I'd like to try interplanting pumpkins with my corn. Do I plant them at the same time? Any advice will be appreciated. glynnis

-- glynnis (gabbycab@aol.com), January 21, 2000

Answers

It is interesting that you ask. I had inteneded on planting pumpkins with my corn last summer but did not. I remember as a kid that people did that in field corn & harvest them after the corn, the corn was harvested by hand. I am curious too because how would you cultivate the corn around the pumpkin plants? This has nothing to do with it but after my last cultivation, i plant buckwheat in the corn, then till it all in in the fall.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), January 21, 2000.

I have planted pumpkins with my corn. I planted the seed at the same time. I plant small plots that are easily worked by hand and use no cultivation. When the corn is up, and the pumpkins, too, I mulch HEAVILY between the rows. This cuts down on most of the weeds. The few that come up in the rows are easily pulled by hand. The only thing to worry about is plant a tall variety of corn. Not thinking, one year I planted golden bantam and the pumpkins actually grew on top of the corn! It does get a little difficult to harvest corn and not break pumpkin vines. Good Luck!! Patti

-- Patti Morris (pmorris@ecenet.com), January 21, 2000.

In the south, we plant running beans or southern peas in with the corn. They are planted beside the corn when it is about 12" tall by dropping the seed on the ground by the corn plant, then pulling dirt to the corn and covering the peas or beans at the same time. You have to be careful not to bury the seeds too deep, as the corn of course can take and needs much more soil pulled up to it than the seeds can have over them and still come up. I tried planting pumpkins in my corn before, but they died. I planted them by hand between the corn stalks. They came up, but it got too dry on them before they could get established.

-- Carmen (logcabin_now@yahoo.com), January 21, 2000.

I planted surgar baby pumkins in my Black Aztec corn last summer. I planted the seed at the same time and cultivated and mulched like Pattie mentioned. The pumpkins and corn grew great. The vines even climbed up the stalks and were setting lots of fruit.

Then I got my first windstorm. These old corn varieties have a big problem with wind shear, falling down in big winds. When I went into the patch to raise the corn back up, I killed all the pumkin vines because I had to break so many to get the corn back up. I had hoped the lace work of vines would help support the corn. Unfortunatly, the wieght of the vines and growing fruit cause more corn to come down despite the snow fence I had put up to help my corn with the wind. My advice: plant new hybrid corn if you are going to have pumpkins growing with them. Good luck.

-- Kathy (redfernfarm@lisco.com), January 21, 2000.

The pumpkins I grow are ready for Halloween and to keep for pies in 120 days. Here in Texas we can get several batches of corn in the freezer so I wouldn't want to interplant in the spring. I count 120 days back from Halloween and then plant my pumpkins no matter what the stage of growth my corn is in. Plant your pumpkin seeds only at one end of your bed (I use raised beds) that way you only have to water your pumpkin bed at that one end and then just train your vines to trail off in the direction you want. Hope this helped. I grow pie pumpkins from burpee and this wonderful Funk's hybrid corn. I did a lot of experimenting last year with Y2K and all, using open pollenated seeds, heirloom etc. And I am back to mostly hybrid. The bugs, fungus (very humid here in Texas) ruined my crops. Good luck to you, Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 21, 2000.

In Ohio, I allow the corn to grow at least six inches tall and then plant the pumpkin seeds between the rows. This has allowed me to have great success with both. I haven't had any problems with the vines overtaking the corn.

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), January 21, 2000.

Certain indian cultures plant corn [herloom varietys work better because they have thicker stalks] beans, [climbers] and pumkins together. they call it the three sisters, cant remember why but could look it up if any one is interested. I know the beans fix nitrogen in there roots which helps feed corn and pumkins and the corn suports the beans and the pumkins shade the soil there all inter connected.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), January 21, 2000.

I have planted my corn and started pumpkin seeds inside in pots. When the corn is a few inches high and the pumpin plants growing well, I plant them in the end of the row of corn and let them trail out away from the corn. I plant them in between the corn stalks and do not have any problems. I also plant pole beans around the corn stalks on the other end of the corn plot.

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), January 22, 2000.

I have never been very successful with this procedure, although I have tried it a number of times. It works, but I have found the yields of the vine crops to be somewhat diminished. A couple of pointers. 1. Most sweet corn does not have sufficiently strong stalks to support much weight in the way of vines/crops. Interplanting was originally done with field corn. 2. Some beans (ie. Original Cornfield) will do well, and if innoculated, will actually help the corn by providing nitrogen. 3. Only small "pumpkins" such as "jack be little" or other gourds seem to work for sweet corn without stressing the stalks, and even here I wouldn't overdo the vines. 4. Good Luck!

-- Brad Traver (homefixer@mix-net.net), January 24, 2000.

With a three sisters combination, the corn is planted a lot farther apart than we are used to doing, 3' is not an uncommon spacing. Plan on about a dozen stalks per hill. Let the corn get it's first 4 leaves, then you can plant the pumpkins, and pole beans as well, if you want to. The extra wide spacing really helps to keep the pumpkin vines off of the corn, and makes harvesting a lot less like a jungle safari. Enjoy!

-- Connie Christoffer (litlgaea@cs.com), February 17, 2000.

Hi, Glynnis. What a pretty name.

I planted my sweet corn (two types) and my pie pumpkins together last year. I always like to plant the pumpkins up on a mound, so I first rake and shovel those mounds together and plant my pumpkins and squash and gourds. Then I make trenches that meander around in rough rows all in between those mounds. Last year this was a large space, enough to still have corn in the freezer now, and we have a family of six.

I do not train the vines onto stalks, although a few found their way. I do NOT weed! This is the beauty of this crazy plan! The corn grows straight UP, the vines and their lovely big leaves grow mostly OUT, and I do nothing but grin and harvest.

Of course, they overtook my paths, and the back corner had too much water and died out, and the watermelons didn't have time to ripen, but overall, it worked well here in Minnesota.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), February 17, 2000.