Producing Top Notch Pumpkins Annette Wszelaki Vegetable Specialist

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1 Producing Top Notch Pumpkins Annette Wszelaki Vegetable Specialist From the ground up Pumpkins will do well on most soils Should be well drained Rotate! Do not plant pumpkins in fields where other vine crops have been grown during at least the past 2 years Soil Testing A soil test is the only accurate method of determining the amount of: Lime to apply Fertilizer to apply Too much fertilizer: Wastes money and fertilizer Can injure, even kill plants Can pollute ground water Low ph and poor fertility: Reduce yield and quality Soil Sampling Use a sample tube or spade to collect samples that are at least 4 inches and no more than 6 inches deep Collect samples from 8 to 10 locations around the field Avoid sampling irregular or extremely wet areas Combine samples in a clean plastic container ph and Nutrient Availability Proper ph range Optimum nutrient availability Soil sample in the Fall Lime in the Fall Agricultural lime is variable in size and reacts over time 6 months is generally required to see much activity Fertility lb total N/A (60 75 lbs preplant, lbs sidedress) Research has shown that lbs of actual N/A is all that is needed Take into consideration amount of N you apply, as well as residual soil N (legumes, compost, etc.) More nitrogen More yield Too much = More vines, less fruit; greener fruit; shorter shelf life 1

2 Why use cover crops? Add OM back to soil Reduce erosion Control weeds Conserve soil moisture Control soil borne disease Increase fruit cleanliness/quality at harvest Not without their disadvantages» Wyenandt, Ohio State University Disadvantages of using cover crops Having field available in fall Extra costs and labor needed Chemicals will still need to be used Longer production schedules Wyenandt, Ohio State University Fall sown cover crops Winter Rye/Hairy Vetch still work best Spring Oat and Annual Medic although produce excellent ground coverage in fall, its not enough to last into and through next growing season (0% ground pumpkin planting) Problems with Rye and Hairy Vetch Still searching for fall sown winter killed! Wyenandt, Ohio State University Cover Crop Establishment Fall sown crop: Aim for mid late September Timing of establishment very important Cover crop kill Chemical Cover crop will determine what herbicide to use Mechanical Wyenandt, Ohio State University 2

3 Fall-sown rye Spring-sown oats Wyenandt, Ohio State University Wyenandt, Ohio State University Fertility Bare Soil Nitrogen (N) lb/a total lb/a at planting lb/a at 12 runner development Phosphate (P 2 O 5 ) Low 150 lb/a Medium 100 lb/a Potash (K 2 O) Low 200 lb/a Medium 150 lb/a Fertility Plastic Mulch Nitrogen (N) lb/a total lb/a at planting Remainder R i d throughout h the growing season through fertigation 8 to 10 weekly applications (beginning 3 to 4 weeks after planting) Alternate 50 lb/a/week of calcium nitrate 50 lb/a/week of potassium nitrate 50 lb/a/week of water soluble Planting Dates Pumpkin Spacing Factors affecting planting date: Relative Maturity Market Harvest Date Microclimate Production Practices Frost Dates (?) Soil Moisture Most varieties have relative maturities of 90 to 115 days Those may not be exact days for you! They are relative and often taken at the seed companies trial location (often in the Northeast) Factors affecting spacing: Plant vigor Fruit size desired Moisture Equipment Weed control strategy 3

4 Pumpkin Spacing Bush 5 6 between rows; 2 3 in row 4 6 lbs seed/acre Semi vine 6 8 between rows; 2 4 in row 2 4 lbs seed/acre Vine 8 10 between rows; 4 5 in row 2 4 lbs seed/acre Flowers open shortly after sunrise and remain open until late afternoon or early evening Honeybees: 1 hive per 1 2 acres Native bees can be important source of pollination Pollination Native Pollinators Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) Mason bees (Osmia spp.) Squash bees (Peponapis spp.) Sweat bees (Halictidae Family) Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) Social bees Work harder, faster and at cooler temperatures Nest underground undisturbed meadows, old barns, woodlots Colonies are annual; leave only queen to hibernate Pollinate tomato, eggplant, pepper, melon, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, cranberry Squash Bees (Peponapis spp.) Related to the carpenter bee Collect pollen and nectar only from cucurbits Active from pre dawn until flower closes Solitary bees Underground nesters Which is the squash bee? 4

5 The squash bee is on the right Sweat Bees (Halictidae Family) Solitary to social General pollinators Active early in the morning Underground nesters Mate before hibernating for winter In the field, you may confuse them for honey bees, but look for their wide face, hairy legs, long tongue, and a wider abdomen then a honey bee. For more info, visit: Irrigation Need water at critical times to insure good fruit set and development Moisture stress will affect fruit size but not number Practical in retail operations where lots of high quality pumpkins are needed May not be cost effective in large wholesale operations (Precheur, Ohio State) Irrigation Dry land production Overhead irrigation No till production Following plasticulture strawberries, re use plastic mulch and drip tape Needs: 1 to 2 1/2 inches of water/a/week Harvest Considerations Avoid harvesting when foliage is wet Cutstems as close to vine as possible Careful handling can prevent wounding and hl help maintain i quality Postharvest Handling Wash? Store in a cool, dry, dark place Cool: degrees F l i h idi 0 % Relative humidity: 70 75% Single layer Barrier between pumpkins and soil, if possible 5

6 Storability No difference in decay during storage between washed and unwashed pumpkins in 2008 or 2009 Stem health key to marketability Weight loss varied among varieties during 45 days of storage from ~ lbs/ pumpkin ght Loss (lbs) Weig g Weight Loss During Storage bcdef <----cdefg----> <---defg---> efg fg ab <---bcde---> <bcd> abc HSR4721 Magic Wand ACX7301 Gladiator Charisma Camaro Magician Capital Pankow's Field Superior 20 Karat Gold ACX6501 Hannibal ACX7302 Warlock HSR4710 Spartan Sorcerer Merlin Howden Magic Lantern King Midas Variety a Variety Selection Species matters! Cucurbita pepo (Jack o lantern types) Many have been bred for resistance Cucurbita maxima (Giant pumpkins) Resistance to powdery mildew Cucurbita moschata (Butternut squash, Long Island Cheese) Native to Eastern U.S. and Puerto Rico Generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather Greater resistance to disease and insects Cucurbita pepo Cucurbita maxima Cucurbita moschata 6

7 Variety Selection Wholesale Marketing High percentage of 15 lb pumpkins [9 13 inches in diameter] Deep orange color Strong, healthy stems Uniformity Size Shape Color Variety Selection Retail Marketing Broader size range Dark orange color may not be as important Strong, healthy stems Uniformity may not be as critical Demand for unique or specialty varieties Objective: Pumpkin Quality and Yield in the Southeast Annette L. Wszelaki Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee Jonathan R. Schultheis Dept. of Horticultural Science, NCSU W. Terry Kelley Dept. of Horticulture, University of Georgia To compare new cultivars or advanced lines of pumpkins for yield, quality and adaptation to growing conditions in the Southeast Methods 24 pumpkin cultivars, 6 size classes RCBD 4 replicated plots/cultivar Plots: 24 long Plant spacing: 4 between plants 12 between plots 12 between rows Planted: 6/26/07 and 6/15/08 Harvested: 10/10/07 and 10/13/08 Characteristics Measured Yield Number of Fruit % Mature at Harvest Fruit Weight Fruit Length and Width 7

8 Subjective Evaluation Scales: Color: 0=, 1=, 5=, 9= Shape: 1=, 5=, 9= Suturing: 1= None, 5= Medium, 9= Deep Subjective Scales: Stem Length: 1= Short, 5= Medium, 9= Long Stem Thickness: 1= Thin, 5= Medium, 9= Thick Stem Attachment: 1= Poor, 5= Average, 9= Excellent Subjective Scales: Vine Type: 1= bush 3= semi vine 2= semi bush 4= vine Powdery Mildew Scale: 0= None 2= Moderate 1= Slight 3= Severe Giant Pumpkins : Prizewinner vs. Wyatt s Wonder Yield 73 t/a 47 t/a Total Fruit/A 2,269 1,361 Avg. Weight 66.8 lbs 69.2 lbs Harvest Maturity 79% --- Mildew Rating Wyatt s Wonder: <½ yield: 34 t/a and 908 frt/a in 2007 ~½ yield: 24 t/a in 2008 Extra Large Pumpkins: New Moon vs. Full Moon Large Pumpkins: lbs Yield 66 t/a 35 t/a Total Fruit/A 3,214 1,550 Avg. Weight 41.8 lbs 44.7 lbs Harvest Maturity 96% --- Mildew Rating Full Moon: 42 t/a in t/a in 2008 d (t/a) Marketable Yield Dependable Harvest Time Super Herc Aladdin Gold Medal 8

9 t/a Total # Fruit Large Pumpkins: lbs Dependable Harvest Time Super Herc Aladdin Gold Medal Gold Medal Yield 60 t/a 25 t/a Total Fruit/A 4,613 2,004 Avg. Weight 26.3 lbs 25.4 lbs Harvest Maturity 70% --- Mildew Rating Harvest Time Aladdin Yield 63 t/a 35 t/a Total Fruit/A 3,895 2,080 Avg. Weight 32.5 lbs 33.6 lbs Harvest Maturity 72% --- Mildew Rating Yield 56 t/a 30 t/a Total Fruit/A 4,197 1,928 Avg. Weight 27.1 lbs 31.7 lbs Harvest Maturity 59% --- Mildew Rating Dependable Medium Pumpkins: lbs 70 Yield 53 t/a 35 t/a Total Fruit/A 2,987 2,155 Avg. Weight 35.8 lbs 31.6 lbs Harvest Maturity 89% --- ield (t/a) Marketable Yi Mildew Rating

10 Medium Pumpkins: lbs Pro Gold Total # Fru uit/a Yield 60 t/a 33 t/a Total Fruit/A 5,256 2,647 Avg. Weight 23.7 lbs 25.0 lbs 1000 Harvest Maturity 75% Karat Gold Gladiator Gold Challenger Howden Magic Lantern Magic Wand Magician Pro Gold 510 Warlock Mildew Rating Warlock Magician Yield 49 t/a 26 t/a Total Fruit/A 4,159 2,533 Avg. Weight 23.6 lbs 20.8 lbs Harvest Maturity 42% --- Mildew Rating Yield 38 t/a 32 t/a Total Fruit/A 5,143 3,630 Avg. Weight 14.6 lbs 17.2 lbs Harvest Maturity 77% --- Mildew Rating Small Pumpkins: Lumina Yield 18 t/a 10 t/a Total Fruit/A 4,991 2,231 Avg. Weight 7.5 lbs 8.7 lbs Harvest Maturity 81% --- Mildew Rating Hobbit Yield 15 t/a 27 t/a Total Fruit/A 4,046 3,592 Avg. Weight 6.6 lbs 15.4 lbs Harvest Maturity 74% 74% Mildew Rating

11 Gooligan Yield 3 t/a 4 t/a Total Fruit/A 10,058 4,197 Avg. Weight 0.6 lbs 1.8 lbs Harvest Maturity 100% --- Mildew Rating Bumpkin Yield 15 t/a 8 t/a Total Fruit/A 29,948 18,528 Avg. Weight 1.0 lbs 0.9 lbs Harvest Maturity 100% --- Mildew Rating Conclusions Minimal disease pressure in 2007 Reduced yield in 2008 versus 2007 due to disease pressure Pumpkins of every color and size to suit market Steps to Profitable Pumpkin Production Find a market Use well drained soils Use raised beds Soil test Lime to ph 6.0 to 6.5 Choose a variety that sells Allow soil to warm to 60 F before planting Space plants for harvest purposes Plant for harvest time Provide or encourage bees Control cucumber beetles and other insects Control weeds Spray for mildews Prune for large fruit if market demands Allow skin to harden before harvest Schultheis, NCSU Acknowledgements Bill Teague Chris Leek Mountain Research Station Farm Crew Jason Reeves Randi Dunagan Lanny Davis Matthew Morrow Bob Hayes Master Gardeners WTREC Farm Crew Abbott & Cobb Harris Harris Moran Hollar Johnny s Selected Seed Outstanding Seed Rupp Seedway Siegers Twilley Thank you! Questions? Contact: Annette Wszelaki annettew@utk.edu