Plowing Every Year

Matt Tieken · Apr 22, 2014

I plant one acre of pumpkins and 2 acres of sweet corn.

I plowed both plots last year and had minimal trips in the field with the tractor.

I am thinking about just disking this year and planting again (I didn't get in the field to plow last fall since is was too wet)

Will this work? I am not worried about fertility. I don't think compaction will be a problem, but that is why I am here asking you guys.

paul · Apr 22, 2014

The plowing helps burry some diseases and insects so they
don't build up.

I would imagine you rotate planting the corn on the old
pumpkin ground so that won't be a problem?

Should work out just fine then.

Paul

mb58 · Apr 22, 2014

Do you plant pumpkins so they are ready at halloween? If so, what is your planting date?

Matt Tieken · Apr 22, 2014

I have been experimenting for 4 years and have narrowed down the date to plant. I plant Connecticut Field Pumpkins around July first in Central Indiana.

They are generally ready towards the end of September, but I would rather have them early than late. They easily last till Halloween and they make great pies too.

I get the field ready about 2 weeks before planting. That gives the weeds time to come up. Then I plant. And about 3-4 days after planting, I give a good dose of roundup before the plants come up.

This seems to give the pumpkin plants a really good head start on any weeds that do come up.

RGMartin · Apr 22, 2014

I would imagine you rotate planting the corn on the old
pumpkin ground so that won't be a problem?

Corn rootworm larva turn into cucumber beetles, which are a primary pest of pumpkins here. Not the best rotation. [/quote]

Matt Tieken · Apr 22, 2014

(quoted from post at 16:26:00 04/22/14)

I would imagine you rotate planting the corn on the old
pumpkin ground so that won't be a problem?

Click to expand...

Corn rootworm larva turn into cucumber beetles, which are a primary pest of pumpkins here. Not the best rotation.

The sweet corn I plant is rootworm resistant, so I hope there won't be many rootworm larvae in the soil.

I haven't had a problem with them yet (knock on wood).

nh8260 · Apr 22, 2014

Not sure if you ever use herbicides but Strategy and Profine are really good with vine crops, I prefer profine and use it every year on watermelons, really does good with the weeds.

Matt Tieken · Apr 23, 2014

I don't really have a problem with weeds, but I do have a problem with powdery mildew. It killed most of my plants last year and all the pumpkins ripened early.

hayray · Apr 24, 2014

I never plow anymore. I am using disking on my sweet
corn and squash and are doing strip till on my
brassicas and greens.

Plowing Every Year

Matt Tieken

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paul

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mb58

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Matt Tieken

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RGMartin

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Matt Tieken

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nh8260

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Matt Tieken

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hayray

Well-known Member

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