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Upa Creek, MO

I have been out of the loop for a bit and was wondering what the consensus these days is for weeding?

Eliminate weeds, and risk compromising root structure on a well established plant?

Leave weeds, and risk them absorbing nutrients and reducing potential size of the AGs?

Thanks!

4/18/2025 7:24:09 PM

Syracuse, NY

Just imagine if anyone spent the money on merely walking boards to cover as much of the growing area as possible.
No weeds THERE and what weeds would grow would supplement the growing environment of the vines and such, as long as the weeds themselves were not of a variety that would become taller (thereby using up said nutrients) than the AG leaves themselves. Minimal weeding, practically NO soil compaction and so on. My dream. Don't wake me up, lol. eg

[Last edit: 04/19/25 3:46:25 AM]

4/19/2025 3:45:56 AM

Eugene,OR

I think weeding is essential…it is just part of the deal.

4/19/2025 9:49:09 AM

Ironton, ohio

I weed the best I can as the plant grows out, once it fills its allotted area and secondaries press up against the fence it becomes tough to get into the older areas of plant to weed. Weeding is on the list of things I hope to be better at this season, only time will tell if it leads to heavier fruit. Good luck everyone!

4/19/2025 11:50:54 AM

Western NY

You don't need a weed free garden to grow a good one:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=341605

But a weed free garden would have helped to make it less of a safe haven for mice.

4/19/2025 2:49:36 PM

Eugene,OR

If you want to have good airflow to help reduce pressure from powdery mildew, weeding is important.

4/19/2025 5:04:50 PM

Grittyville, WA

I have not read any studies where weeds enhanced the growth of the target crop. There are ways to suppress or kill weeds without damaging the pumpkin roots? But yeah the weeding should be done in a non-damaging way. My favorite way to get rid of weeds is to "bury them alive". But, this wont work with some of them.

[Last edit: 04/20/25 12:45:58 AM]

4/20/2025 12:37:43 AM

Germany

Yep, this "bury them alive" thing is good, it´s one of the first things I do every year. In some of my diary entries you can have a glance under the canopy, hardly any weeds, and that comes from a combination of strategies rather than from weeding between the pumpkin plants.
- In February or early March, the first "weed problems" may arise when things such as chickweed goes to flower (and will set seeds a couple days or weeks later). So, when I see that stuff develop the first flowers, it´s the time to bury it alive. No seeds, no weeds...from that source.
- Thereafter, I sow a sping cover crop that grows quick and dense, something that still allows for weed seeds to germinate, but then the weed seedlings can´t grow because of lack of light. One of the reasons why I´m growing phacelia every spring. I let it grow until it is close to going to seed, but then I remove it (rather than having fun with phacelia seedlings throughout the year).
- The bare soil (where the phacelia had been growing, and the other parts of the patch during the time before the AG plants cover that area) receives some occasional rain and sunshine, so some (well, many) of the weed seeds in the soil will want to start...and every couple of days I treat that surface with a plow rake...in a rather shallow manner. It preserves the soil structure and the moisture therein, but it disturbs and eventually kills the weed seedlings.

As soon as the AG plants reach those parts of the patch, they shade it, and the density of weed seedlings popping up is already pretty low.

There are some weeds (such as the Chenopodium album) that I´m still after...as soon as I see those plants grow, I´ll try to pull them as long as I can reach them easily.

4/20/2025 3:05:40 AM