2014 Pumpkin Patch Thread

Some day, I'll get around to building raised beds...

Our garden today. Lessee, that first row is the pumpkemon, sugar pumpkins behind that. The last 2 rows are random stressed out plants I almost tossed, but got the fence posts on the cheap so planted anyway, they are currently struggling.



The Neons, and the corn (which needs some weeding), getting our irrigation lines run.



Some random bugs from the garden:

Soldier fly. Probably one of the Gems, green gem, black horned gem, etc. Pollinator.



Long Legged fly, predator.



Black stem weevil, sunflower pest.



Harvestman. (not a spider)



Ladybug larva.





One of our 3 pet monarch caterpillars. Excited to see them back this year.

here is this weeks pics

Day two of my raised bed build begins today. I am about finished with the bed frame. My wife is excited that I am whittling down my reclaimed wood pile for this project. I still have about a 2 1/2 ft mound of top soil to spread which I covered last night because of late night thunderstorms. I hope to have everything done by this evening.

The picture of my day one progress was taken from my deck and gives a good aerial shot of my pumpkin patch.

Here's some updated pics of my JBL seedlings...they are still a bit behind all of yours, but catching up quickly!
This one is my main one in the ground...

This one is my container one...one of it's leaves had gotten bent and nearly broke off from the storms we had recently. I made a crutch out of a twig for it and braced it, and now it's almost completely healed, as you can see! I took the crutch off for now, but will continue to brace it for awhile longer if it gets stormy again, just in case.

Then this one is my extra. It actually lost leaves in the storm. I thought it would die, but it seems to be trying really hard to continue to thrive! I am unsure of where I can put this one now, lol. All I know is that it needs to get in the ground, soon!

After giving my Dad plenty of time to mess around with the useless mini tiller (from hell), I got out there last week/weekend and put my pumpkins in the ground. All 16 of them, plus one watermelon plant on the end. This was formerly one (of 4) of my Grandad's garden spots. This one being the best, the former strawberry and tomato patch, and with the best dirt - but it's chock full of rocks, old broken pottery and sometimes even old glass. Tools: good hefty shovel for grass removal, ye olde ancestral potato fork to loosen, ancient all-metal garden hand plow, handy forged-steel garden spade, soaker hose, and a few little, black, curious feline assistants (Bats and Binx, surprisingly not pictured).

This is approximately 18" wide, 24' long. I'm going to run the vines out into the grass. Needs mulch now.

Col. Fryght said:

Quick Questions:

1. Any tricks on getting the vine to grow in the direction that you want it to?

All of my baby plants are growing straight up and I have no idea which direction that they naturally want to grow in.



2. Should I give the peat pot any help in falling apart in the soil?

I was thinking that I could put hole in the bottom or cut it out. But maybe I am over thinking it, and the pots will tear away quickly in the ground.

Click to expand...

1. I move mine where I want them once they start growing. Just gently handle them, and lay them down where and how you want.

2. My philosophy: If the roots are already breaking through the peat pot (and a lot tend to), I just leave the pot alone. If NOT, I mutilate the pot by soaking it in water for about an hour, and it pretty much just disintigrates in your hands, no cutting needed, just gentle prodding with the fingers.


*****

Now, back at the commercial farm, our planting philosophy was, I kid you not...

Step on shovel, pull back, making little slit/hole.
Tear the peat pot off, SHAKE OFF THE DIRT, drop in hole, pull out shovel, and stomp to close hole.

It worked.

I wouldn't suggest it in a garden setting, but there you go.

Help! My vines were fine and dandy Monday when I checked them but today I have several leaves that look like this. Any suggestions/ideas what is the problem?

That's usually one of two things.

Vine borer, for which there is very little you can do beyond systemic pesticide.

Or, mildew.

Judging strictly by the whitish spots, I'm going to guess this is mildew. Might bot be the case as I can't be sure from the pics. If you know those spots to be something else, please share that info.

Assuming Mildew:

If it's been raining heavily, well, you can't help weather. If you're watering, it's too much, and you should avoid watering in the evening, and water only at the roots if possible, not broadcast over the leaves. The more humid your location, the more that matters, and from what little time I've spent in GA, humid seems to be the ordinary there.

Now, you're going to want to hit those with a fungicide if at all possible for you. Read up on the available ones in your local hardware store and choose one that's going to be cost effective for a strict regiment of application schedule. You might want to consider Neem oil if you have it available, as it also acts as a pesticide, so you kinda get 2 for one. (Neem is not a systemic so won't do a thing to the borers)

Do not fret. I kept a host of pumpkins nursed from july through setember with mildew last year. It's not a game over situation.


Outside shot it's a whole lot of squash bugs, but I'd think you'd notice that...