Pumpkin Crop 2011

[Luremaker]

How's everyone's pumpkin patches coming along? I tilled and picked a few buckets of stone last week. If the rain in the forecast holds off I'll fertilize and till tonight then plant 1 to 1-1/2 acres Wednesday evening. This has been a real wet and cool spring and I am hoping the soil will warm up to help the seeds germinate.

Most years I try to plant on or about June 15 but have planted as late as July 1st with a good crop. I am hoping for another bug free crop.

 

[barrybro]

I just planted my 5 acres this past weekend. We just had a nice rain and we are supposed to have a heat wave coming so they should be popping up soon.

Barry

 

[forgeblast]

I only planted a few this year, so i started them inside. Inside they were doing great, yesterday I planted them outside so what the rain does to them then anyones guess.
I planted one alantic giant, 2 small sugars, and 3 of the mini pumpkins.
Melons need to go out next.

 

[scgargoyle]

Man- I wish I could grow pumpkins here in FL. We grew them one year; they were ready in June! Summer is just too hot.

 

[Luremaker]

I just planted my 5 acres this past weekend. We just had a nice rain and we are supposed to have a heat wave coming so they should be popping up soon.

Barry

Barry, how was your crop last year? Did the oats keep the weeds at bay? Is this the same 5 acres as as year or did you rotate?

I planted most of mine last Thursday. I was away for the weekend so I hope to finish up this evening. Soil moisture is perfect, soil temperature is a little low but should warm up this week.

 

[Luremaker]

Man- I wish I could grow pumpkins here in FL. We grew them one year; they were ready in June! Summer is just too hot.

Try planting them in July under partial shade.

 

[barrybro]

Barry, how was your crop last year?
The pumpkins did very well last year. Our weather was very good in Southwest Michigan.
Did the oats keep the weeds at bay? I really liked how the oats worked, because of the wet spring and my schedule I did not get a chance to plant anything this year so it will be a good comparison. I would like to get rye planted before winter this year.

Is this the same 5 acres as as year or did you rotate? My plan is to rotate every 2 years so this will be the second year for this field.

The field popped up over the weekend and it looks pretty good.

 

[Luremaker]

I planted 1-1/2 acres of pumpkins on Friday June 17th. We have had cool nights and below average day time highs for most of June so they took a little longer than usual to germinate but they are up and looking good. I'll start the first weeding tonight and side dress them on the weekend with urea and a little extra phosphate. If the heat stays and we get the rain in the forecast they should start to vine early next week. I'll bring the camera and take a few photos.

This summer I planted, Jack-O-Lantern, Howden, Atlantic, Big Mac, Cinderella (Rouge vif d'Etampes), Small Sugar, and an assortment of miniature pumpkins and gourds.

My early corn is only a foot high at best. Last summer my corn was already tasseling.

 

[scgargoyle]

Man- I wish I could grow pumpkins here in FL. We grew them one year; they were ready in June! Summer is just too hot.

I've got a better idea- I'm getting ready to build on our rural property in upstate South Carolina. Actually, we're near a town called Pumpkintown, so I assume they'll grow there.

 

[barrybro]

I treated my field preemerge with Sandea and Stategy. We had no rain for 6 days, so it did not get incorporated in and I am now getting flushes of both grass and broadleaf wees. I have used poast in the past for grasses and that works well, I am going to try Sandea for postemerge, I have read it can be tricky to use so wish me luck.

Barry