2025 gardens

[sixdogs]

We plant a good sized patch of Pumpkins at the County Farm Park for their fall harvest days. We started using a pre-emergent spray a few years ago to keep weeds down to save those that volunteer their time to do that. It does a decent job for 6-8 weeks in crops like pumpkins, better in sunflowers & corn. Worst weed there is Jimsonweed, that spray doesn't seem to have an effect on it. I asked one of the guys in our tractor club who plants close to 20 acres of pumpkins for a pick you own deal on his farm in Hocking Co. what he does to deal with it. He said many days of walking the field and hoeing/pulling them out. He told me Ohio State U. did a study and found some Jimsonweeds will lay dormant for up to 90 years and still germinate. I'm guessing they did a carbon test on the seeds to determine their age. Just seems amazing to me they can lay dormant that long. Never too old to learn something..!!

I planted pumpkins and squash in Maine on a 7 ft center and 1 1/2 ft in the row. That way I could squeeze a 5 ft rototiller between the rows and then spray roundup in the row by hand. Not at 80 psi but dribble it out on weeds that are an issue. Once the plant canopies over, the leaves will shade it and hold weeds back.

I had the ground prepped in the fall and did not work it in the spring. This kept the weeds down. I then sprayed glyphosate before planting and in two weeks used a Cole planter with fertilizer attachment to plant. I banded a heavy dose something like 20-20-20. No more fertilizer for the year. This approach did an excellent job of weed control. Then I rotated to a new field the next year. I think I got around 100 tons from 8 acres with Howden pumpkins but not positive.

The worst weeds are Marestail and Giant Ragweed. I think Marestail is 220,000 seeds per plant and weeds can lay dormant more than a century. Giant Ragweed seeds are said to live longer that anything and once the ground is disturbed and a flash of daylight hits the seed, it will sprout. We experimented with cultivating at night but that was before LED lights and no-go for me. Although, the stars at night were spectacular.

 

[DJ54]

How many days did it take to come up..??

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

How many days did it take to come up..??

12 days, soil temp 45F

 

[workinonit]

Got my corn planted today. Potatoes are coming up good now. Planted 4 types of corn this year.

 

[DJ54]

12 days, soil temp 45F

Thanks..!!

 

[JustinaBaker]

Totally agree, it’s still a bit early to start planting some crops outdoors. Something worth considering is how to protect the garden. Beyond the weather, animals and other factors can affect the crops, so planning how to enclose and safeguard the area is key. In my experience, having a good structure around the garden helps keep things organized and prevents unexpected visitors.

 

[BruceSilva]

Totally agree, it’s still a bit early to start planting some crops outdoors. Something worth considering is how to protect the garden. Beyond the weather, animals and other factors can affect the crops, so planning how to enclose and safeguard the area is key. In my experience, having a good structure around the garden helps keep things organized and prevents unexpected visitors.

Yeah, totally agree! Protecting the garden is super important. I had the same problem—every time my plants started growing, rabbits and raccoons would have a feast. I tried everything, but in the end, putting up a good fence was the only thing that actually worked. Since then, no more problems, and the garden looks way more organized. Sometimes it’s worth investing in that from the start to save yourself the headache later. Commercial Fence Company Chicago IL - Top Fence Contractors

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Our real issue is deer. We have a double electric fence.

 

[workinonit]

Double electric fences don't work around here.

 

[workinonit]

I planted tomatoes yesterday. Hoed out my broccoli and cabbage.