We live on 40 acres- most commercially farmed for feed corn. The farmer uses some kind of weed control that works wonders. However, this last year I planted a bunch of pumkins and despite my best efforts, the weeds overtook them after they had flowered.
Is there a good website on pumkpin farming? A book to recommend?
Any tips on chemical herbicides that work (without license)?
How large is the area you're planting in pumpkins? If its small, try some landscape fabric, otherwise get some black plastic mulch, lay it and punch holes in it where you are seeding or transplanting your pumpkins.
Last year I probably planted a half acre, maybe a bit more. I love pumkins so I would like to come up with a 'recipe' for success and then begin expanding- heck I COULD plant 20 acres if I get good at maintaining the plants....
You like pumpkins! Last year I planted five or so hills of squash seed as directed by "She who must be obeyed" and ended up with five hills of lovelly pumpkins.
Egon
Steve...the farmer probably uses "Aatrex" of equivalent...for pumpkins I like to use "Treflan"...properly applied, it is the greatest preemergent that I know of...can be used on most any crop or vegetable except for corn and it's relatives....
Here is a pretty good report on Treflan and Pumpkins....
Pumpkin growing
GareyD
I planted some once and did it too early and had a few little ol' pumpkins.
I've been told folks growing them for size inject milk into the vines...Never tried it.
Bo McCarty, Realtor
Injecting milk into the vines is an Amish trick. Supposedly it works, but I've never tried it.
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Around here there are quite a few people that grow huge pumkins. I do beleive they buy seed that has been developed specificaly for this purpose.
Everyone will have a super secret growing procedure.
As to keeping down weeds I have heard of using newspapers.
Egon
If you want large pumpkins, the seed to use is Dill's Atlantic Giant. To get the real large pumpkings, you have to leave just one pumpkin on each plant. Use lots of fertilizer and water.
To eliminate the weed problem, use plastic mulch, it is available in widths of three to six feet.
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Not sure if this will work , but if it did this is a picture of part of my small 20 acre farm here in southern massachusetts. As you can see I like the little ones ...100-200+ lbs . I grow for a local farm stand and have had a good year with about 500 that have gone 100lbs plus out of 200 plants that made it to full production . Weed control is done by both hand and machine culturvation the patch is 250'by just over 400' total .
bill g.
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