pumpkins. October is pumpkin month around here and any pumpkins still here after October become compost.

A few years back I harvested a large number of green pumpkins and they ripened up in the sun in a few days. They were smaller than average but at least I got rid of most of them.

[dsv farms]

Originally Posted by Luremaker

DSV Farms, welcome to TBN. Here's a few photos of my Jack-O-Lanterns and miniature pumpkins taken last night. The Jack-O-Lantern plants are beginning to vine but the miniatures are growing very very slowly. No flowers yet. How large do your Atlantic's get?

Most average around 80-90 lb. I dont do anything special to try for extraordinary size, direct seeded same fertilizer as the others. Biggest i recall was about 175 lb a couple seasons back.

[barrybro]

I was out in the pumpkins this morning and bees were going crazy in the flowers. Most of my larger plants (planted the first of June in southwest michigan) have 1 - 2 fruits per plant.

[Luremaker]

Originally Posted by barrybro

I was out in the pumpkins this morning and bees were going crazy in the flowers. Most of my larger plants (planted the first of June in southwest michigan) have 1 - 2 fruits per plant.

That's great Barry. You should have some good sized pumpkins come September. I figure I average 1-1/2 pumpkins per plant for medium/large varieties and 8-12 pumpkins per plant for the miniatures. I am still waiting for my plants to start flowering. I see a few buds but no flowers yet.

[DMF]

Originally Posted by Luremaker

October is pumpkin month around here and any pumpkins still here after October become compost.

Yup, ours do too, thogh I may have found a customer for late pumpkins...

[Luremaker]

Saw the first cucumber beetle last evening. Only one and I promptly dispatched it. Hope they do not get out of control like they did last summer.

After a week of warmer weather most of the plants have doubled in size with some vines now ten feet long and lots of flower buds ready to open. We had a few inches of rain over the weekend, the timing was perfect. It looks like we might have a good crop of pumpkins after all.

[DMF]

Sounds good Luremaker; I'm glad things are turning around for your crop. Keep an eye on those beetles though; where there's one there has to be more...


I weeded about 1/3 of our plants yesterday before the rain came back. There are sections of the two patches I have where I sank ankle deep in mud...there has just been too much rain! My plants are definately larger and this morning there were several flowers but they haven't begun to run yet... crazy year and the jury is still out as to what kind of a season I'll end up with. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[barrybro]

The big prolem with the beetles is the disease they carry. Makes me sick looking at the plants that are dead and dying from those things.

[Luremaker]

Originally Posted by DMF

...I weeded about 1/3 of our plants yesterday before the rain came back. There are sections of the two patches I have where I sank ankle deep in mud...there has just been too much rain! My plants are definately larger and this morning there were several flowers but they haven't begun to run yet... crazy year and the jury is still out as to what kind of a season I'll end up with. Keeping my fingers crossed!

DMF, hopefully the weather co-operates in you area for the balance of the summer. We have had very little rain in July except for the past few days. The forecast is calling for seasonal averages for the next couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by barrybro

The big problem with the beetles is the disease they carry. Makes me sick looking at the plants that are dead and dying from those things.

Last summer the beetles showed up as soon as the plants germinated, I sprayed Sevin every 7-10 days to try to control them, but with little effect and lost at least a hundred plants to the pests.