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  • From: "William H Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] pumpkins
  • Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:38:23 -0500

Our growers are trying a number of things. There are herbicides that can be fairly effective, but expensive. And their efficacy and risk is related to soil type and weed species profile. One herbicide combo that is popular here is Strategy/Sandea, applied as a tank-mix Preemergence. But because of the cost of Sandea and package size, small growers find it prohibitive. Some are evaluating cover cropping systems, such as grain rye planted in the fall. Tillage strips are created early in Spring, before the rye gets going. The rye is rolled down with a roller/crimper, which flattens the rye and kills it, leaving a thick mulch layer. Pumpkins can be planted in the tillage strips and cultivated or a band of herbicide applied over it. The pumpkins quickly grow out over the rye, which provides pretty good weed control. The pumpkins develop on the mulch layer and stay clean. They also stay more healthy because there isn’t any soil splashing up on the fruit. And customers can walk out and pick up fruit, even after a rain.

 

All that said, it’s difficult to make one-size-fits-all recommendations for pumpkin weed control. Many factors must be accommodated and I find growers have divergent preferences in my area. But I would say size of operation, weed species profile, equipment availability and soil type are most important factors. And, whether you prefer to use herbicides or not.

 

One more thing that is becoming important is plastic mulch. Especially with hybrid varieties, seed cost is becoming very high. And many of our growers have trouble with ground squirrels. So they are growing transplants (2 weeks in the greenhouse) and transplanting into plastic mulch. This leaves row middles, which can be cultivated and hoed, or sprayed with herbicides.

 

William H. Shoemaker

Sr. Research Specialist, Food Crops

University of Illinois - Crop Sciences

St Charles Horticulture Research Center

535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL, 60174

630-584-7254, FAX-584-4610

wshoemak AT illinois.edu


 

Bill,

Do you have any recommendations for weed problems/ methods for pumpkins?  Thanks.

 

Heather

 

-----Original Message-----
From: William H Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
To: 'Market Farming' <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thu, Mar 18, 2010 8:30 am
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] pumpkins

In our area weeds are the worst problem for pumpkin growers. Be careful what you read!

 

Bill

William H. Shoemaker

Sr. Research Specialist, Food Crops

University of Illinois - Crop Sciences

St Charles Horticulture Research Center

535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL, 60174

630-584-7254, FAX-584-4610


 I remember reading somewhere that pumpkins like weeds. Everything in moderation, I guess. 

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