Pumpkin Patch Project

[Luremaker]

Luremaker; Since this more of a fun project for me instead of a serious agricultural venture, I did not do a soil test. I did throw a couple of bags of lime pellets on the small plot and will put some fertilizer on the rows after planting. When do you recommend fertilizing? Pre emerge or post emerge or does it matter that much?

What does the MAP acronym mean?

MAP is monoammonium phosphate or 11-52-00 granular fertilizer. It is often the recommended starter fertilizer because it is very safe to use in starter bands and rarely burns young plants. It can be used pre or post emergent. My soil is very low in phosphate so it requires an extra boost. I've been adding MAP to my patches every year and I've been seeing improvements in the soil tests.

Optimum soil PH is 6.1 to 6.5 for pumpkins so only add lime if your PH is low. My soil PH usually tests around 7.0-7.1 which is a little high.

Without a soil test I think you can apply 150lbs/acre of 19-19-19 pre emergent and sidedress another 30-40lbs nitrogen/acre using Urea 46-0-0 just before the plants vine. With a small patch I'd just walk the rows with a hand spreader then till or cultivate the area to incorporate the nitrogen.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Well I planted the pumpkins today. Also. I sprayed the plot with Command herbicide. Hopefully the command will help with weed control. It should keep all grass out as well as small broadleafs. I think larger broadleafs will inhabit the pumpkins, but I don't think they should be a major problem.

I planted with my JD 71 planter but not the conventional way. I did not use plates, but just put the seeds down through one of the seed tubes manually through a funnel. I walked beside the planter and my wife drove the tractor. This was her first time to drive the tractor. I mention this because guys on TBN have cautioned regarding teaching the wife to drive the tractor. Once they learn they don't want to share. I don't think that will happen to me, but I did notice one thing. When we finished, I told her that I would drive the tractor back to the house. She declined the offer and said she could drive it back. She hasn't admitted it yet, but I think she had fun driving the Kubota.

Some pics of the Mrs. on the tractor and the planter and Fimco sprayer.

 

[Luremaker]

Well I planted the pumpkins today. Also. I sprayed the plot with Command herbicide. Hopefully the command will help with weed control. It should keep all grass out as well as small broadleafs. I think larger broadleafs will inhabit the pumpkins, but I don't think they should be a major problem.

I planted with my JD 71 planter but not the conventional way. I did not use plates, but just put the seeds down through one of the seed tubes manually through a funnel. I walked beside the planter and my wife drove the tractor. This was her first time to drive the tractor. I mention this because guys on TBN have cautioned regarding teaching the wife to drive the tractor. Once they learn they don't want to share. I don't think that will happen to me, but I did notice one thing. When we finished, I told her that I would drive the tractor back to the house. She declined the offer and said she could drive it back. She hasn't admitted it yet, but I think she had fun driving the Kubota.

Some pics of the Mrs. on the tractor and the planter and Fimco sprayer.

Now, all you need is a little rain. Did you fertilize at all? If your rows are spaced wide enough to run the tiller between the rows you can till under most of the weeds before they take over the patch. I've even walked up the rows and moved vines out of the way so that I could run the tiller one last time. My in-row weeding is done by hand. I am thinking of making a really small cultivator with de-thatcher tines to use between the plants in-row which are spaced 3-4 feet apart.

I tilled my patches yesterday and hope to plant half this evening and the balance Wednesday evening.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Now, all you need is a little rain. Did you fertilize at all? If your rows are spaced wide enough to run the tiller between the rows you can till under most of the weeds before they take over the patch. I've even walked up the rows and moved vines out of the way so that I could run the tiller one last time. My in-row weeding is done by hand. I am thinking of making a really small cultivator with de-thatcher tines to use between the plants in-row which are spaced 3-4 feet apart.

I tilled my patches yesterday and hope to plant half this evening and the balance Wednesday evening.

I haven't fertilized yet. I didn't do a soil test, so I don't have a specific blend/amount of fertilizer to use. I think I will just hand broadcast some 15-15-15 down the rows. Do you think I should do that now or wait until the plants germinate? I put some lime down a couple or three months ago.

I don't have a tiller or cultivator. The rows are approximately 6 ft. apart. I can get a tractor between the rows until the vines start spreading. I was thinking of using my box blade scarifiers as cultivators until I can't get between the rows anymore. Not sure if that will do much good. The scarifiers don't have sweeps like a cultivator. I'm just hoping the Command provides adequate weed control.

Speaking of rain, we were supposed to get some yesterday, today and early tomorrow. So far only brief sprinkles, nothing to help with germination. I'm now worried about rain prospects. There appears to be nothing in the forecast for the near future.

Luremaker, what size is your pumpkin crop?

 

[Luremaker]

I haven't fertilized yet. I didn't do a soil test, so I don't have a specific blend/amount of fertilizer to use. I think I will just hand broadcast some 15-15-15 down the rows. Do you think I should do that now or wait until the plants germinate? I put some lime down a couple or three months ago.

Pumpkins are heavy feeders so adding fertilizer will really help them. Best to broadcast the fertilizer before a rain.

I don't have a tiller or cultivator. The rows are approximately 6 ft. apart. I can get a tractor between the rows until the vines start spreading. I was thinking of using my box blade scarifiers as cultivators until I can't get between the rows anymore. Not sure if that will do much good. The scarifiers don't have sweeps like a cultivator. I'm just hoping the Command provides adequate weed control.

I've never used any herbicides so I have no experience with them. Here in Ontario you require a "license" before you can purchase/use any herbicides or pesticides.

Speaking of rain, we were supposed to get some yesterday, today and early tomorrow. So far only brief sprinkles, nothing to help with germination. I'm now worried about rain prospects. There appears to be nothing in the forecast for the near future.

Hopefully you to get some rain soon. Last week we received an inch or two then another inch over the weekend so I have lots of moisture for at least a week or two.

On May 15th my son planted some sweet corn and it was two weeks before we had any rain and the corn did not germinate until a few days after the rain last week.

Luremaker, what size is your pumpkin crop?

This year I am planting 1-1/2 acres. I am planting Howden, Howden Biggie, Big Max, Atlantic, Rouge vif D'Etampes (Cinderella) and a number of small gourds and miniature pumpkin varieties. We donate most to a few schools, and to the local pumpkin chucking group north of us.

 

[Luremaker]

Jerry, how are your pumpkins doing?

I ended up planting my large varieties on the 16th and the miniature varieties on the 17th. Weather has been perfect rain every second day and lot's of heat. All the pumpkins started germinating yesterday along with many weeds. I do my first cultivating tomorrow.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Jerry, how are your pumpkins doing?

I ended up planting my large varieties on the 16th and the miniature varieties on the 17th. Weather has been perfect rain every second day and lot's of heat. All the pumpkins started germinating yesterday along with many weeds. I do my first cultivating tomorrow.

My pumpkins have been in the ground two weeks now. We got one timely rain (about 1/4 inch) on Monday after planting on Sunday. That was enough to get germination but have not had a drop since, plus it is extremely hot. I have been watering by hand, quite a chore. The patch is too far from the house to use hoses for watering so I am having to transport water in large trash cans in my tractor bucket and then dipping and pouring from a watering bucket with spout. Verrry inefficient and time consuming, but the alternative is losing the entire crop. Those plants are too young and vulnerable at this point to just let them perish from lack of water. Real farmers in this area are going to need some rain soon to avoid some crop damage. However there's no relief in the forecast.

I used two kinds seeds for planting; seeds I saved from a last years pumpkin (variety unknown) and some store bought howden seeds. I have one observation from that experiment; the store bought seeds have a better germination rate, 90-95% vs. about 75-80% for the recycled seeds. Since this is only a fun project, not a money making venture, the germination rate is not a big deal.

I planted two seeds per location. Many have two plants at one location in the row. My plan was to thin to one plant per location, but I read somewhere recently that it is not a problem to leave two. Luremaker or other pumpkin growers; what is you opinion on this?

 

[Luremaker]

My pumpkins have been in the ground two weeks now. We got one timely rain (about 1/4 inch) on Monday after planting on Sunday. That was enough to get germination but have not had a drop since, plus it is extremely hot. I have been watering by hand, quite a chore. The patch is too far from the house to use hoses for watering so I am having to transport water in large trash cans in my tractor bucket and then dipping and pouring from a watering bucket with spout. Verrry inefficient and time consuming, but the alternative is losing the entire crop. Those plants are too young and vulnerable at this point to just let them perish from lack of water. Real farmers in this area are going to need some rain soon to avoid some crop damage. However there's no relief in the forecast.

I used two kinds seeds for planting; seeds I saved from a last years pumpkin (variety unknown) and some store bought howden seeds. I have one observation from that experiment; the store bought seeds have a better germination rate, 90-95% vs. about 75-80% for the recycled seeds. Since this is only a fun project, not a money making venture, the germination rate is not a big deal.

I planted two seeds per location. Many have two plants at one location in the row. My plan was to thin to one plant per location, but I read somewhere recently that it is not a problem to leave two. Luremaker or other pumpkin growers; what is you opinion on this?

I would not thin the plants. I space my rows 8-10 feet apart with in-row spacing of 40 inches. My planter drops between 1 and 4 seeds per hill and I never thin unless I over filled the planter and it dumped a large number of seeds in one spot.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I would not thin the plants. I space my rows 8-10 feet apart with in-row spacing of 40 inches. My planter drops between 1 and 4 seeds per hill and I never thin unless I over filled the planter and it dumped a large number of seeds in one spot.

Is the second pic this year? If so, you have a nice start very quickly. Great job! I'll post some pics when mine get further along.

 

[Luremaker]

Is the second pic this year? If so, you have a nice start very quickly. Great job! I'll post some pics when mine get further along.

Both those pictures are from past seasons. I'll have to take a few pictures soon. Over the weekend I was going to run my tiller between the rows to clean up newly germinating weeds. Since I already had my dethatcher on the tractor I decided to give it a try. I was impressed with how well it pulled out all those small weeds. Much faster than running the tiller. If you have a dethatcher give it a try.