2008 pumpkin patch

[Paulinkansas]

I've got about an acre that I want to plant in pumpkins in 2008. It sat fallow for 2007, but had lime, N P and K applied this spring. A month ago I bush hogged the weeds and then plowed it all under. The weeds were mostly ragweed and it had gone to seed.

I'm considering making the mounds or ridges for the pumpkins with a boxblade in the next few days, and then planting either wheat or clover in between the rows.

The following questions are in no particular order.

Should I be planting a winter cover crop of wheat or red clover?

If I plant the cover crop, should I plow it under before planting in the spring or should I just knock it over, disk or maybe spray it with roundup before planting the pumpkins?

Should I be making the mounds now, or should I plant the cover crop and then disk/plow/spray it in the spring and then make the ridges for the pumpkins?

In other words, should I make the pumpkin mounds now? Should I use a cover crop? What do I do with the cover crop before planting the pumpkins?

Thanks.

 

[midwstfarm]

I'd drill wheat or annual rye. Rye would be better becuase it is an altoxin(sp.)meaning it produces a chemical to inhibit competition.

burn it down with roundup in the spring and/or bury it with the plow. You've got to kill that cover crop otherwise its competeing.

I don't know what you mean by rigdes, just plant' em rows like any other crop, 10 ft apart or so.

I'd burn it down a month before planting or before it gets too tall and notill or strip till, and put down your npk. leaving that dead cover on the surface will conserve moisture which is needed to get pumpkins to germinate, esp in kansas planting in early june.

Weeds will probably be your biggest problem before the pumpkins vine, esp if they went to seed(1 year weeds
= 7 yr seeds)

 

[Anonymous-0]

If you make mounds, how will you cultivate? Weeds will be a problem...
Dont make mounds...

 

[Leland]

It's fall so find all the organic matter you can and work it in ,do you have access to leaves grass from local landscapers and manaure from any local farms horse stables ? If so spread it on heavy and plow in .

 

[BillinCentralMO]

The reson he said ,"mounds", is because all the pumpkin packages have that in the instructions . I thought it was for drainage. I planted them one year. They vine out like crazy so I think you plant 3 or 4 seeds in each mound or spot. The next one should be 5 to 6 ft away if my memory is correct. Good Luck.

 

[Mark]

I am sure you fellers know lots more about this subject than I do...BUT, if were me, seeing as how you plowed the weeds(seeds) under..which will guarantee a bumper crop next spring.....I would sow a cover crop this fall and come spring, plow it all under and disk. Then, sit back and let the weeds germinate and come up. THEN burn down with Roundup applied heavy. I don't don't know when you want your pumpkin crop to be ready..if raising them for Halloween jack-o-lanterns..they can be put out pretty late here in Kentucky. Therefore, after applying the Roundup, say in late April or early May....wait 2 or 3 weeks and reapply if late bloomers come up. This will insure a good weed kill. In about a week or 10 days after final Roundup application, drill your pumpkin seed. Cultivate and side dress with fertilizer of choice. You should have a decent crop.