Punkin Seed

[Pharmer Phil]

Almost time Pholks!
I have a few seed, who is on? I know Jeanette and Greg are...speakin Of Greg, where be he?

[douglas]

I'm in and will soon be planting now that I have more time this year because of the move

[Compost Pharmer]

I'm still here. Been busy working on the house. Gonna get the upstairs done this month. The 31st the carpeting will be laid and it will be complete. Then I can spend my time getting the garden planted. I planted 3 cuc plants but they got eaten off. Tuesday morning it is supposed to be the 30's. A far cry from 89° that we had today. When you are ready to send the seeds, I will be ready to receive them. Sure hope next year I can be the one who is sending out the punkin seeds to our members.

[flowerpower]

This is my first year growing the big pumpkins. I decided to go with "Big Max" since it is not too big. I will read through all the instructions Pharmer Phil has generously provided. I will check out last season's threads also.

[Pharmer Phil]

Big Max will get you a big one FP, I have pics somewhere of one I raised a few years ago, 375 pounds!
Just apply the techniques, and you will get a big un'!

[jeanette]

i'm going to grow the biggest big pumpkin ever!!

i'm not going to let the vineborers get them this time!!

I'M SO EXCITED

[douglas]

Hey phil, will a duster help on those SVB's ? Thought maybe it would get under the leaves as well since it's a powder

[Pharmer Phil]

well it couldn't hurt I suppose, the thing about em hto is they are so darn mobile, compared to most our lil pests, they fly in, work on yer plants, then they be gone.
Best defense I know of is to keep the base of the plant from the ground to about the second set of leaves, covered with something, someone said aluminum foil, which sounds pretty good really, I use old chunks of reemay (agricultural fleece) to wrap the vine with, but I believe I will try the al. foil this year.
I also heard to keep the main vine sprayed with hot pepper spray, but cannot remark as to the effectiveness of it, but I am trying this also.

[jeanette]

one of the reasons they are so insidious is: by the time you realize you have them, your Mr. pumpkin pants is a goner.. i've seen those creepy red and black moths that lay the eggs too, but i heard that they over winter in the ground .. is that true? never the less, i'm moving my whole patch elsewhere..

[Pharmer Phil]

well they do overwinter in the ground, and the lil boogers are an odd moth, but a moth they are!
A moth that flies in the daylight..._{Ya jus know that can't be good}

Although on the list of their favorite foods, Pumpkins are Not at the top, that would be hubard squash, and their least favorite is butternut squash.
Planting a hubbard where it is away from your pumpkin, seems like a good idea! The fact that they are in the ground, may explain why I ain't seen any, I use Neem granules in my soil, to help stamp out other lil punkin fiend, the CUKE BEETLE
I just reminded meself to get another bag!
anyway, the darn thang overwinters as a fully grown larva in cocoons in the soil, about 1 to 6 inches deep. It pupates in the spring and the adult (a moth) emerges in June. Moths are active during the daytime and in the evening they rest on leaves Have you ever seen a cocoon while digging in your soil, kinda silky looking? I have, but not in a few years.
The moths fly slowly in zig-zags around plants, and lay single eggs on the stems, usually on the main stem near the base, but are also found on leafstalks or on the undersides of leaves. The moths are active for about one month, which is when you need to be alert.The stage most susceptible to natural enemies is the egg stage, which is attacked by parasitic wasps, not many things affect the larvae, cept a good Ol' hypodermic full of Rotenone (in My case anyway) Eggs hatch in 9 to 14 days. Larvae enter the stem at the plant base within a few hours after hatching from the eggs. Larvae feed inside the stem for 4 to 6 weeks. Fully grown larvae leave the stems and crawl into the soil to pupate.
Protection like we discussed above is a very good defense, another choice to use is nylon stockings, _{( just neva had any of those around till Laura, Honest I didn't)}
Once You get them in the stem, it takes surgery to get em' out, you can catch and smash the moths, at dusk or in early morning when they are resting on the upper side of leaf bases.hand pick the eggs before they hatch.

SVB's can be controlled or out right killed with sprays, both organic and chemical, but the thing is Not What you use, but WHEN! Apply at the time that eggs are hatching.Apply an insecticide when vines begin to run, and re-apply every 7 to 10 days for 3 to 5 weeks, directed to the base of plants, at crowns and runners.
Organic: rotenone, pyrethrum
Chemical: malathion, or carbaryl (sevin)
One last thing, it is a very good thing for all growers of pumpkin and squash to follow the practice of Giant Punkin growers, and BURY YOUR VINES, that way, if you do get a borer, you already have all those buried vines, making many new root systems, You may not hit 1000 pounds on your secondaries, but you will get a Bigun!

[douglas]

I found alot of them throughout my years and gave them a good o hand clappin, as Phil said they rest on the leaves.
I seen them fly underside the leaves around the stems moving up and down on the leaf stems and vines depositing their eggs

[Adeltia]

You all are my inspiration this year. My lil-one and I are growing our first big one pumpkin. I got Goliath Pum., Giant Pum., I have one one more cant remember the name? One i bought and the others were free The seeds are soooo huge. I'm going to reread the thread and follow the instruction. I have five started already and they are working on there third set of leaves.. Adelita

[Pharmer Phil]

Adelita, just follow the guides, you won't fail. The hardest part, I believe is choosing the ONE, It is a bittersweet thing, to look at three-four nice pumpkins, and know all but one has to go to get a giant

[douglas]

Thats the part I hate is culling the pumpkins just to have one do the job but with less pumpkins on the vine they can reach mammoth size

[jeanette]

that is the hard part for me too..
I'm going to use tin foil and sevin..
this will probably make you organic growers cringe, but i carry raid and sevin around like the old gun fighters and their six-guns..

[Compost Pharmer]

Just make sure when you dust the seven and spray the raid that there is no wind blowing, so those nasty chemicals don't blow over into oyur neighbors yard.

[chickenfarmer]

Guess I won't get anywhere here with little boo huh ?

[douglas]

All pumpkin growers Big and Small are welcome here chickenfarmer weather you grow a MONSTER or just plane O pumpkins it's just the sport

[Pharmer Phil]

Definately Douglas, heck I normally grow some for Jack O's, in fact, felt real bad last fall when a neighbor pulled her mini van in, out burst 4 lil kids, and she was wantin' pumpkins..had to tell her I didn't raise a single small pumpkin last year, I will not let the neighbors down this year!

[douglas]

My kids tell me they can't cut the big ones so they work with the small ones

[chickenfarmer]

Planted some pumkins today, supposed to be in the 70's this week, hopefully that will get em going.

[douglas]

Only getin to around 50 today so it will be some time until I can plant mine

[Compost Pharmer]

Still to muddy in the garden to do any planting. Suspect it will take another couple of weeks for the garden and yard to dry out. That 8 - 10 inches of rain was a lot at one time. Saw that my water meter is still under water.

[chickenfarmer]

At least they can't read it if it's under water..

[douglas]

I manage to till the garden today and now I have to make a layout where the pumpkins will be planted in a few weeks

[chickenfarmer]

Should diffrent strains of pumpkins be planted in diffrent locations?

[douglas]

Well I plant the field pumpkins on one side of the garden and plant the prize winners on the other because they need more care and attention

[chickenfarmer]

Thanks Doug..

[douglas]

Not a problem

[chickenfarmer]

My lil boos are an inch and a half tall......Today