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Date Posted

Waukesha

So I am ammending my hard clay soil with compost to a depth of 3 feet. I want to add alot of gypsum to keep it loose. Any guidance on amount would be helpful or be too much for my pumpkins. It's rock hard clay.

9/18/2019 11:29:55 AM

Midway, UT

Soil test would be a good starting point to see how much calcium and sulfur is already in the soil. You don't want to add too much of anything.

9/18/2019 4:47:59 PM

Westmoreland, KS

Yep a soil test is great. My Soil was exactly like your soil hard clay. You just need to know what the PH of your soil is you don't want to add sulfur if you have low ph and many more things a soil test will help you figure out. I like to think of soil as a work in progress it normally takes years to get it to where you want it. But starting now is exactly when you need to start and then in early spring take another soil test and compare the two tests.

9/18/2019 10:32:37 PM

Waukesha

Great idea. Question. How far do pumpkin roots go down. Is 3 feet okay. Or is that overkill.

9/19/2019 12:51:13 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Pumpkin roots will go as deep as the oxygen is.

9/19/2019 7:26:22 AM

Midway, UT

It is surprising how big a pumpkin root system can be: http://www.giantpumpkinman.com/2019/04/pumpkin-mythbusters-how-big-is-pumpkin.html

9/19/2019 9:44:27 AM

Colorado

If you amend deeper than 18" imho your wasting your time.Besides breaking up your topsoil try to improve your drainage with some sort of tiling like farmers do to drain swampy areas or pvc drainage in a trench grid.Amending with organics/compost will loft your patch over the years. You end up elevated topsoil(a big pillow) which is a good thing.

9/19/2019 10:41:20 AM

Waukesha

Great. Engels great pumpkin. I am in Wisconsin as well. Besides checking Wisconsins department of agriculture website. Is there any specific time I should really watch out for squash vine borers. Had a tough time with them this year

9/20/2019 12:20:05 PM

Waukesha

Great. Engels great pumpkin. I am in Wisconsin as well. Besides checking Wisconsins department of agriculture website. Is there any specific time I should really watch out for squash vine borers. Had a tough time with them this year

9/20/2019 12:20:06 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

If you follow BP during the year...you will hear about the northerly spread of the SVB's. I think it depends much on weather. Growers report when they see the first sign. You can not worry about it..and protect yourself very early. But if you want to reduce the amount of systemic pesticide or want to grow completely organic...it pays to read the diaries every year.

9/20/2019 8:44:48 PM