Pumpkin and Fall Ornamentals to be On the Lookout For!

Chuck Bornt, CCE ENYCHP

At the beginning of January, I was asked by my colleague to give an update on new pumpkin and fall ornamentals that growers might want to take a look at.  Now, we haven't done a pumpkin variety trial since 2020 and I know that many of you probably already have your seed orders in, but in my experience, there is always room for a couple more!  With a couple of quick emails to our seed industry representatives, my inbox was flooded with a slew of new fall ornamentals that either released this year or are due to release in 2025.  To view the slide show of the variety update, click here. 

One of the most exciting things for me to learn about is the number of new releases with Powdery Mildew resistance/tolerance.  It was also nice to see that there are quite a few new all white varieties being release as well as some new munchkin types.  The warty craze is still going strong with some new release in that category as well and of course lots of new Jack-O-Lantern types.  Reviewing all of these new varieties got me thinking about the possibility of doing a variety trial this summer, so if any of you reading this is interested in hosting us on your farm for a variety trial, please let me know!

I would like to thank all the seed companies that sent me information on their new lines:  Seedway, Outstanding Seed, Rupp Seed and Stokes Seed. 

With early winter squash like spaghetti and acorn starting to ripen, it's time for these helpful harvesting and handling reminders!

Information and guidance on herbicide options for pumpkins and squash.

Phytophthora (fi-tof-thor-a) is a serious, long-persistent, destructive disease that can easily be spread from farm to farm on infected fruit. This disease can last a decade in the soil and attacks (blights/melts) vine crops, solanaceous crops, and legumes. The disease is caused by an oomycete, which is a different kind of organism from a fungus. Most fungicides don't control oomycetes. Growers with phytophthora have to rely on specialized control chemistries and often must make substantial changes to their production plans and planting systems. You do NOT want this showing up on your farm, especially not because of some rotting fall vine crops brought in from elsewhere.

Recommended list of conventional and organic fungicides labeled for Powdery Mildew Control in Pumpkins, Winter Squash and Gourds.  

Much of the winter squash in the region is matured and ready to go.  This article will give you some tips on how to ensure harvesting, handling and storing the highest quality squash and pumpkins for your farm.

The search for the perfect pumpkin variety continued in eastern NY during the 2018 season with CCE ENYCHP conducting 2 pumpkin variety trials; one at Wertman's Farm and Greenhouses in Melrose, NY (Rensselaer County) and at Robert O. Davenport and Sons Farm in Kingston, NY (Ulster County).  Despite the roller coaster weather, the Wertman location turned out good and is the trial in which all data is based on.  Unfortunately, the Davenport site suffered some poor stand issues and was used for observational data only. 

Final report and slideshow of the varieties grown in the 2018 pumpkin variety trial.

Weeds - I really, really dislike weeds and so should you!  Not only do they reduce yields and quality of fruit, but they can reduce insecticide and fungicides applications and take more time to harvest if your crew has to employ the "stumble" method of locating the fruit!  Most herbicide programs are best employed right after planting, before the crop emerges

The first in a 3-part series, this pre-recorded webinaris presented by Dr. Chris Smart, Cornell University. 

Flooding in 2011 spread Phytophthora capsici into fields with no history of the disease. Growers who have not managed P. capsici previously could inadvertently and permanently spread the disease to additional fields and could experience high rates of crop loss due to improper management of the disease.  Understanding of P. cap will reduce the probability of these negative outcomes on eastern NY farms.

The first in a 3-part series, this pre-recorded webinaris presented by Dr. Chris Smart, Cornell University. 

Flooding in 2011 spread Phytophthora capsici into fields with no history of the disease. Growers who have not managed P. capsici previously could inadvertently and permanently spread the disease to additional fields and could experience high rates of crop loss due to improper management of the disease.  Understanding of P. cap will reduce the probability of these negative outcomes on eastern NY farms.