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North Ga

How important is letting a patch lie fallow for a year or two? I would still add amendments, but not plant anything.

11/11/2002 4:26:45 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Pappy, Very good question. I was going to put a post up, wondering how many years some growers have had Pumpkin in there same patch. I know farmers rotate there crops every three to four years. I myself was wondering if you had Pumpkins growing in the same place for four to five years, if it would bring on diseases as well. It would be interesting to see how long some of the top growers who have been growing Pumpkins for years, as to what they do. Maybe some guys have two patches where they switch off year to year

11/11/2002 4:49:07 PM

derry n.h u.s.a.

Hi Pappy:
I have grown in my backyard patch for 5 straight years,next year will be year six,never had a serious soil problem,as of yet anyways!I do haul the whole plant,and i mean everything,to the dump,then i weed the entire patch never used my big pumpkins for compost either.Just leafs and straw.As a matter of fact i dont amend the soil till spring each year,seems to be working o.k.
What do others do with their pumpkins and plants?
John

11/11/2002 5:04:55 PM

North Ga

I know a lot of growers have no choice but to grow in the same patch year after year. But if you have an alternate or two, wouldn't it be best to plant one, And also keep the others up as if you were going to plant them
too? I hope that makes sense. Just trying to plan ahead.

11/11/2002 5:09:09 PM

North Ga

Does each seasons planting deplete the organics percentage?

11/11/2002 5:15:46 PM

[email protected]

Pappy,

Planting nothing at all depletes the organinc matter too though not as much as growing. Earthworms & soil microbes all consume organic matter. With or without plants. Plants (including weeds) make the process quicker though.

I took this past season off only because I was too busy restoring a boat. But I expect 2003 to go that much better. I continued to control weeds & added a veritable boatload of organic matter. Soil tested too.

Now when I'm slacking off in the patch, I'll at least have a good excuse. Boating is cool too!

Steve

11/11/2002 5:58:10 PM

North Ga

Musta been a bummer to get that boatload of organics out before you started refurbishing it! LOL

11/11/2002 6:24:07 PM

Herndon, VA

In the fall I gather up bags of leaves from the neighborhood, then run 'em through a shredder and rototill them into the patch. Manure is added too if I can get my hands on it, or if not I add dried blood or some other source of high nitrogen. In the spring I rototill again to aerate the soil and break up the weeds, and maybe add a little more manure or some granular high N fertilizer.

11/11/2002 7:19:28 PM

huntsburg,ohio

if you can have 4 sites to rotate for disease problems.i know i grew in my old patch for 17 years strait and had a lot of problems jerry

11/11/2002 9:11:08 PM

Puyallup, WA

I heard that Kirk Mombert grew in the same area for nearly 15 years.

11/11/2002 9:39:40 PM

Caceres, Spain

Better to lie fallow isn't have planted a cover crop? I like to switch the pumpkins planted area betwen two halfs of the patch; in the meantime the resting half have manure and amendments and two or three cover crops consecutivelly along the year, tilled under when blossom. I believe that manure and diferent crops are great for soil health and a protection for texture as well. I like oat, hairy vetch and faba bean for winter, soy bean and buckwheat for summer.
If I use the same soil from last year, I broadcast double amount of manure and grow at least one winter mixed cover crop, with what the soil regenerates pretty well.

11/12/2002 1:09:24 AM