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Adams County

Do you only ues the surounding dirt to fill up the hole?
Or do you mix different things together ? compost manure peatmoss ect.. thanks Bill

2/12/2008 9:45:11 AM

Minnesota

I dug a pit this year for the first time to get the clay out, I filled it with 10 bags of store bought black dirt that I got free.

2/14/2008 11:44:57 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I have been doing the planting mound for a couple years. I usually dig out the cold clay, down about 2 feet and about 3 ft square, then refill with a mixture of my amended top soil, peat moss and composted manure, heaping the mound up about a foot abouve grade and about 4-5 ft in diameter. Last year I used a whole bale of peat moss in each mound. I also mixed in some kelp meal.

This has worked well for me, but some growers say it causes a problem when the roots "hit the wall". I have never seena problem with this and I know I get much better early season growth than before, because the soil is so much warmer.

My last years diary has some details

2/15/2008 2:03:12 PM

Adams County

thanks for the replies, last year was my first year growing.
I dug 4 holes mixed in differant soils, and endeed up with four pumokins that weighed. 456 lbs, 454 lbs, 412 lbs, 405 lbs.. all taped, not weighed. So I was just wondering if the mix in the holes was ok , or did i do something wrong. If I made a mistake I don't want to repeat. trying to get to the magical 10000 lb club. thanks agian Bill

2/16/2008 5:50:13 PM

Adams County

Uh... Pumpkins and 1000 lb club

2/16/2008 5:51:29 PM

Evart MI

BIll I did the same thing. Last year was my firs year also . I dug 4 holes about 2 feet deep 6x6 and filled them with composted horse manure. I got one pumpkin to 403 and 3 200lb fruits on one other plant. The other 2 plants had lots of aborts and blossom end rot.Need to balance the soil better but I think the pits worked pretty well all in all.

2/19/2008 7:14:32 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Bill, no HH here, but as a pkn plant grows, at each leaf node developes, it will put down roots...I read several times over the years that all of the roots deserve the same goodness!!! Bottom line from the advice I have read is to treat you whole patch as a planting zone!!! Peace, Wayne

2/19/2008 7:32:00 PM

Adams County

Wayne, and everyone else. I do treat the whole patch the same, but since the stump portion of the plant is bigger and the roots are bigger and deeper. I thought maybe this would be a greater main source of nutrition uptake for the plant. thats why i possed the question, just trying to cover all the bases i can. I'm after that 1000 lb club bad..Once agian thanks for the advice , and grow em big.. just Bill.

2/19/2008 8:41:55 PM

No Place Special

I amend my entire patch with goodies but recently started doing a pit also. 4'x4' and 2' deep or more works great for me. Plants look better early on when they were started in the extra nutrient deep pits.... my opinion.

2/19/2008 10:47:12 PM

Adams County

thats what i was trying to figure out. extra nutrients in the pit for the early growth . and by the time the fruit sets the extra nitrogen would be gone. just wondering. thanks for all the feedback, just bill

2/20/2008 7:15:18 PM