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Kansas City, MO

After a great rookie year, 200 lbs +, I've lost this year to my main vines rotting out at several points. We had nearly 30 straight days of rain and my pumpkins were muddy for just about all of them. Now the mains are rotting and the plants all but gone. Should I not have buried them when they were so wet? Suggestions for next year? Thanks.

7/13/2004 8:22:13 AM

Knopp, Germany

Sometimes it doesn't matter what we do if the weather doesn't cooperate, at least a little bit. I believe that if you do not have soil that drains well, you should never bury your vines. After almost 30 straight days of rain, even well drained soil might not have helped. I am only burying my secondaries, leaving the main free due to our weather conditions here.

7/13/2004 8:29:39 AM

[email protected]

You might wish to spend some time disecting your vines to insure they really did "rot" & weren't just infected by Squash Vine Borers or other similar mechanical breaks that were then buried after forming.

Burying the main isn't entirely necessary if the proper steps are taken to control Squash Vine Borers when growing in the areas they live. Burying just denies them access to the vine when timed properly.

Burying secondary vines helps to anchor them against wind.

The main reason for burying secondaries & primarily the nodes, is to encourage a proliferation of a solid secondary root system.

By the sounds of things, soil drainage is your biggest challenge. Well drained soils are key. And they never cause vines to "rot". Any & all methods of improving your patch drainage are worthy of exploration.

Add all the well rotted organic material you can get your hands on. Old Horse manure improves soil structure & delivers large amounts of potassium. Be sure to find aged Horse manure to avoid weed seeds since Horses have only one stomach & weed seeds pass right through.

A second choice is cow manure which because of a cows digestive system, is chewed twice & thus has fewer weeds & nutrients.

Peat Moss does a great job especially on soils with higher pH.

Any well aged & properly handled compost is useful. See Doc Gipe's diary for some pointers. Look at both 2003 & 2004.

This years fresh falled Maple leaves should be collected & tilled under as soon as they drop.

continued

7/13/2004 8:50:53 AM

[email protected]

Spent mushroom bedding is really just aged horse manure with some bits of mushroom. Use carefully since salts are usually very high. Cheaper mushroom watses are often bagged with other composted materials & usually do NOT include the very desirable bedding that rarely gets far from the point of origin. So shop local.

Calcined clay agregate can be added to improve drainage & introduce more oxygen. This concept is one borrowed from the professional athletic turf industry, but also sees use as Bonsai & Hydroponic rootzone construction. These do not decay in soil. That's good since anual renewal isn't necessary. But I wouldn't use these alone for that very same reason. They don't contribute to the stable organic matter of soils. See:

http://www.oildri.com/agri/index.html

and

http://www.profileproducts.com/turface/index_athleticturf.html

Sand, Pea Gravle, etc are all use with varying degrees of success.

Build the mound as high as financial resources permit & grade away from the planting hole. Crown the main vines path the way road builders & athletic field architects/engineers do.

If you put an honest effort into building the soil between now & the time the ground freezes, you should be well prepared for a great 2005.

Congrats on the new PB!

Steve

7/13/2004 8:50:59 AM

Western Pa.

I suggest you find out what caused the "rot". Some diseases can overwinter and could come back to haunt you next year!

7/13/2004 9:41:14 AM

KENTUCKY

If it is rot, make a small roof over the stump area when plant is large(you will loose those leaves around the stump area anyway due to die-off). Get a small 3-4" diameter fan (hardware store for $4.00) and put it on the stump 24/7. I even cut small rubber strips(4-6" wide) from rubber blankets and cover the main from the stump out 10 ft. or so to keep the main dry, but with only 4-6" wide strips, the roots still get plenty of water but the main stays dry. I do not do any of this till plant is big and vines have "hardened up".

Mike

7/13/2004 10:02:12 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

I for one love these people...They are always here with a helpful hint and honest help for us...Kilr saved my first plant many years ago with his ad hoc response to one of my first posts and I love it when growers who have learned so much here share with the new comers...Remove lasts years growth at seasons end...like the plague it holds and spreads the disease....but several areas of rot sounds more like insect unless those portions of the vine were submereged for prolonged periods... When in doubt ...test it, don't waste a couple of years before you find out what you got. Been there done that..start a good soil program raised above high water with good drainage sans disease...It's well worth it...takes years to get world class soil unless your blessed with it. Grow em Big!

7/13/2004 8:40:35 PM