From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Lockport, IL

I've noticed a lot of roots poking out of the ground near my pumpkins recently. Besides the obvious ones around mounded nodes, these are showing up 1-2 ft away from the vine, which I am very happy to see!

I fee like I am out there every day covering these, especially after last night when we had a light rain here.

Is this a sign of too much / too little water in the soil? I do not feel as though I am over watering, if anything maybe too little?

The planting bed that the pumpkin sits in is maybe 60 sq ft? It has spread out in to the lawn, so I'd compare it more to the 150 sq ft contet.

I've been giving the plant 3-4 2 gal watering cans full of water in the morning, with some topping off of dry spots in the afternoon during these sunny 90 degree days. Thankfully it's cooled down some today!

Our soil does not drain too well,it has a low sand content. Natural soil is a bit high in clay, with a lot of generic top soil / some compost added. I usually keep it moist to a finger test, but it is never what I would consider too wet. The soil is a bit hard in spots which I think is thanks to the bed flooding a bit in a very early heavy rain just after planting.

I don't see much posted about other's covering these new roots daily. Is this normal?

I have one female flower on my first side vine that will open tomorrow or this weekend. The main vine had a female flower that shriveled up before it got too big or close to the pollinating stage before that. This was in a bad position though (where the vine leaves the bed, about 12 feet down the vine) but there is another one that is probably 3-4 days away, and a new one 4 nodes down that just appeared. That first same side vine also just got another new female flower.

How drastically can I expect to see water consumption increase once these set? I have soaker hose along the main fine and the side vines within the bed that I plan to use once the water demand increases, as these spots are harder to reach.

7/10/2020 1:22:21 PM

stoughton WI

Just cover them with dirt, these things are such aggressive rooters that it happens.

7/10/2020 2:18:46 PM

Central NY

Be careful w the soaker hoses. Even watering is essential

7/10/2020 2:48:16 PM

Central NY

Not anymore drastically with water...other then keeping up w a bigger growing plant....1-2” per week

7/10/2020 2:49:43 PM