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Walhalla, ND.

Soil sample results from last fall. New grower asking for help/ suggestions

Nitrate 52lbs / ac
Phosphorus 184 ppm
Potassium. 445 ppm
Chloride. 28lbs / ac
Sulfur. 128lbs / ac
Boron. 10.7 ppm
Zinc. 4.22 ppm
Iron. 38.1 ppm
Manganese. 4.1 ppm
Calcium 1808 ppm
Sodium. 10.0 ppm
Organic matter. 2.7%
Carbonate (CCE). 0.3 %
Sol. Salts. 0.2 mmho/cm

3/6/2016 11:56:07 AM

Walhalla, ND.

Requesting for Giant Pumpkin Growing

3/6/2016 12:07:17 PM

aurora, IL

What is your soil pH? You will need to increase your OM%, apply composted manure and till it in.

3/6/2016 3:05:09 PM

aurora, IL

Your Boron levels are very high. You will need to increase your potassium to 2140ppm to balance out with the Boron. Ideally the K:B rate should be 200:1(ppm). Add 0.027oz of potassium per 1000sqft.

3/6/2016 4:07:28 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Sorry guys my ph is 7.3

3/6/2016 4:14:24 PM

aurora, IL

Oops, it should 1.42oz per 1000sqft.

3/6/2016 4:20:02 PM

Germany

Don´t worry about your potassium, it is already high enough (don´t try to increase the K level in order to compensate the K/B ratio). Much more important (in my opinion) is the Ca content in your soil, it is a bit too low for your K content and also for your high boron some more Ca can´t hurt. I would try to increase Ca to maybe 3000 ppm (by adding gypsum).

Just wondering how much magnesium is in your soil. Did you forget to list it here, or did you get a soil analysis with so many components but without magnesium???

With pH of 7.3 you should consider using foliar fertilizer for trace minerals (especially for manganese).

3/6/2016 4:24:02 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Sorry again, magnesium is 331 ppm

3/6/2016 4:27:34 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Copper is 0.44 ppm. I think I got it all now, lol

3/6/2016 4:29:49 PM

Germany

Magnesium looks fine (add a little epsom salts, maybe get Mg up to 400 ppm, but that´s just fine-tuning). With Ca at 3000 ppm your Ca/Mg/K ratio would look fine to me.

Try to increase the content of organic matter by using peat, because that will help to lower your pH a bit (helps with the availability of trace minerals) and it won´t shoot your K content into the sky. (By adding compost and manure you could easily end up with K higher than 1000 or 1500 ppm, and excessive nitrogen might also cause troubles).

3/6/2016 4:35:11 PM

aurora, IL

The potassium should be 1.42 lbs per 1000sqft and Ca needs to be added at 0.1 lbs per 1000sqft, sorry about that.

3/6/2016 4:38:56 PM

Walhalla, ND.

I have access to a wide range of cattle manure, anywhere from 1yr old to 20 year old, there's a lot of cattle farmers in the area. Would old manure do in place of peat moss?

3/6/2016 4:39:39 PM

aurora, IL

Only if well composted it might work.

3/6/2016 4:47:08 PM

Walhalla, ND.

I really do appreciate you guys analyzing this for me, this is one of the hardest subjects to try to figure out. I probably have a sample that has to much info, but this is what the farm bureau did. It was done on the basis of general garden growing, potatoes, and onions, wheat, ect. This is farm country.

3/6/2016 4:52:30 PM

aurora, IL

You are welcome and it is better to have more info to create a bigger picture of your soil.

3/6/2016 4:58:14 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Thanks for the info will get on these adjustments and keep you posted. First have to Waite till the snow goes. But we're having beautiful weather right now, in the 50s, and spouse to continue all week. I'm loving it. I've been doing seed germination practice using soaking and non soaking methods. I should have those results in a day or two. Also using snow melted and boiled. Versus rural water, which is treated.

3/6/2016 4:59:15 PM

aurora, IL

What type of soil do you have? If you have a lot of clay using peat moss could turn your soil into a brick. Also, if you all gypsum you will raise your pH. You could use composted horse manure or mushroom composted, but not too much. They are acidic and help to add OM and lower pH. Use Biomin Calcium Soluble Powder (available at www.hollandsgiants.com) to increase your Ca(ppm).

3/6/2016 6:18:16 PM

aurora, IL

Meant if you use gypsum.

3/6/2016 6:19:45 PM

Walhalla, ND.

The soil is more one the sandy side, it drains well, have to water often.

3/6/2016 7:32:39 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Christopher24 here are some other #s on this soil test
Cation exchange capacity 13.0 meq
% Base saturation. (Typica Range)
% Ca. % Mg. % K. % Na
(65-75). (15-20). (1-7). (0-5)
69.6. 21.1. 8.8. 0.3

3/6/2016 8:04:47 PM

Colorado

Your soil #,s are pretty good with the exception of the high boron. Id add some well composted manure if you can get some. Try to lower ph with say 3lbs elemental sulfur per 1000 square feet. your ca/mg ratio is ideal so if you add ca then add potassium which manure will do.

3/6/2016 8:35:08 PM

Colorado

Sorry I meant if you add ca then add magnesium. Manure is high in ca and potassium not magnesium.

3/6/2016 10:03:01 PM

aurora, IL

Here is a link to help with fertilizer calculations from Western Labs. http://results.westernlaboratories.com:8000/2-Atlantic%20Giant%20Pumpkins/Fertilizer%20Calculations%20for%20AGP.pdf

3/6/2016 10:45:09 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Thanks
Pumpking
Christopher24
cojoe
I greatly appreciate all your your feedback. I've been studying growing Atlantic Giants all winter. Once I got ahold of the soil sample from Mr. Ed, trying to figure out how to make the adjustments proved to be quite difficult.
I've been reading a lot of other posts on this site add a little of this trying to adjust that makes the other get to high. This is definitely one of the hardest areas of growing these monsters I've come across.
Thanks again for all your support.
Kent...

3/7/2016 8:31:09 AM

Nampa

Boron also moves with the water. It is possible that the melting snow will leach some of the boron beyond the root system. With your sandier well drained soil, I wouldn't expect you have high boron. It could come in with your water though. Western Labs does have good info on soil tests. Good luck this year!

3/8/2016 12:32:21 AM

Walhalla, ND.

Good news folks, my boron was a typo. I had impute 10.7. It's actually, 0.7, So I guess I need to raise it a tad.

3/8/2016 8:10:33 AM

Germany

Exactly. Try to double your boron and everything should be fine.

3/8/2016 8:13:40 AM