Raising Pumpkins???

TNhobbyfarmer · Dec 28, 2009

I am thinking about raising about 1/2 to 1 acre of pumpkins this year just for fun. My daughter and law is a kindergarten teacher, and it would be fun to have the class over to a pumpkin patch in the fall. I have a few questions.
1) How wide would you suggest the rows be?
2) Weed Control? Any suggestions?
3) Do deer like pumpkin plants? If so, I'm almost doomed to failure.

I would welcome an suggestions or comments.

BobG_in_VA · Dec 28, 2009

You're doomed if you have deer and no deer fence...they will eat the blooms just as they pop open. My friends did about a 1/3 acre of pumpkins this past spring/summer. Not a single pumpkin plant made it to maturity. Of course I hunt there and have to admit, I've not had to really spend more time in my stand on opening day than 2 hours in the last 4 or 5 years. After all, there is always a silver lining to any dark cloud. BobG in VA

derekuk101 · Dec 28, 2009

For weed control I like to use Prowl. The field has to be clean when you spray it. It won't kill weeds that are already established. I like to spray once when I plant and then again once I see the grass coming back. You may also want to check into using a fungicide. I've never used one, but I'm going to check into it this year. I use a seed variety called Charisma and have had good luck with it. I can't get the other varieties to grow very well at all. Disease always takes them out

ToadHill · Dec 28, 2009

I have lots of deer but have never had a problem with them. I prepare the field by plowing, disking and then planting. I plant the rows 6 feet apart and after the plants are up I use a single row cultivator to knock down the weeds as they come up, I usually cultivate at least twice and sometime three times. After that the plants grow fast enough to shade out the weeds .

I have found that any pumpkins left in the field will be eaten by deer after they freeze and soften up.

bp fick · Dec 28, 2009

Raised the pumpkin's cousin, the squash. We have heavy and hungry deer population. Any sprig or any blossom that so much as creeps outside the deer fence, as vines do, was immediately and completely chewed off. Just so you know.

As far as I know, there is no plant known to mankind that they don't mow off.
Rhubarb? Yup!! My gosh they even ate horse radish down to the ground. If it grows, they eat it.

Ranger Rick · Dec 28, 2009

The distance between rows of pumpkins vary with the size of pumpkins, large varieties very often have huge vines and need rows 12 feet apart with plants spaced 6 feet apart in the row. On the other hand the small varieties like Baby Pam which you might want for the small kids can have rows closer together. Rows can be six feet apart with plants 2 feet apart in the row. VA Tech Extension has some good information. Consider Pumpkins and Gourds for Fall Harvest Crop Options - Virginia Cooperative Extension

When we grew them the deer were not as much of a problem as the ground hogs were. The ground hogs would get out there and eat holes in the pumpkins and leave it. A little lead took care of some of that problem. The deer may eat some but there should be enough for all of the kids and the deer with what you planning to plant.

Weeds can be a problem. We had our best luck when we no till planted the pumpkin in a grass field after the grass had been killed with Roundup. What you could do is till up a strip in the field with a rototiller and plant in that and spray the surrounding grass on either side.

Don't plant your pumpkins too early in the season. You want to plant in late June or early July depending on the maturity time of the pumpkin you select. Count backwards from mid October to figure out when to plant. With a little bit of luck and rain the kids will have an awesome time picking pumpkins in October. Good Luck Rick

TNhobbyfarmer said:
I am thinking about raising about 1/2 to 1 acre of pumpkins this year just for fun. My daughter and law is a kindergarten teacher, and it would be fun to have the class over to a pumpkin patch in the fall. I have a few questions.
1) How wide would you suggest the rows be?
2) Weed Control? Any suggestions?
3) Do deer like pumpkin plants? If so, I'm almost doomed to failure.

I would welcome an suggestions or comments.

radioman · Dec 28, 2009

I have grown pumpkins and have deer. If you have 1 acre worth of pumpkins, deere cannot possible eat all of those blossoms anways. I find that if the deer do eat the blossoms, its fine, it reduces the number of pumpkins grown per vine and allows pumpkins to get bigger. If you are planting pumpkins with other veggies, plant it with corn. No need to plant like farmers corn, but plan indian corn and put one corn every other pumpkin hill. some fun for the kids to take home too. they help each other to grow better. If you are planting alot of pumpkins, then space the rows far apart enough for your tiller for weed control. I use NO weed control other then pulling weeds by hand every around the plants now and then since the tiller takes care of everything in between before it gets too big.

tawilson · Dec 28, 2009

I opened this thread because a friend told me the deer got into his pumpkins and I was wondering if it could be used for deer. Guess it bears looking into.

theboman · Dec 29, 2009

Up the road in Milton WV they have an annual Pumpkin Festival (Octoberish). A few years back they had some several hundred pound pumpkins, and I'm thinking over 600 pounders!!
I was told they injected milk in the vines.

Give a kindergarden kid a 600 pound pumpkin...they'll have a good time!

redharley · Dec 29, 2009

Agree with toadhill and radioman, my wife and I do the same as your thinking of and have had good result's.We live in central Pa. with quite a few deer and out of a 1/2 acre there is always plenty of pumpkins to go around sure the deer will get some if it's a concern and you have the room plant a few extra for them cheaper than a fence.I agree with the indian corn as we also plant it mini and full size.I would suggest you also add some mixed gourds to the planting also.You'll have a ton of Fall freinds for sure.Extra's wife put's out by the road for free most get gone.Some folks even let $$ in her wagon which goes for you guessed it more seeds. Good luck and have fun [don't make it work]