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Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

I see pictures in grower diaries of plants being grown out onto yard grass. How do you keep the grass down under the vines? Do the leaves choke it out?

6/12/2006 2:47:11 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Those pictures are just G's patch...LOL

6/12/2006 8:50:17 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

He prefers the "no weed" program...most think no weed means no plant growth...G just thinks it mean No weeding!! LOL

6/12/2006 8:52:21 AM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

We had one come up from a seed in the compost last year in the flowerbed. My wife adopted it and let it grow out over the lawn. The leaves shaded the grass and it grew up to about 6 inches then stoped. The pumpkin spread out over about 400 ft2 and ended up growig a nice 229 lb jack-o-lantern. The problem of course is very little secondary root system. you need to anchor the vines.

6/12/2006 11:20:54 AM

Jericho Vermont

I have always grown my plants out to the lawn, due to not being able to extend our garden out any further. I have approximately 15 to 20 feet of patch, but will let the pumpkins grow out to about 30 feet. The grass does get quite long under the plants. The tap roots of these things are amazing. I have seen 3 foot tap roots that I have ripped out of the lawn before they have snapped off. The grass directly under the vines will get choked out as well.

I know this is not optimal, but we still managed an 800 and 700 pounder last year and several other decent sized pumpkins in past years. The key to promoting the growth of the secondary roots is to keep the grass moist. We use an overhead that waters the whole pumpkin plant. If the sod does not get too compacted the roots will fly right through it. John

6/12/2006 12:33:24 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

The past two years, I grew onto the grass, and by the end of the season, there will be not much left of the grass - it thins out and eventually, there's nothing left. Might as well till it in now, save yourself the trouble, grow a huge pumpkin...

6/12/2006 12:55:43 PM

Long Island,New York

Chuck...laugh if you want. Its a covercrop. You use buckwheat, I use crabgrass, nutgrass, and pigweed mostly....galinsoga is big this year. Dormant weedseeds count for 10% of my 12% organics....

6/12/2006 2:53:13 PM

"wowww,, mannn,, check them huge a$$ pumpkins out!!! Looks like they're growing right in front of us mannn"

"hey dude! quit bogarting mannn, pass that over here mannn"


sorry,,flashback to the 60's

6/12/2006 5:16:11 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

In my limited experience grass allows all sorts of insects to fester, ultimately killing my pumpkin.

6/12/2006 11:21:38 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Checkons, Eaton, LaRue, Rose, Whittier....no grass under the vines. Nuff said.

6/13/2006 1:01:52 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I grow a couple color plants in my yard each year, not for competition, and usually get a 500#+ for the family or church.

6/13/2006 7:02:13 AM

San Diego

grass is fine for someone to grow over if they can't have a normal patch. Not everyone is blessed with a big area like many growers here. I know, I grew over grass my first 4 years because I had no choice, not ideal but can be done for a big one.

6/13/2006 12:19:53 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Oh I hear the space thing loud & clear. I've let secondaries sprawl over turf every year that I've grown to some degree.

But if the serious result is desired then the serious effort is justified.

6/13/2006 6:49:53 PM