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Connecticut

As I work on compiling information about mosaic virus it has gotten quite expansive and detailed so my full report will be delayed a little. However, I did want to get this one important fact out to the community as it could help save someone’s season. There are plants (often weed species) that can act as reservoirs for viruses. What makes things tricky is these plants can have the virus but be asymptomatic (meaning they do not show visual symptoms).

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) can host a variety of plant viruses so you should scout both your property and the surrounding area for this plant. Offer to pull it out of your neighbor’s property as it could help reduce the potential virus pressure on your plants. Luckily, this is an easily recognizable plant and does pull fairly easy from the ground. Be sure you get as many roots as possible to reduce reemergence.

Other weeds to be on the lookout for that can also be virus reservoirs are…

Stellaria media (Chickweed)
Tripleurospermum maritimum (Mayweed)

With all viruses, prevention is important and I think this maybe one helpful method that I have not heard mentioned before, so that is why I am trying to get the word out.

7/31/2012 4:39:03 PM

Johnston, R.I.

Thank you Matt..

7/31/2012 4:57:45 PM

Williamsburg,KY

Pokeweed is rampant here. I know I cant pull every one. You mention surrounding area, how big an area? I know we have some down on the river about 800 feet from the patch all down hill.

7/31/2012 7:05:04 PM

Connecticut

I have all of those weeds. I hope my plants don't get anything.

7/31/2012 9:24:13 PM

So. Maine

Jim Kuhn was in my patch pulling weeds today !

7/31/2012 10:16:05 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I've heard that redroot pigweed is another host plant.

7/31/2012 10:31:56 PM

Hot West Tennessee

What is the history behind it?

Young pokeweed shoots, which contain very low levels of toxins, were used as food by Native Americans and others. In the Southeastern United States, some people still cook and eat “poke sallet.” It is thoroughly boiled in water that is changed twice during cooking. Native Americans also used pokeweed in herbal remedies as a heart stimulant and to treat cancer, rheumatism, itching, and syphilis. The pokeweed root was also used as a laxative and to induce vomiting. European settlers adopted the use of pokeweed, which went on to become a common folk medicine.

Juice from the berries was once used to make ink and dye, and it is still used by the food industry to make red food coloring. Farmers and dairymen use an alcohol extract or tincture of pokeweed to reduce swelling of cows’ udders. Followers of President James Polk wore pokeweed twigs during their candidate's election campaign, mistakenly believing that the plant was named for him.
I guess it's not so good for pumpkins.

7/31/2012 11:24:44 PM

Lloydminster/AB

Chickweed! Arghhhhhhh!

7/31/2012 11:45:56 PM

Damn Pokeweeds, I've got em lol.

8/1/2012 10:11:27 AM

Bristol,RI,USA.

Matt i am sure i have all of these weeds! but do you have pics of them to idenifie them

8/1/2012 12:15:32 PM

Rhode Island

heres a little secret.we held off doing this for years but this year ron and i were both sick of weeding so we decided to do what many of the worlds top growers have been doing for several years.
spray underneath the canopy with roundup. yep you heard it right roundup.
ya get on your knees,with a one gal sprayer, carefully spray the ground (weeds) under the plant. a little on the leaf stalks does nothing to kill or damage the leaves. just dont spray the leaves and you will be fine.
be extra carefull around the new vine tips as they are closer to the ground and more apt to catch a bit of overspray.
of course if you patch is already over grown with weeds? better luck trying this next year.
we will never pull another weed again.
pap

8/1/2012 5:59:25 PM

Connecticut

Croley- Ideally you want to pull any weeds that are with-in the flying range of aphids. Not sure of the exact distance but 800 feet maybe to close.

WAIT- I would think Jim would be adding weeds to your patch;-)

Joe- I am looking into other hosts and it looks like pigweed is more than just an unwanted plant in the patch

Calcubit- hard to get ideal pictures but here are a few
Pokeweed:
http://www.bumblebeeblog.com/storage/pokeweed.jpg
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg/hogweedlookalikes/hogweedlookalike_web/Pokeweed_Plant.JPG

Chickweed:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/images/weeds/temp-weed-catalog-folder/chickweed/common_chickweed_seedling_zoom.jpg
http://wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/wildflower/chickweed-common-mat.jpg

Mayweed:
http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/ScentlessMayweed.JPG
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/mayweed6-1.jpg

pap- In patch weed control may only be part of the solution scouting boarder areas will help greatly at reducing the area pressure.

I am just trying to keep the latest information current to the growing community.

8/1/2012 8:41:37 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

pap,

I've been using Roundup under the canopy for a few years now with no adverse effects. You nailed it when stating not to apply it to leaves or to exposed roots. Many growers have been loathe to use it this way because they do not understand the molecular properties of Roundup.

8/1/2012 11:15:33 PM

Ohio

Joe, Pap,

This is a first for me hearing about using round up under the canopy so close to the main vines and secondaries.Ive always been reluctant to use it under the canopy because of exactly what Joe is talking about, I'm ignorant when it comes to what round up really does. I have always thought that if you get any on the plant, especially the vines that it would spell disaster for my plants. And one of the reasons I thought this is because when we foliar spray our plants with the good stuff, like fish and sea weed,calcium, etc... I have always thought that by not only spraying on top and under the leaves was a great thing for the plant, but also spraying the leaf stalks and vines also help in a big way for your plants health. So really, dont worry about spraying anything but tops and bottoms of your leaves, and spraying the leaf stalks and main vine really doesnt benifit the plant other then the over spray that hits the ground and is absorbed by the roots?



I was always afraid when spraying round up, even a few feet from the outside of my plants , that spraying the exposed roots that always pop up to the surface, and in my case since I always have exposed roots come to the surface in the masses especially under the canopy that spraying round up for me under the canopy wouldn't be a good idea unless I go back through under my plants and cover all these exposed roots up with dirt?

But then again, wouldnt it be a waste of time covering the exposed roots up when there is roots that are not seen just at the very tip of the surface that is covered wih dirt to where round-up can soak through the dirt and get to the roots anyway? Does it really matter if the roots are exposed or if they are barely under the surface, cause ether way round up will be on your roots when spraying under the canopy right?

8/2/2012 6:56:46 AM

Ohio

I was always very cautious to get over spray on my main vine or secondaries thinking this would be a disaster for killing my plants. So what your saying its ok to spray the weeds that is right next to your secondaries and main vines (its obvious the round up will get on the main vines and bottom of leaf stocks close to ground when your spraying under the canopy) and as long as the round up doesn't touch any part of the leaves(top and bottom) then I should be ok in not killing my plant?

I have 5 plants with ZERO pumpkins on them right now, Im going to give this round up a practice run on them and see what happens, If this works like Joe and Pap says it does then this is going to not only save me a bunch of time in the patch but also help in disease from what the weeds could spread to the plant.

Great info here, thanks a million for sharing this Matt, Pap and Joe. There is one thing about growing these Giant pumpkins, and that is there is always something you dont know, and also something new to learn no matter how long you been growing.

8/2/2012 6:57:27 AM

Bethlehem CT

One year I tried round-up underneath the leaves after I had lost a pumpkin on the plant. I sprayed the vines and leaf stalks really heavy not trying to avoid them at all. This did cause damage. Note: I only bury at the nodes so I was able to load it up on the vines I think it is all about quantity,
In people A small quantity of certain toxins absorbed will not harm you, and in fact may even be beneficial in some cases. (Medicines are poisons in the right amount) Absorb too much and you have got problems.
Based on what I have seen round-up is absorbed best through the leaves and not as well through the other parts of the plant. ( Like vines or roots or leaf stalks) So that may be why growers can get some on the vines and not see any damage. I would definitely experiment with it to be come more comfortable with how the plant reacts to what you do. Take notes on wind conditions, keep the spray pressure down so you will not get any fine drift blowing off target. etc.

8/2/2012 8:58:11 AM

Bethlehem CT

Brooks, that would be a fair assumption to make, that the foliar stuff we do is not as well absorbed by stems and leaf stalks as it is through the leaves. In my understanding the roots are supposed to do the majority of the work. We can just tweak things a little bit with the foliar. I don't know how well a plant would do if it were grown in a sterile completely unfertile soil and it had to depend solely on foliar absorbed nutrients. My guess is it would not do well.

8/2/2012 9:05:13 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Well...I haZ sprayed around some of my plantZ..and got some on the leaveZ too...Ill show picZ in the diary...we can watch what it doeZ....nice yellow spotZ....I had a pretty good doZe too since Im going after the sedge nutt graZZ.....

8/2/2012 10:00:35 AM

Bristol,RI,USA.

Matt
Thank you great pics!! And yes i have been cultivating these for years! Polk weed is great for its berries that are boiled, then you dip your traps in the die and it is a great rust stopper and scent killer! The last weed looks like coriander? Great to make tea! Relieves headaches, and calms you down when things in the patch are not going so well! Chick weed well the chickens like it! Lol
if you need some let me know and i will bring some to your patch so you will have enough !

8/2/2012 2:56:07 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

And pap took your advice and rounded up the whole patch! it should be free of all vegetations in five to seven days! Used the extended ground clear should keep it clean for up to six months!!

8/2/2012 3:00:13 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Brooks,

Rounup is effective only when foliar applied, which means both weeds AND pumpkin plants. Careful application is a must and I say that only because I don't want anyone coming back and saying I gave them errant advice. I've sprayed Roundup since 1982 in both industrial applications and within my pumpkin plants and have NEVER seen any adverse side effects. I DO take precautions when applying when foliage is at ground level due to wind or storm damage and when roots are exposed after heavy rain.

8/2/2012 11:35:43 PM