Gordon Johnson, Extension Ag Agent, Kent Co.; gcjohn@udel.edu
Early processing baby lima beans have been harvested over the last two weeks. Dry-land lima yields are ranging in the 900-1100 lbs/acre range. Cooler weather in August has contributed to decent pod set but drought conditions have reduced seed fill and increased pod abortion in later planted dry-land baby limas. In August there were only 3 days in the high 80s or low 90s and nighttime temperatures have dropped to the 50s or 60s. As a result, irrigated mid to late season lima beans should have excellent yields. Pigweed escapes continue to be a major issue in lima beans and wiper bars were used in many fields this year for control once pigweeds were over top of the beans.
Nematodes can be an issue in heavy vegetable rotations. It would be wise to take soil and root samples while there are still live roots in fields if you are seeing reduction in growth, extra stress, or reduced yields in vegetable fields. Sampling instructions and sample bags can be obtained at any Delaware Extension Office.
It is common to find low pH to be a problem in vegetable fields where there is poor growth. Mark any areas that are showing poor vegetable performance and once summer vegetables are finished, plan to take soil samples in these areas and field wide. Low pH spots will need additional lime this fall.
I encourage more vegetable growers to try some acreage using cover crops that can be no-tilled into next spring. In particular, hairy vetch has proven to be an excellent cover crop for late spring, direct-seeded and transplanted vegetables. The key is to plant as early in September as practical and make sure there is irrigation to get the hairy vetch out of the ground and growing this fall if there is no rain. Pumpkins no-tilled into hairy vetch are becoming the standard in much of the region, but we have limited acreage in Delaware.
A common question is when to stop spraying pumpkins for disease and insect control. Unless pumpkins will be harvested in the next two weeks, plan on additional sprays. The best place for a pumpkin is on a healthy vine. Late season powdery mildew will greatly reduce handle (stem) quality and reduce marketability. We have several growers that plant pumpkins into rye cover crops. The rye mulch has greatly improved quality by eliminating fruit rots and greatly reducing dirt where the pumpkin sits on the ground.