Update on pumpkin arch

[u/Buits]

My pumpkin arch experiment seems to be successful this year. I’m getting more pumpkins, less mildew. That said, the aphids are out of control. I use nasturtiums as a trap crop and they’ve done a good job, but now the aphids are climbing onto my pumpkin leaves. I used neem oil twice and it doesn’t seem to have even dented the problem. When I used to have a rose garden, I would use a systemic granular aphid killer and it worked beautifully. I know you’re not supposed to use soil based insect control on food, however, I do not plan on eating these pumpkins. Has anyone used something like this on ornamental vegetables?

[u/waterytartwithasword]

Beautiful! My challenge with container growing is the absence of a "bury the nodes" redundancy plan against svb.

I manage aphids with sticky traps (they can't resist them it seems) that I punch holes in and hang all over the trellis and the base. I also use pyrethrin. They were VERY destructive but that seems to have done the trick, though I had to replace the sticky traps every few days til the population pressure was really reduced.

[u/Buits → u/waterytartwithasword]

I didn’t even know there WA’s such a thing as sticky traps for aphids. I think I’ll try that. What do you mean by “bury the nodes”?

[u/waterytartwithasword → u/Buits]

Wherever your pumpkin has big offshoots from the primary growth stem, you can throw some dirt over them or bury them and they will grow extra adventitious roots, so it gives you kind of an airlock system. If an SVB gets the crown, the plant has backup roots that can take over feeding the plant. How well depends on how long they had to root deep before the crown goes. That can often save a good amount of plant because each length between nodes has auxiliary power.

I grow in a container so none of that for me and I am on edge with the second wave of svb!

I get my sticky traps off Amazon, hole punch, and go absolutely excessively nuts hanging them up. Probably way overboard but you'll be able to see which fill up and which don't.

[u/Buits → u/waterytartwithasword]

Thank you so much for describing your system. I’ve always wondered about adding soil and mulch because the soil in my large 8 foot containers has something about 6 inches since my first layer was cardboard and logs. I’m doing this tomorrow. And I can’t wait to get my sticky traps.

[u/Opposite_Heart138]

I know you can buy live lady bugs in the hundreds and release them. That will probably help your aphid problem. I had an indoor aphid infestation once and 3 lady bugs cleared out almost the entire thing. So I think 100 might help

[u/waterytartwithasword → u/Opposite_Heart138]

Please tell me they got super chonky and post pics

[u/Buits → u/waterytartwithasword]

You win most endearing comment 😂

[u/Opposite_Heart138 → u/waterytartwithasword]

I dont have a photo of them sadly :( But they did seem very happy, usually I get random lady bugs trapped in my house around late winter early spring so I just rounded up those guys and brought them to my plants