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niagara falls

I was wondering about the best way to keep out weeds from the patch for next year ? would pine mulch work if I spread it after the plant starts growing or would it affect the plant.

9/16/2005 10:46:47 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

yes as I understand it you cover all but the tips of your growing vines with good soil, then you can mulch around the areas with grass clippings, hay, straw or mulch chips to keep the weeds back, and slowly add organic content to the soil. I plan to use hay mostly.

I have heard that pine mulch in particular tends to cause pH problems in the long run. Better check on that.

-Jim

9/16/2005 11:06:43 AM

Montoursville, PA

Mulch with anything that lays, on the surface. Mulch remains an element, of compost until it slowly melts into the top surface, of your patch.

The only consideration would be how much remains, in the fall and if that vollume tilled in, might be an overload.
Pine needles and saw dust mixes convert, by breaking down, to compost, very slowly. Straw, hay, lawn clippings and ground leaves excluding the nut tree types break down more quickly.

A mulch will indeed do more than just help keep down leaves. A mulch sets up a constant rotting process, makes water retention and soil temperatures more even, prevents pathegons, from splash up onto the plants. Frankly, to me, it just looks nice too.

I like to wait until the secondaries start, to grow. This enables a slightly warmer soil very early, in the year. This enables you, to control early weeds, easily with a hoe.
These facts can be argued several ways. Here in the Northeast that is the way I like, to manage it.

9/16/2005 11:07:04 AM

Western NY

after my experiences this year, i plan to mulch with a very thick layer of leaves around pollination time. this will assure that i only weed once or twice during may-june.

9/16/2005 11:19:58 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Next year,I am going to try an experiment with two of the same seeds. Treat one area with treflan and do conventional weeding on the other. We used treflan on the field pumpkins this year after they had reached the 3rd leaf segment. I have never seen the field so weed free and healthy.

9/16/2005 12:02:02 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I'm seriously considering mulching next year as well. It will keep the weeds at bay, and conserve moisture. It should also provide a better micro-environment for the microbes in the upper soil layer.

9/16/2005 12:41:29 PM

Netherlands

Don't use black walnut as it is toxic. Don't use pine mulch or wood chips as they will eventually drastically alter your acidic level (high). They also have little nutrient value. They will of course keep weeds down, but a plastic mulch will do that too and be less harmful.

9/16/2005 12:42:15 PM

Netherlands

Oak and maple leaves are the best possible mulch.

9/16/2005 12:43:50 PM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

I have some sort of grass this year in the patch. It did not show up until after the pumpkins were set. I have mulched and this stuff still came up. I was thinking about clearing the patch of the vines and then burning the soil with one of those propane torches. I think this would kill a lot of weed seeds before I till them in.

9/16/2005 3:07:12 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I use Roundup as a pre-plant burndown and as a rescue treatment. You have to shield the plants from the spray or they are toast. I mulch heavily with grass clippings, and that helps. Just don't use grass clippings that have been treated with herbicide. I used some straw for mulch, but it was full of oats and they became a weed problem for a while. I have used Preen (treflan) without any pumpkin damage, and it does a real good job on foxtail and a few other weeds. I have one broadleaf that I haven't been able to identify that thinks Preen is fertilizer. I also used some corn gluten as a test this year. It seemed to work OK until about mid july, then the weeds came back. I try to limit tillage as much as possible to preserve organic matter and earthworms. I was able to get in one tiller cultivation this year when the soil was hot and dry. It didn't hurt any worms and sure knocked the weeds down. I also like to use a fall cover crop of winter wheat or rye to hold down the fall germinating weeds and the early spring weeds. I knock it down with Roundup before planting.

9/16/2005 3:50:15 PM