Illinois The pumpkin Capital of the world
ILLINOIS GIANT PUMPKIN GROWERS ASSOC.
The good
The Bad
The Ugly
- Insect damage can occur during all phases of growth. Corn seed maggots may kill your seedling or even the seed itself
- When flowers begin to grow the cucumber beetle wont be far behind
- Squash bugs can appear as early as planting time and continue till after harvest time. They are not Stink bugs.
- Squash Vine Borers (SVB) May be the most hated insect by pumpkin growers, they can arrive as early as May and some areas have two cycles of them. Their larve burrow inside plant parts mostly the vines, causing them to rot.
Most pesticides/fungicides are applied in a liquid form usually with a pump up sprayer or a blower that forms a very fine mist. You want thorough coverage on top and below the leaf but it should be a thin layer not dripping off the leaves which can burn them. They should be applied late evening when the bee’s have returned to their nests, also spraying chemicals in the sun can cause leaf burning.
Standard pump sprayers are usually one to two gallons each. You will have to walk into the planting area to get good coverage . Some types can have an extension wand attached. If you have a leaf blower hold the spray tip in front of the blowers tube to create your own blower mister
Backpack sprayers usually come in three to four gallon sizes. The larger size is convenient if you have several plants to spray. You may need to set it on a table to get the straps connected. They can make higher pressure than a standard pump up allowing you to get a finer spray. They can also be used along with a leaf blower to get better coverage
A properly rated mask is a good idea when working with chemicals . If you use a true mister you should always have on a mask ,the misters create small micronized droplets that can be inhaled deep into your lungs
Misters create fine particle size droplets that can float through your plant giving you the best coverage. You can buy just the nozzle for a mister blower and attach it to the tube of your leaf blower. Your pump up sprayer is then attached to the nozzle. The same nozzle type can have a wide price range you should be able to find one under $30
To make a comparison pump up sprayers could be compared to a light rain while mister blowers would be a fog
Mister blowers are a convenient way to apply chemicals Stihl is a popular brand with a price range of $400 to $700 dollars. There are lower priced brands down to $200, battery powered blowers are becoming popular too.
You can see the nozzle at the end of the tube that was mentioned above