Pumpkin Patch Weed Control - Ask Extension
I have disced up the area where I would like to plant pumpkins and sunflowers. I was wondering if there is a herbicide which I could use to control we...
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Pumpkin Patch Weed Control #183645
Asked May 20, 2014, 7:52 PM EDT
I have disced up the area where I would like to plant pumpkins and sunflowers. I was wondering if there is a herbicide which I could use to control weeds and not damage the plants.
Bedford County Pennsylvania
Expert Response
Unfortunately there is no easy answer.
Many of the pesticides required for pumpkin
production are restricted-use pesticides and require a pesticide license to
purchase. Preventing weed establishment
is the most effective means of control. Black plastic mulch or a 2-4-inch layer
of organic material will keep weed seeds from germinating.
After weeds have sprouted, regain control by pulling, tilling or hoeing. A scuffle, or action hoe, works well where mulch is thin before the pumpkins begin to vine. This tool has a flat blade on the bottom of a handle-shaped loop of metal. It provides a relatively easy way of slicing off the tops of plants, which eventually starves the roots.
Here is a link to pumpkin production facts developed by Penn State Extension. http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/horticulture/melons-and-pumpkins/pumpkin-production
Here is a link to a more extensive discussion of weed control in pumpkin patches developed by the University of Illinois extension service. Page 6 of this publication lists all of the herbicides used for pre emerge and post emerge control and the specific weeds that are targeted.
http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/presentations/pumpkins/wahle_weed.pdf
Good luck with your efforts.
After weeds have sprouted, regain control by pulling, tilling or hoeing. A scuffle, or action hoe, works well where mulch is thin before the pumpkins begin to vine. This tool has a flat blade on the bottom of a handle-shaped loop of metal. It provides a relatively easy way of slicing off the tops of plants, which eventually starves the roots.
Here is a link to pumpkin production facts developed by Penn State Extension. http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/horticulture/melons-and-pumpkins/pumpkin-production
Here is a link to a more extensive discussion of weed control in pumpkin patches developed by the University of Illinois extension service. Page 6 of this publication lists all of the herbicides used for pre emerge and post emerge control and the specific weeds that are targeted.
http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/presentations/pumpkins/wahle_weed.pdf
Good luck with your efforts.
