OSU South Centers to Host Pumpkin Field Night

PIKETON, Ohio -- Learn the tricks of the trade for growing quality pumpkins during Ohio State University South Center’s Pumpkin Field Night Oct. 18. Whether you are a backyard grower or a commercial producer, this event offers the latest information for all pumpkin growers, an Ohio State University Extension expert said.

The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. at OSU South Centers’ Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road, Piketon. Registration is $5 per person. The tour is part of OSU South Centers' Third Thursday Horticulture and Business Training Series.

OSU Extension horticulturist Brad Bergefurd will walk attendees through pumpkin fields and provide tips and techniques for growing and managing pumpkin production. Ohio State’s new Pumpkin and Floral Strip trial is included in the tour and attendees will be the first to hear the results of the effectiveness of various types of floral strips planted with the pumpkins and their impact on pollination, Bergefurd said.

The tour will also include discussions on new pumpkin varieties, downy and powdery mildew disease management and control, cucumber beetle identification and control methods, yellow vine decline disease and prevention techniques, growing your own nitrogen, and timing applications of drip irrigation.

Weather permitting, this workshop will be held in the fields, so participants should come prepared to walk and spend the evening outside. Indicate during registration if special accommodations are required.

To register, contact Jennifer Warfe at 740-289-2071, ext. 301, or e-mail warfe.2@osu.edu.