Market Farming

[bob111higgins AT comcast.net]

Hi All:

Just an update on my first pumpkin and acorn squash efforts on a larger scale (previously a few of each for the table; this year about 60 plants in all):

Planted June 15 in NJ Z6. Beautiful plants until August 1 -- Howden and Jack B Little, and waltham acorn. Not a borer in sight, no squash bugs. But should have used a preventive spray all along (I like Soap Shield from Garden Way) as the late July and August wet weather turned most vines awful looking in the space of 2 weeks. Remedial spraying helped some, but most vines are on their last legs. And with the wilts and yellows have come the pests attacking weakened plants.

Even worse, very little fruit set. Perhaps ten pumpkins and ten acorns. Yikes!  A lot of work for nothing, esp. saving the seedlings from the #$@ crows. But, live and learn. Next time I am going to interplant with white clover and beneficials to encourage pollinators and to keep down diseases lurking in the soil..

Bob Higgins, Red Brick Farm, Hopewell NJ

 

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