When do you guy's put in your pumpkins, squash?

[garden5]

Well, to my understanding, the cucumbers are very sensitive to frost whereas the squash and pumpkins are a little hardier.

Now, I say this because I planted cucumber sets last May and a light frost came and killed them off. I also planted some squash (butternut), in the late summer (I don't think I ever really believed that I would get anything from them, but why not) and they were killed by the fall frost.

The reason I say the the squash are probably a little hardier is that they look that way.

Jal has a good idea; plant early and if you don't get a frost, great , if you do, just re-plant . If you don't have a lot of seeds, plant half early and the other half later.

For the pepper transplants, you want to make sure that the soil is warm and there is no danger of frost. If you plant peppers in cool soil, you man stunt their growth for the whole season.

I don't have any experience with eggplant (yet ), but I do know that they, too, like it hot, so I'm not putting mine in until I put the peppers in. Put it this way, the last frost date is May 16; the peppers and eggplants are going in June 1.

Oh, here's a thought, you could help your soil to warm up by using some black plastic a week or so before you plant and could keep it warm by using low-tunnels.

I hope this helps you out.

[jal_ut]

How much frost can ripening pumpkins take? You don't want them to freeze obviously. Do you have to let them turn orange on the vine or can they ripen off the vine? How early?

The leaves of pumpkins will most likely die at the first frost. Usually the fruit doesn;'t get hurt on the first frost as the leaves seem to protect the fruit. It depends on how cold that first frost is. You do not want the fruit to get frozen or it will not keep well. I have yet to see a green pumpkin ripen to an orange pumpkin after the vines freeze. When the leaves freeze, it is time to harvest, if you haven't done so earlier.

The pumpkins I plant take about 120 days to turn orange. Just how long it takes may vary in different climates. I know for tomatoes that is sure the case. Here it takes 72 day tomatoes 110 days. 8-O So, the days to maturity thing may work where the variety was develped, but it doesn't necessarily mean it will work anywhere else..

[garden5]

I don't know how well a developed plant will hold up to the frost, I was only talking about a plant that was recently sprouted. I do agree with Jal, though, that the frost (the one in the fall) won't hurt the squash any, especially if it is a thick-skinned variety.

[applestar]

Hmm... In 2008, we had hardly any frost, then a drastic freeze (24ºF) on Oct 2. (Of course the rest of that October was unusually warm... ) Normally I start expecting frost around end of September beginning of Oct. According to that % frost date by zip code website, average First Frost is supposed to be 10/18 here, but I wouldn't trust us not to get frost that far into Oct.

Thanks for the tips, this will give me a working strategy for my pumpkins.

[Joyfirst]

Then I am not too late yet. I just found the seeds my friend gave of a very smooth soup winter squash. Can I train them up the trellis- space id that of concern of my plot.

Depends on the size, but as I understand (in other words, no experience but have read about) so long as you provide support for not just the vine, but the squash as well, you can train them up a trellis.

Basically will need to make a sling of some sort to support the squash/pumpkin and you may get lower yields.

Again, this is only as I understand it.

My squash is Golden Nugget - not very large, so I guess, I could support it with slings.

[applestar]

Here's a picture from 2008 of a Sugar Pie Pumpkin "hanging out" in a sling made from DD's old tights.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image2975.jpg[/img]

This one was holding on pretty tight to the extra bit of wire border fence and didn't need a sling:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image2528.jpg[/img]

[gixxerific]

I think I will try with an early may planting than may have a later planting depending on how well they do and how much room I have.

Actually we have a friend my wife works with that grows tons of pumpkin, squash every year. Some of you may have seen all the Halloween stuff I had out last year. I am having my wife ask them tomorrow when they plant. They know what it it's like here. they plant a 50 x 100 foot area just to give away and they have a ton of land so why not right.