BASIC GUIDE TO PUMPKIN PRODUCTION

 

By: Celeste Welty. Bob Precheur, and Mac Riedel

Departments of Entomology, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology

The Ohio State University

Columbus, OH 43210

 

 

Stage

 

 

 

Pre-plant

 

Planting (late May to mid-June)

 

Seedling & stand establishment (June)

 

Vine tip

(late June to mid-July)

 

Fruit set (July to August)

 

Fruit maturity (late August to October)

 

Post-harvest

 

Culture

 

· select site: select a well drained fertile soil that is free of serious perennial weeds such as quackgrass, johnsongrass or Canadian thistle. See also disease factors below.

· test soil: take samples in the fall before planting. Apply lime in the fall if necessary. Minimum desired soil pH is 6.0.

· select variety: Select varieties known to perform well in your area. Many different sizes are now available and varieties can be matched to your customer needs. Some new varieties have good levels of powdery mildew tolerance and resistance to certain virus diseases.

· apply fertilizer: Apply 100% of the recommended phosphorus and potassium fertilizer preplant. Usual nitrogen rates are 60 to 100 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre. Apply 60 to 80% of the recommended nitrogen fertilizer preplant. (The remaining nitrogen can be sidedressed before vine tip or applied through the trickle irrigation system.)

· In retail markets for improved yield and quality, lay drip tape and plastic mulch for weed control, irrigation and fertigation.

 

· plant seed when soil temperatures reach 58 to 60 degrees F. Use seed treated with fungicide and insecticide.

 

· Lay drip tape to provide supplemental water to improve germination, plant stand vine growth, and fruit set later in the season.

 

· Irrigation may be required to germinate seed and insure good plant stand; irrigate to provide 1 inch water per week

 

· Apply remaining nitrogen fertilizer in a band along the side of the row before vines begin to tip.

 

· Move bee hives near field when crop starts to flower; use 1 to 3 hives per acre (and note insecticide cautions in insect management section below).

 

· Irrigate to provide 1 inch water per week.

 

· Irrigate to provide 1 inch water per week

 

· Harvest can begin when fruit are fully colored, avoiding cuts and bruises.

 

· Do not leave fruit in field if wet weather expected or fruit are consistently wet.

 

· Cure after harvest at 80-85 degrees F and 75-80% humidity for about 10-20 days. This can be done in the field if weather cooperates.

· After curing, store at 50-60 degrees and 70% humidity.

· Keep fruit dry and provide good air circulation.

· Temperatures below 40 degrees for long periods cause chilling injury and lead to fruit rots.

· Pumpkins will keep for 2-3 months if properly handled.

 

Weed manage­ment

 

· Apply preplant incorporated (PPI) herbicides, Command or Prefar:

- Command: Be aware of replanting and application restrictions. Good control of lambsquarter, jimsonweed, purslane, ragweed and velvetleaf.

- Prefar: excellent control of barnyardgrass, crabgrass, fall panicum and foxtails. Fair to good control of pigweed.

 

 

· Curbit: Apply before crop and weeds emerge but no later than 2 days after planting. Do not incorporate and do not use with plastic. Good control of annual grasses, purslane, lambsquarter and smartweed. Poor to fair control of pigweed, mustards, ragweed and galinsoga.

 

· Apply Poast plus crop oil concentrate to emerged grass weeds. Safe after crop is established but avoid application during periods of hot (>90oF), humid weather.

· For emerged weeds between rows: apply Gramoxone Extra in shielded application. Do not let herbicide come in contact with the crop.

 

· Cultivate before vines close, or use Poast for emerged grasses, or shielded applications of Gramoxone Extra for emerged broadleaf weeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

· Plow down weed residue.

 

Disease

manage­ment

 

· select site based on crop rotation:

- crop rotation for control of black rot:

at least 1 year without vine crops.

- crop rotation for control of Phytophthora: 2 to 3 years without vine crops, tomato, pepper, or eggplant.

· select field with good drainage, for Phytophthora control

· select variety with resistance to powdery mildew or watermelon mosaic virus, if available.

· treat seed with Clorox to control bacterial diseases (see page xx).

 

· Use seed treated with captan and thiram, to control Pythium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium.

 

· If Phytophthora has been a problem in this field in past 2 years, treat with fungicide (Ridomil Gold).

 

· If field has history of Fusarium belly rot, anthracnose, or gummy stem blight, then treat with fungicide (Bravo or Quadris) at vine-tip and every 7-10 days until harvest.

 

· If Phytophthora symptoms appear, use fungicide (Ridomil Gold or Quadris).

 

· Treat with fungicide (Benlate, Quadris or Nova) for powdery mildew every 7-14 days starting on August 1st or when lesions first seen. This is a key disease in Ohio.

 

· If downy mildew is detected and fruit not yet orange (usually occurs in August or later), use fungicide (Quadris or Ridomil) every 7-10 days.

 

· Plow down crop residue to reduce fungal inoculum (anthracnose, alternaria leaf spot, etc.)

 

Insect manage­ment

 

 

 

· Use seed treated with insecticide to control seedcorn maggot, especially in fields with much organic matter, and when weather at planting is wet and cool.

 

· Apply systemic insecticide (Furadan) to soil at planting for 4 weeks control of cucumber beetles.

 

· If systemic insecticide not used at planting, then scout twice per week for cucumber beetles; especially check plants at field edges. Spray insecticide (Sevin, Asana, Ambush, or Pounce) if >3 beetles per plant.  This threshold should prevent beetles from vectoring bacterial wilt to crop.

 

· Scout once per week for eggs of squash bug on leaves and stems.  Use insecticide (Asana, Ambush, or Pounce) if there is more than one squash bug egg mass per plant; apply when eggs have hatched and bugs are in small nymph stage.

· If pheromone trap detects large populations of squash vine borer adults (usually in early July), then spray base of stems twice, one week apart, when eggs are hatching (usually mid- July), with Asana, Ambush, or Pounce.

· Protect honey bees from insecticide by choice of timing and product (see pp. 27-28).

 

· Scout leaves once per week for spider mites; if abundant, treat with Kelthane or Agri-Mek or Capture.

 

· Protect honey bees from insecticide by choice of timing and product (see pp. 27-28).

 

· Scout once per week for cucumber beetles and squash bug; treat only if feeding damage occurring on fruit surface.

· Scout for aphids; treat (with Thiodan or Metasystox - R) only if honeydew dripping on fruit is unacceptable.

 

· Plow down crop residue to reduce overwintering sites for cucumber beetle and squash bug.