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Rhode Island

a quick message for the new growers out there in pumpkin land.

the best seed in the world can not develope properly in poor soil. soils that does not drain well, is low on organic matter,and does not have the nutrients available to feed the plant /pumpkins growth, or the biological additives to prevent disease through-out the season.

concentrate your efforts on keeping a healthy soil (and plant ) and every seed you plant will give you its maximum result.

soil-sun-seed in that order. ya need all three. lets not forget water as well. ya dont need to over water because that contributes to rot and disease as well. moist evenly watered soil as needed is sufficient

pap.

11/16/2009 8:15:18 AM

Cedar Lake, IN.

Pap, keep'em coming.

11/16/2009 8:53:13 AM

Sacramento, Ca

Pap, I think you are right on the mark about the soil. When it comes to your dirt, are you in the til or no til club?

11/18/2009 10:54:18 AM

Rhode Island

ya gotta till in your ammendments. they dont do any good sitting on top of the soil.
i dont like the fact that im killing some worms when tilling ( i till only in the fall after adding ammendments off my soil test) but there are plenty i missed plus more next year as well.i usually dont till agin in the spring, the patch is still loose from the fall tilling. over tilling is definately not a good thing.

sometimes i use a broad fork several times around the plant during the season if i think the ground needs to be loosened up

11/19/2009 7:57:38 AM

Finksburg, Md

Pap, what is the best way for me to test my soil, to determine if it needs help?

11/19/2009 6:52:12 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Dig at least spade deep in several spots in patch, with a clean shovel, and put dirt in a clean 5 gallon pail, mix up well, measure two cups and dry it.

Doublebaggie it and send it to A&L Labs West. You want the S3C test and pay the extra $2 to have recommendations and extra $1 for bar graph. Mark recommendations 'per 1000 square feet' and put 'Giant Pumpkins' in the crop type. They have a printoff form on website. S3C with both options is $33 and well worth it.

Best time to do fall test is right after you harvest your pumpkins and start clearing patch; then amend; next is first thing in spring after things thaw enough to work; then amend.

11/20/2009 3:47:58 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

So then pap, you do not grow a cover crop?

11/20/2009 10:52:25 AM

Rhode Island

we did not get a chance to put in a cover crop this year because we were late getting the results back,then adding the manure,and reccomended ammendments.
funny though had we known the fall would stretch into the end of november we could have had enough time for the rye to grow a bit.

pap

11/21/2009 8:12:48 AM

Finksburg, Md

Thanks, Okiegal I am in the process of sending off my soil this week. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

11/22/2009 8:26:51 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

i see you are in md. i lived there until 2006. ypu can save some money by sending the sample to a&l eastern labs in richmond va. i sent mine last tuesday had results in my email on friday. -jim

11/23/2009 1:18:21 PM

Finksburg, Md

Jim, thanks for the info can I use the same forms or does a&l eastern have their own forms.

11/23/2009 7:31:18 PM