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Canada

Ive been foiler spraying my Pumpking plants ( lightly mixed)
mollases on a weekly basis, along with a Deep Drenching weekly of ( lightly mixed) Neptunes Hydrolized fish.

does this sound about right till the fruits arrive? or whats your experiences with fertilizers.
and when the fruits do arrive do you add more fertilizer makeing the mix a tad bit stronger or just keep it the same?

thanks

DaveM

5/30/2004 9:54:23 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Dave,
Just curious as to why you're spraying the plants themselves with molasses? I've gathered from other folks on the issue that it's mainly used for feeding sugars to the soil bacteria. I don't have experience with using it previously, although I added dry molasses to my Spring prep this year.
2 first thoughts I have would be concerns that the sugars could possibly block your leaf pores, and that it might attract unwanted insects.
Just my thoughts....
PS...When fruits arrive stop fertilizing until after the fruit set. Too much fert could produce aborts.

5/30/2004 11:57:09 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

southern ive been foliar feeding my plants with molasses and using the symbex program and it seems to be doing them well i know potatoes and tomatoes sure like it,but if it isnt good for pumpkins i would like to know,im very curious to get all the opinions that i can i just dont want to screw up my first year growing burrhead

5/31/2004 2:05:47 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Oh, I'm not saying it's wrong or doesn't have merit. I just want to know *why* folks do it....hell, if it works I'll be glad to try it :0)

5/31/2004 2:55:52 AM

Benton Ky

I have done it once with no problems. I was like southern I was afraid it would cause an ant invasion but has'nt. The mombert you sent Southern is doing great. The stem is as big as my hoe handle. The wind from the storm last night broke my giant squash.

5/31/2004 7:01:22 AM

Brillion Wisconsin

try a site site search on this subject and you should find alot of information. If I remember correctly it has to due with raiseing the brix level(spelling?)

5/31/2004 7:23:00 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

If there was such a thing as the perfect time released fertilizer, we would apply it once just before planting & forget about it. The perfect fertilizer would release only those elements your soil test indicates is needed & only at those times your plant really needs it.

Since that doesn't exist, we can also apply different analysis based also on soil test & current plant need. These are likely soluble (or partly soluble organics like fish) that can be applied as often as daily so long as the total nutrient need doesn't become toxic.

Spoon feeding smaller amounts of fertilizer with greater frequency is safer for the plants & avoids the "roller coaster" ride of feast & famine that plants don't like but seemingly our egos do.

Molasses does contain potassium. But not in a form available to the plant through foliar absorbtion. I doubt it would harm foliage & perhaps might suppress Powdery Mildew (?????). Molasses does feed soil microbes so that is likely the greatest benefit as it rolls off the leaves & hits the soil. Time & microbes will even make that potash available at some point to the roots.

5/31/2004 7:36:28 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Thanks Randy...BTW, it's the 339# Little. The Mombert was just the mother.

5/31/2004 9:01:55 AM

Sheridan . NY

hi all-- fish seaweed and molasses and block # 4 of the Agro-k pumpkin program are being foliar fed on the plants at this time something different every day till the end of the season
the molasse helps the bio action that is alway going on the leaf surface and on the ground --unless you have kill the bios by high salts or choride fertlizer or some of those nastie soil killing funucides--- i have been feeding foliar feeding for over 12 years -->>vegies to fruits to the monsters with great results--- craig

5/31/2004 11:27:42 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

am I crazy or is there been a post removed from this thread?

5/31/2004 4:57:17 PM

Montoursville, PA

This subject has be discussed at great length here. Use the threads to get a fine basic education.

For those using or attempting to use Aerobic Tea black strap molasses is an, in solution, food support for the army, of new bacteria contained. When applied, to the leaves, as a compost foliar spray misses or uncovered spots are normal. Given food the bacteria continue, to grow, and occupy the leaf space that the bad guys need, to get a foothold....including the missed or void spaces which are normal. This can not be done with a non living non biological application. The bacteria and fungi too can follow the new growth, of the leaf. No non-living application can do that either. It might be fair warning that investing in any tea material that is not tested and proven to specifc known levels of success might be a dandy waste, of your hard earned money. My position is that if there are no test records available the proper action is, to turn away and immediately seek materials and equipment that are registered and certified. Cheap is exactly what it is when low bucks packages are advertised. Good oats has not been run through the horse before you get them. Once again we remind you that you get what you pay for.

6/3/2004 2:24:20 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Lots of things in this world work quite well without "records" to back the product/service up. If you want to prove your position, then post some proof that uncertified *doesn't* work or is a waste of $$$.
You wanna spend $300 for "proof" that's quite your business, sometimes you don't get what you pay for also...I make my tea the cheapo way and it works great, just check out some diary pics I'm about to post.
Follow this link, it's so simple..and cheap....nothing fancy needed and I know my tea is just fine, oh, uh, my plants know.
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp

6/3/2004 9:26:26 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Doc if you follow (and support) Elaine's compost tea recipe book - What is wrong with her instructions on making compost tea?


I just don't see the point in telling others that the cheap way of making aerobic tea does not have value.
If the instructions are followed correctly and quality ingredients are used the end product can be of the same high quality as any machine - full of beneficial bacteria and fungi.


One does not need to drop 3 hundy in order to make high quality tea. The machine is for convenience.


My POV is that I think that you are scaring people away from producing their own tea - thinking that they need an (expensive) machine in which to do so. This possibly excludes some growers from giving the tea a try.

Doc - You have done a fine job of Educating many growers on biological/healthly/ organic choices. There are probably more than you know and I salute and commend you on that. Unfortunately, I think you may be a little off base on this one.

6/4/2004 2:29:22 AM

Canada

On Wed of this past week I just brewed my FIRST compost
tea,, I was able to get some GOOD 5 year old compost from
a friend of mine that has several compost piles around his yard i took about 10 cups of it and placed it into a sock
and then dipped into 10 liters of warm water in a bucket i also put 1/2 TBS of Kelp meal, fish seaweed, feedmother earth product and some mollases. useing one of my old fish fumps and a line and a bubbler i bubbled the stuff for a approx 24 hours got rid of all the suit and pulled the soak
and poured the remains of the bucket around both of my plants on the patch. since then and also with the help from the hot warm days we have been haveing both of my plants the 620 Boyton and 1178 Wentzell have darkened up really nice and have been growing very very well!! I think this compost mix will be applied every 3rd week of each month that way i can still use my neptunes and fish seaweed for off week feedings and foilers.

dave

6/5/2004 10:01:57 PM