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Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

It hasn't happened quite yet but any day now I'm going to start getting emailed pictures of the latest & greatest mystery disease.

But the self inflicted spray damage will come just as sure as I sit here typing. It always does.

WHY?

- Too much chemical. (READ THE LABEL)
- Growth too young & lush. (DON'T SPRAY TIPS - USE LOW RATES)
- Too hot (SPRAY ONLY IN EARLY EVENING)
- Too Humid (SPRAY DOESN'T DRY BEFORE THE HEAT COMES ON)
- Spray residue buildup - (CONSIDER LAST SPRAY DATE EVEN IF IT HAS RAINED)

___MUGGY WEATHER ALERT___

Don't just consider the temperature & humidity of right now. Consider what the weather will be doing for the next 12-24 hours before deciding what you want to do. If a muggy night yields wet plants the morning after a spraying, make sure to overhead water to wash the plants clean before heading off on your day.

6/27/2006 10:14:59 AM

Wood River, IL (kennyw_49@yahoo.com)

Steve, This is where I get confussed, so much if this stuff is not labeled for pumpkins but yet it works for pumpkins. How are we to know what can be sprayed in the afternoon, or what needs to be washed off in the morning. The bottom line is, if your a rookie don't apply anything without asking first. I have 3 months invested in my patch I don't want it to blow up, bercause of a stupid mistake I make.

Many of you warned me back in Febuary that I didn't know what I was getting in to. And that is oh so true, but you don't really get it till you get to the end of June and the poop starts hitting hte fan.

Steve thanks again for taking the time to explain everything .

Kenny

6/27/2006 2:23:31 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Giant pumpkins really are a niche market eh? Considering how mammoth these things get, AGs are very sensitive about chemicals.

A good rule of thumb is to never spray anything in the morning except plain irrigation water or *very* mild foliar fertilizers. If using a popular daily spoon feeding program (like Agro-K) that might otherwise "get in the way" of a required pesticide spray then exceptions can be made. Even then I would first check with Craig Lemke or whoever the distributor of the fertilizer is first for temperature restrictions.

I sell Agriculture & Pro Turf & Ornamental fertilizers, seeds & chemicals for a living & have for 18 years. Prior to that I was a commercial pesticide applicator for 8 years. After a while you get to know every chemical company rep well enough to learn which products common names have equivalent (identical) trade names in other market categories.

Virtually every ag chemical that has been in use for more than 2-3 years ends up with an identical (or nearly so) counterpart that is labeled for Pro Turf & Ornamental use. Within 10 years of introduction some make their way onto retail garden center shelves.

example:

Lambda-cyhalothrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. Farmers have used it as Warrior for many years now. Arborists & Lawn Care companies buy it as Scimitar SC. Golf Superintendents buy & use Scimitar GC. Indoor Pest Control companies buy it as Demand or Suspend. A couple years ago it finally landed in Garden Centers under the trade name Triazicide (much weaker but the same chemical).

Now there are probably other retail versions but keeping track of all of them isn't worth my time in the Pro field.

Being a certified Pesticide Applicator in multiple states & multiple categories means I can't play games & use or recommend a Pest Control chemical for use on an edible food crop especially for hire. fines & loss of income would ensue. Technically, no one can

6/27/2006 3:08:11 PM

Mocksville, NC

Thanks Tremor, now i have to overhead water every morning LOL Really Thank you i will. Roger

6/28/2006 5:44:36 PM