Pumpkins

[Kingfrank2020]

Has anybody got much experience with frowning pumpkins? Contemplating trying to grow an acre or so on our strawberry field/farm shop. Are the input costs expensive? Difficult agronomy? Do you need specialist machinery for planting, cultivating?
Tia

 

[Fruitbat]

• Plant about 1m apart
• Irrigation (T-tape or similar)
• I've started them off in 3" pots and planted with a bulb planter, occasionally successful direct sown into warm soil
• Mix your varieties - customers always want bigger/smaller/green/orange - the odd, small squash helps the mix, they keep well and aren't bad to eat.
• If weeds are a problem, try a biodegradeable mulch like Biotelo, it's less hassle than trying to rip up and dispose of plastic, straw ok but might be a bit costly
• Powdery mildew can be an issue Potassium Bicarb (Karma) works, high water rate
• Rotting pumpkins smell. Really, really bad.

 

[Kingfrank2020]

• Plant about 1m apart
• Irrigation (T-tape or similar)
• I've started them off in 3" pots and planted with a bulb planter, occasionally successful direct sown into warm soil
• Mix your varieties - customers always want bigger/smaller/green/orange - the odd, small squash helps the mix, they keep well and aren't bad to eat.
• If weeds are a problem, try a biodegradeable mulch like Biotelo, it's less hassle than trying to rip up and dispose of plastic, straw ok but might be a bit costly
• Powdery mildew can be an issue Potassium Bicarb (Karma) works, high water rate
• Rotting pumpkins smell. Really, really bad.

[/QUOT

Very interesting! Thinking about giving it a try! Tempted for this first attempt to plant straight into ground! Is May about the time to plant?

 

[Bogweevil]

• Plant about 1m apart
• Irrigation (T-tape or similar)
• I've started them off in 3" pots and planted with a bulb planter, occasionally successful direct sown into warm soil
• Mix your varieties - customers always want bigger/smaller/green/orange - the odd, small squash helps the mix, they keep well and aren't bad to eat.
• If weeds are a problem, try a biodegradeable mulch like Biotelo, it's less hassle than trying to rip up and dispose of plastic, straw ok but might be a bit costly
• Powdery mildew can be an issue Potassium Bicarb (Karma) works, high water rate
• Rotting pumpkins smell. Really, really bad.

This - biodegradable mulch, magic stuff.

I like to module raise them - quick to plant with dibber.

Direct sow needs fleece imho but better plants, better fruits.

 

[theboytheboy]

Following

 

[Flatlander]

As a bit of a hobby and to get the kids into growing things I planted a couple giant pumpkins. Got the seed from a friend that grows for competitions. Summer get too busy to care for them as I should but and had a few over 500 lbs and 746 was the largest. Friend Charlie grew his in an old cattle feed lot and has had many over 1000 lbs. lots to learn growing them that’s taken fir granted. Uk climate should be near perfect for them. Once they get growing ground cover happens quick so weeds won5 be much of a problem. Mildew will need to be watched. If you can get the pumpkins itself to grow on a dry surface i5 will stop any rot starting.

 

[Hesstondriver]

any recommendation for varieties ? it would appear they need to be ready for early October now ?
also any tips to ensure even ripening - ours were hardly orange by end of October last year

 

[Bogweevil]

Tozer seeds ones look well on their autumn open days: https://www.tozerseeds.com/uk/product-category/cucurbits/pumpkin

 

[Veryfruity]

Tozers like what he said ^^^^

Racer F1 and Tom Fox are the two I sell most of for classic Halloween, but they do all sorts.

they take about 110 days from seed. Best to get the plants raised and plant into a stale seedbed then steerage hoe, 10k/ha (or plant through poly/biodegradable)

Powdery mildew, wettable sulfur a couple of times

It may be wet at the time of sale, so think through parking - tractor trains and people wading out to get them. It can get like the Somme !

 

[Fruitbat]

Tozers.
If there’s any Yanks your way, save a few for Thanksgiving - 2 bites of the cherry

 

[Bogweevil]

Tozers like what he said ^^^^

Racer F1 and Tom Fox are the two I sell most of for classic Halloween, but they do all sorts.

they take about 110 days from seed. Best to get the plants raised and plant into a stale seedbed then steerage hoe, 10k/ha (or plant through poly/biodegradable)

Powdery mildew, wettable sulfur a couple of times

It may be wet at the time of sale, so think through parking - tractor trains and people wading out to get them. It can get like the Somme !

Needless to say sulphur is applied as fertiliser, it being unapproved for fungicide use in pumpkins to the best of my knowledge.

Potassium bicarbonate retains its commodity substance approval for all crops until 31 August 2021: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pesticides/c...dity-substance-potassium-hydrogen-carbona.htm I really don't see why this approval cannot be for longer, but there you are, pesticide regulation is a little illogical.

The proprietary potassium bicarbonate product, karma, is approved on an eamu for use on outdoor pumpkins and squash.

 

[Kidds]

Is it too early to pick and store until Halloween?
Got some decent sized ones and it has been dry for some time here. Would be nice to harvest before they get wet and start to rot.

 

[Bogweevil]

Is it too early to pick and store until Halloween?
Got some decent sized ones and it has been dry for some time here. Would be nice to harvest before they get wet and start to rot.

If skins hard, neck dry and shrunken and fruits ring hollow when gently tapped they should keep. Cure in warm shed for a fortnight. However ripe pumpkins should not rot in September and I like to leave them out until the foliage goes backwards or frost threatens.

 

[Kidds]

If skins hard, neck dry and shrunken and fruits ring hollow when gently tapped they should keep. Cure in warm shed for a fortnight. However ripe pumpkins should not rot in September and I like to leave them out until the foliage goes backwards or frost threatens.

Thanks, they are not ready yet then.

 

[Bogweevil]

Thanks, they are not ready yet then.

Some people say they ripen in store but I don't think so.

Maybe different in your region but crop is a little late in SE.

 

[whitefox]

Got a frowning pumpkin here....................
.......... absolutely no clue how to grow them

 

[Kidds]

Is it too early to pick and store until Halloween?
Got some decent sized ones and it has been dry for some time here. Would be nice to harvest before they get wet and start to rot.

I must be habitually impatient because I found this thread while searching for the answer to the same question.

 

[Oscar]

Was looking for an answer on this question as our half acre looks early and nearly ready but was unsure if they will be ok left or to pick them early .