OP
deereman10
Bronze Member
Talk about a lot of work... 15 acres would require a lot of plastic and a lot of hose
Potato Hiller for pumpkins?
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ZDB
Silver Member
I think its both the raised bed and the plastic. The soil temp in the raised beds rises faster in spring and weeds are basically a non issue.
We use drip irrigation under the plastic and fertigate thru the drip lines as needed based on spring soil samples and plant needs.
Most of our plantings are organic and benefit from crop rotation and green manure cropping between planting years.
We use drip irrigation under the plastic and fertigate thru the drip lines as needed based on spring soil samples and plant needs.
Most of our plantings are organic and benefit from crop rotation and green manure cropping between planting years.
ZDB
Silver Member
Luremaker
What are you using for cover crop between your pumpkin rows?
What are you using for cover crop between your pumpkin rows?
Luremaker
Veteran Member
As you can see in this picture I don't use any crop cover. I let mother nature take care of it. I plant my seed in mid to late June after the soil has warmed up. I'll rototill between the rows at least once sometimes twice and cultivate a few times to get rid of the weed near the plants. This has worked well for me. It seems if I till in early July very few new weeds will germinate, and once the canopy is there the patches stay pretty weed free.
ZDB
Silver Member
They look great, what is growing adjacent to the pumpkins?
We have been planting oats and white clover between rows and mowing the oats for straw at first boot stage. That makes for a nice clover cover at harvest time. We sometimes have to mow sooner/later depending on how fast the pumpkins grow off the plastic into the cover.
We get alot of customer foot traffic so keeping bare ground to a min is easier on our fields and makes for happier pickers.
We have been planting oats and white clover between rows and mowing the oats for straw at first boot stage. That makes for a nice clover cover at harvest time. We sometimes have to mow sooner/later depending on how fast the pumpkins grow off the plastic into the cover.
We get alot of customer foot traffic so keeping bare ground to a min is easier on our fields and makes for happier pickers.
Luremaker
Veteran Member
That's sweet corn you see adjacent to the pumpkins. I also plant a few acres of sweet corn, and a little Indian Corn. We also have a 1/3 acre vegetable garden for our own food. We give away the extra to family and neighbors. Keeps me out of trouble all summer.
I like long rows. Last year I went with 500' rows this summer I'll go to 750' rows. These patches are all on freshly turned pasture. No chemicals used to kill the grass. Plowed, disced, then rototilled. We did pick a few tons of rocks along the way.
I like the idea of planting oats and clover between the rows. I may try that this year.
Here's a picture of one of my corn patches taken in early July last summer.
Luremaker
Veteran Member
Getting back to your question about 3 by 5 foot rows. I tried closely spaced rows years ago. Tractor can only be used for a few weeks then it's all hand hoeing. I can't find my notes on yields but I am sure the average size was around 15-20lbs whereas using the wider spaced rows they average closer to 25-30lbs. If you have the land go with the wide rows.
Luremaker
Veteran Member
Are you planting 15 acres of pumpkins?
OP
deereman10
Bronze Member
Yes, I have 4 road side stands and i'm in the whole sale market.
That's how the bigger produce farmers are doing it around here now. It's amazing to see hundreds of acres hilled and under plastic. Of course they are laying all that with specialized equipment. They reuse some of it for more than one season too.
