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Post by scrub-buster on Apr 20, 2021 17:41:45 GMT -5
We decided to go ahead and try to have a pumpkin patch behind the house this year. My wife loves fall and decorates the yard with pumpkins and gourds. I thought she would have fun picking them from her own patch. I have zero gardening experience. I used the tiller box on our tractor. I took 3 passes over it going lower each time. It was very relaxing. I put a Hootie and the Blowfish album on my headphones and enjoyed watching the yard get turned into a garden. I had the tractor in low range, first gear. As soon as I started I had the thought that maybe I should have killed the grass first. Too late now. I could spray it now but I think I have it pretty well chewed up. I want to put some fertilizer down before I plant the seeds. I've been looking at when to plant them and I'm thinking mid to late May. I would appreciate any help or advice as I have no idea what I'm doing.
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Post by esshup on Apr 20, 2021 21:34:31 GMT -5
You will have problems with grass. Unfortunately. Might want to stock up on stuff for the bugs that kill squash and gourds, I can't grow them here, I will get one picking of zucchini and then the bugs will kill the plants.
Give it a week or 2, kill it with glyphosate.
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Post by scrub-buster on Apr 20, 2021 22:12:24 GMT -5
You will have problems with grass. Unfortunately. Might want to stock up on stuff for the bugs that kill squash and gourds, I can't grow them here, I will get one picking of zucchini and then the bugs will kill the plants. Give it a week or 2, kill it with glyphosate. What kind of bugs eat them?
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Post by parrothead on Apr 21, 2021 5:28:16 GMT -5
Squash bugs unforuately. When mine pop I put cups over them and go down the rows and spray round up. It really helps. Here is a great place to get seeds and they have more pumpkins than you ever thought of. They have a great growing guide about spacing too. Rupp seeds.
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Post by Sasquatch on Apr 21, 2021 23:08:46 GMT -5
That will be a patch worthy of the Great Pumpkin.
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Post by jman46151 on Apr 22, 2021 7:38:37 GMT -5
Squash bugs unforuately. When mine pop I put cups over them and go down the rows and spray round up. It really helps. Here is a great place to get seeds and they have more pumpkins than you ever thought of. They have a great growing guide about spacing too. Rupp seeds. I'm thinking about skipping zucchini for a year and seeing if that helps get rid of them. I didn't have them for the first few years at my house but have had them the last two.
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Post by steiny on Apr 22, 2021 8:27:46 GMT -5
First time you till new ground like that pumpkins tend to do well. Try to plant them back in the same spot next year and you will likely have bugs and not get a crop. I've been told to plant other things or let spots sit idle at least 2-3 years before re-planting pumpkins again.
We plant a big pumpkin patch every year, had a a bumper crop of about 3-400 big pumpkins last year. I plant about three seeds together on 10' centers, and 10' between rows. When plants get established and are still small, you can carefully spray roundup around them to knock off many of the competing weeds and grasses. After plants get some size, you're just going to have some weeds in the pumpkin patch, but it doesn't seem to matter.
Read the info on your particular type of seed to establish planting date. I planted June 1st last year and had the finished crop right on time, a couple weeks prior to Halloween. Have also planted too early in the past and your pumpkins are about shot by Halloween.
Good luck ! It's fun and I enjoy giving them to kids.
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Post by scrub-buster on May 20, 2021 20:38:13 GMT -5
I sprayed the ground with roundup tonight. How long should I wait to fertilize and till it up one more time? I was hoping to till it up next weekend and plant the seeds. Could I put down fertilizer tomorrow evening?
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Post by parrothead on May 21, 2021 13:49:35 GMT -5
I planted my Knuckle Head and another big orange carver last weekend. 3 types of Indian corn going in this weekend. I will then have only smallish pumpkins and gourds left.
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Post by treetop on May 21, 2021 14:53:54 GMT -5
I sprayed the ground with roundup tonight. How long should I wait to fertilize and till it up one more time? I was hoping to till it up next weekend and plant the seeds. Could I put down fertilizer tomorrow evening? Should be fine most weed killer is good after a hour or two just needs time to dry and burn in. So fertilizer should not matter when you spreed it Myself that’s about how long I wait spray Saturday and till next Saturday not sure it needs that long but I’ve had good results doing it that way
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Post by scrub-buster on May 22, 2021 20:22:18 GMT -5
I fertilized the garden and tilled it one last time tonight. I think it's ready for planting. I'm going to order a sprinkler. I need to figure out a way to keep the deer out of it.
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Post by parrothead on May 23, 2021 14:12:24 GMT -5
I just picked 12 qts of strawberries. Man they are good
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Post by steiny on May 23, 2021 15:18:40 GMT -5
Got our pumpkin patch tilled up and ready. Going to give it one more pass with the tiller, then plant pumpkins close to June 1st.
I don't bother with any weed killer until after the pumpkins start growing. Then, carefully spray the weeds around them.
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Post by parrothead on May 23, 2021 17:10:50 GMT -5
With hopefully some rain coming I planted 4 different types of Indian Corn. Roughly 100 seeds of each kind. One I planted last year stalks got 18 feet tall and the ears were above my head. I had never seen anything like it. Corn ended up being 15 to 18 inches long.
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Post by scrub-buster on May 23, 2021 20:31:58 GMT -5
With hopefully some rain coming I planted 4 different types of Indian Corn. Roughly 100 seeds of each kind. One I planted last year stalks got 18 feet tall and the ears were above my head. I had never seen anything like it. Corn ended up being 15 to 18 inches long. What kind was that? Got any pictures?
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Post by parrothead on May 24, 2021 7:37:33 GMT -5
I will have to look at the name when I get home.
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Post by scrub-buster on May 30, 2021 21:06:56 GMT -5
We had a busy day in the pumpkin patch. I pulled my wife in my log sled while she planted the seeds. It looked funny but it worked pretty well. It saved us from bending over a couple hundred times. It didn't take long for the dog to be in the sled with her. She jumped in the truck for a while and supervised. We want to try out a gourd tunnel that we saw on a youtube video. The gourds are planted along the ends and climb up the fence panel. We put up a fishing line fence to hopefully keep the deer out. I've got some other ideas that I want to try out.
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Post by scrub-buster on Jun 9, 2021 4:36:30 GMT -5
We must be doing something right. All this rain has really helped.
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Post by steiny on Jun 9, 2021 12:56:43 GMT -5
Looks good. If you want an easy way to plant them, here is all I do after tilling the ground up really good. Try to plant roughly on 10' centers, 10' between rows. I carry seeds in in a nail apron, simply make three paces, drop three seeds, then rake some dirt over top of them with my foot and pack down a little. Three more paces & repeat. They always seem to do fine, gave away about 350 big pumpkins to kids and friends last year.
Hope you get a nice patch !
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Post by esshup on Jun 9, 2021 19:02:33 GMT -5
Solar electric fence would work!
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