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Canada

Is it safe to start applying fertilizers again?

Reason I ask is because after reading a few posts below
and talking with a few other growers, I blame my past
"aborts" from Fertilizering before the females opened
and thats why they never opened and just fell off.

Only fertilizers Ive been useing are :

Seaweed extract in powder form when mixed with water it
looks like black coffe, directions tell me 2-3 TBS per
4 liters of water. Both plants have been getting a weekly drench of this stuff on and off with Neptunes mixed at same rate on and off from day one.

After applying 10-52-10 the past 2 weeks ive been getting nothing but females, I know have roughly 6 good females and all should be pollinated come end of week :-)

no other fertilizers have been used. last week it was nothing but rain and cooler nights so i couldnt add anything anyhow. So bascially plants have been fertilizer free for about a good week now minus the light doses of 10-52-10. Approx how long after all the fruits have been pollinated is it safe to go back to an every 3rd day foiler of mollases and a weekly drench of neptunes / seaweed extract

thanks

DaveM

8/2/2004 8:51:52 PM

Bountiful,Utah,USA

I am new to growing giant pumpkins so take this reply with a grain of salt.
I have been alternating 10-60-10 two to one with 15-30-15 right up till about a week before the female blossoms should be ready to open. None of them opened and they all fell off. So I hit the plants with 10-60-10 again. And none of the females were lost.
I did wait a week before using Fish emulsion and molassas and 10 days before 18-19-30 after the first pumpkins were pollinated. I expected the new females would abort, but that has not happened. In fact since fertilzing again the plant seem to be putting out lots of pumpkins, some pollinated up to this morning.
I have added some Iron and Ca to the mix. In fact I found a product yesterday that states on the label "..used to help your Tomatoes and OTHER plants set fruit..". It is called Yield Booster by ferti lome. It is 10% Calcium. It costs less than $4 a pint. It cant hurt.
I am now doubting that fertilzer is to blame. I wonder if it has more to do with the plants maturity and hormones. Take it for what it is worth.

8/3/2004 12:19:15 PM