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Massillon, Ohio

Matt, the concept for your diary is great. It will be so helpful to all growers. Your efforts are much appreciated!
Your first topic, seed corn maggots, gives me chills when I see those photos! Early season enthusiasm quickly turns to a sick feeling, when you see those creepy critters, and your newly planted seedling wilted on the ground.

It seems, some growers think that once they see those little flies, they have past the maggot stage and are safe.
But you'd better spray those flies fast. They will mate within 2-3 days after emerging and lay more eggs. Shazzy and I use every precaution we have heard of! 1) Warm the soil as Matt suggests. 2) One week before planting, drench the planting area with bifenthrin. 3) Spray the open planting hole with Garlic Barrier, enough to dampen the soil, to help ward off the maggots. 4) After planting the seedling, sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth in a 3' circle and lightly rake in. 5) As Pap always reminds us....put a plastic collar around the plant, 2" into the potting soil....not so far out that maggots may be within the collar. 6) Drench the 3' circle with merit.

Shazzy....what did I miss?

4/25/2014 10:51:16 AM

Rhode Island

nana rea
sometimes we can do everything right and still end up with problems. thats why anyone who can consistantly produce big pumpkins deserves our respect.
also strength in numbers is at play with most of us. if we plant six? we can at least expect 3-4 will make it.
my best to you guys
pap

4/25/2014 4:20:16 PM

East Jordan, MI

Awesome idea Matt. You are the man!

Thanks for the extra ideas Glenna.

4/25/2014 7:21:36 PM

Upa Creek, MO

My only experience with them was last year when I used a little garden soil as the germination medium... inside. Looked like someone dropped a bowl of Chinese food on stem just below the cots. Plant was gone in lees than 10 hours.

4/26/2014 10:38:08 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Nana, Corn maggots are in the soil. Best to warm your soil several weeks before you set your plants out.They hatch and crawl through the soil and find the pumpkin plant roots. Then they eat the roots all the way up to the plant were the roots start. They don't live on top of the soil.The collar around the plant protects the plant from cut worms that cut the plant off level with the soil. Pap's idea he posted several years ago and I put a collar around my plants ever since then.

4/26/2014 7:20:37 PM

Rhode Island

Pap or Nana what can we use as a colar

4/26/2014 7:50:56 PM

Muddy Waters

pvc pipe works good ,Aluminum foil works also

4/26/2014 8:35:57 PM

New England

They killed all of my seedings last year.

4/27/2014 9:27:16 PM

Massillon, Ohio

Pumpkin B....Thanks for your input.

Frank....The top 3", cut off a large plastic Solo cup works well, because it is easy to cut through it, when time to take it off.

Farmergal....No fun! Right?

4/28/2014 10:21:19 AM