Pumpkins

[deerdown]

While most of you are still grinding out the season, some of us are thinking about next years food plots and habitat plans.

No, it's not that I filled my tags, on the contrary, I didn't hunt at all this year and have no plans to enter the game at this point. The new job has been kicking my rear, and I lost my in-state permission farm. Lot's of excuses to be sure.....if I were to be honest, I've just lost some of the drive.

Regardless, I still love doing food plots and improving the land and feeding the wildlife.

Onto the topic: Pumpkins - Unfortunately, my last 2 years of pumpkin patches of 1/3a each were a failure. 3 years ago I had a decent start but missed a spraying or 2 for foxtail and it impacted my final crop. The last 2 years I believe were a lack moisture problem. I planted all sorts of seed, pumpkins, PPT, wheat, crimson clover, buckwheat, etc and nothing really grew, except, for my German Millet and Egyptian wheat.
So I am planning to plant pumpkins where I had my German Millet last year. I heavily limed it last year, and I have hydrants nearby where I could water. The area is about an acre, but I plan to only use about 1/2 of it for pumpkins and I want to see if the German Millet will reseed itself on the other half for quail feed/cover.

I don't know how best to prep the ground at this point. This is an area that I burned last year. I don't know if I should burn it again where I plan to plan pumpkins, if I should plant the pumpkin seeds in June and then crimp the millet, if I should mow then plant? Should I spray 2,4d 4 weeks prior to planting? I plan to use Clethodim to combat foxtail later in the seaon.

Any and all good advice welcome - I know one member is pretty knowledgeable on the topic @Bucksnbears


Millet before it headed out, and after with some Egyptian Wheat as a screen on the left

 

[HWC]

How did you set up your hydrants? Sorry I can't help with the spraying questions

 

[Sligh1]

I wonder if u could roll that down into a mat!!!?!???!?!?!
I’d 1000% go with pre-emergents. U could burn down with gly & 2,4-d. I’d be adding high rates of pre’s. Especially S-metolachlor which is very good on grasses. I’d personally want to run highest labeled rates of 3 different pre’s. I’d do 3 so u get broad coverage, longer coverage and because u got a weed seed bank full of foxtail. U could run 1 or 2 of the 3 on a second pass with clethodim & crop oil for example.
Use this chart & make sure u get plenty of pre’s. The cost is “minimal” & will save u from a disaster. None of these are restricted use.

Weed Control in Pumpkins and Winter Squash

Author: Marissa Schuh , Integrated Pest Management Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Extension. Reviewed by Annie Klodd, Extensio...

blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu

 

[JUNIOR]

I’m also wanting to grow a pumpkin patch plot. Will be following this. Very little plot experience here but what if you planted clover or turnips in the spring to help with weed control. Bring in a garden tiller come June, make your mounds plant pumpkins. Then come July/August over seed the areas between mounds (try not to crowd your mounds) with turnips/radishes.

 

[Bucksnbears]

Not sure how I missed this post?

Whatever you do, try and have a super clean plot before planting pumpkins.
I've tried many different methods including 1 year when I had like Zero time and it was super dry with cracked dirt. I had just a few hours of time before a big rain hit. I went on hands n knees and just started dropping seeds in cracks. Bout 1/4 acre. We got the rains and they came out great. Lol.
Now, I just use a hoe, dig out a small bed, drop in 2 seeds and use the side of my boot to push the loose dirt back over.
Plants are about 5_6' apart and rows are the same.
When the seedlings are just popping up, usually about 10 days, I cover them with paper plates (cheap) and use my atv to spray the plot one last time with roundup.
Pick up the plates and store them for next year.

I started this morning and just finished. Got about 800 done.
There is ZERO reason for a mound!.
Pumpkins are actually very easy to grow. Deer really like the Sugar Pie varieties.
Good luck.

 

[deerdown]

I sprayed glyphosate 2x over a couple weeks then disked the field. Then I came back around with a tiller to get a nice seed bed.. I then broadcast soybeans as a companion crop and harrowed them in. Then walked the field dropping 6-8 pumpkin seeds every 5 steps and covering them with dirt. Lastly I spread 100lbs of 10-10-10 to get them started. Will see

 

[deerdown]

Well, my pumpkins and beans are up, I didn't know if the pumpkin seeds were viable still as they were gathered from pumpkins from 2020 and 2021, hence why I planted 6-8 per mound instead of 2 or 3. Looks like they are just fine!

 

[northcedar]

How deep are you guys planting them?

 

[deerdown]

3/4" or so, just scrape an opening with my boot and cover them back up with same.
Poor man's planter....

 

[northcedar]

Do you water them immediately or just wait for rain? The kids and I planted a bunch and got them in moisture about an inch deep but the hot wind dried the soil out real fast and now I think some are rooted and some are laying dry. Skunks or coons dug some out also. Plus moles are in 1 of the patches, so we are setting traps for them. Once they emerge it'll be time to go groundhog hunting. The pumkins always seem easy til it's not. Haha

 

[deerdown]

I did not water them immediately but it rained within the next couple days of planting. Today I planted giant sunflowers on the suggestion of bucks n bears, and I fertilized and gave them about a gallon of water to jump start them. Same process as planting pumpkins and same planter...
Ran into these little fellows when putting it a couple trail cameras today

 

[Bucksnbears]

Glad to see some of you trying pumpkins.
What variety?

Deerdown, I'm gonna guess that when those pumpkins start vining out, they will crush the bean stalks?
Heck, I've had vines climb 5 feet up trees and grow fruit. Lol.
No set planting depth but I'd say most are 1" deep.
Yep, I always make sure I put them in moist soil.
I think last year? Was super dry and not much rain in the Forcast.
Once a raked out the seed beds, I gave each about a quart of water.
Let it soak in then put down the seeds.
Really, as long as they have decent moisture, they tend to do well.

 

[deerdown]

Mammoth sunflowers, found them at tractor supply inc,
It's ok if they crush the bean stalks, the beans were just a companion crop, I expect some will survive.

Sorry, misread your question...Pumpkins variety are porch pumpkins, you know, the kind everyone buys for halloween. When everyone is done with Halloween, i went around the neighborhood and collected them and then dried out the seeds. So I don't really know the variety. It isn't the first time I've tried pumpkins, just haven't had a lot of luck with them yet.