Are We Prepared?

>Do you want to lead the path and inform the list what is happening to
>pumpkins at this stage?

Ok, I will dispense with the police jokes, out of the abstract and into
reality.

For many of you that are new to this group  things are about to really take
off for you and you will want to be prepared. Much of what I am about to
relay to you I learned here in this group, from other growers or from trial
and error, sometimes success!

 A few thoughts:


>When do you start fertilizing pumpkins


Fertilize only if you need to. It is best to develop a fert. program based
on a soil test. If you have not tested your soil or even if you have earlier
on a good time to do so is late June or early July, just prior to fruit set
and heavy fruit growth. By this time the ground has warmed enough and you
will get good soil test readings, particularly with regard to nitrogen
levels. Make your final fert. adjustments based on your test results just
prior to fruit set. I do this based on my report with granular fert., I
blend my own granular fert. based on what is required, buying the specific
components and blending them, then broadcast with a whirly bird spreader
beneath the plant. Do not get granular fert. on the leafs of the plant as
burning of the leaf's will most likely result. If you are working in low CEC
soils (Sandy Loam) your nutrients will leach faster than in a high CEC soil.
If working in a low CEC soil Develop a low and slow fert program that may be
used for a better part of the season. I like something along the lines of a
2-6-6. Add some kelp to supplimet micro-nutrients which are not contained in
many ferts. Most ferts contain the primary nutrients but lack the needed
micro nutrients. You can gauge your nitrogen requirements based on the color
of your plant. If your plant has started to vine out and is very pale green
you are low in nitrogen, dark lush green and you are high or too high in
nitrogen. Do not fert. very young plants, give them a chance to put roots
down and if you do fert them use low dose ferts. to begin or you will do
more damage to the roots than good. Remember not enough fert is better than
too much. Too much can accumulate in your soil raising your levels of
nutrients and or micro-nutrients to toxic levels, cause premature burnout of
your plant and ripening of the fruit too soon! You can always add more
later!

>When do you start mounding your pumpkins


Start mounding dirt over your vines as soon as the vine is on the ground.
This will help stabalize the plant until secondary vines grow out. I like to
mound right up to the stump. An option to this is to dig a trench, lay the
vine in the trench and backfill it. Do not do this too close to the stump or
you may create to much of an angle on the vine at the stump and it will
split. I like to mound from the stump out several ft. then use the trench
method. Note do not dig the trenches to deep. Your roots from the stump will
stay several ft. ahead of the tips of the vines. If you dig too deep you
will dig up those valuable roots. Try and trench ahead of the vines. If you
can't do this then use the mounding method.

>Why do pumpkins shrivel up and die.


Maybe your plant doesn't  like you! Could be root damage, lack of water,
disease or any other number of reasons? If you really want to determin the
problem, if it is a problem you can take a tissue sample and sent it into
your local testing lab. Best to call around in your area for a local lab and
ask how they would like you to send in the sample and from what part of the
plant do they want you to take the sample from.

>how much water to apply when they are first staring out


This depends on the type of soil you have. Heavy soils such as clay will
retain water, sandy, loamy or sandy loam soils lose water rapidly and
require more water. Watch your plant and see that it does not wilt. Water in
a good radius around your plant. At the 4 or 5 leaf stage your plant has
roots out 2ft -3ft or more depending on how loose your soil is and how much
water is available at a distance from the plant. At this stage I am watering
6ft. out from the plant. On average these plants require 1" to 1 1/2" of
water per week.

>Soil compression


Do not walk on your dirt! Use a board to work in your patch. I cut a number
of 3/4" 4X8 sheets of plywood in half. This will help prevent soil
compaction. Also, if you till late in the season keep at least 4ft. to
5ft.from the tips of any vines of the plant or you will be in the root zone.
The roots on these plants may grow 20 ft. plus out from the stump! If you
don't believe me get out in the patch and start digging with a shovel close
to the tips of your vines. The white strings you will start pulling up are
roots from main stump of the plant! The more roots you lose the less weight
you gain!

>Vine positioning

If your plants are at the tipping stage, that point at which they are
beggining to lean over to vine out, it is critical that they be supported.
If the plant and vine are allowed to just flop over you can subject the main
vine at the stump to cracking or splitting. Mound a little dirt under it and
let it come down gently. If you have a main vine that is insisting on
sticking straight up or at a 45 degree angle and does not want to come down
you can take a couple of pieces of bamboo or 3/4" stakes and make a pair of
scissors over the vine. Tie a piece of string or wire at the point the
scissors cross over the vine. String a pair of panty hose between the
scissors under the vine. As the vine grows out the weigh will bring it down.
The panty hose will give it support and you can gently lower it to the
ground over a few days. I prefer Legg's! When you go to set fruit make sure
it is set on the outside curve of a vine. You can position the vine over a
few days during the heat of the day so that the fruit is on the outside of a
curve. I use small stakes in the ground and slowly bend the vine so when the
first female shows in this area of the vine she is on the outside curve.
PumpkinGuy has a good brochure with illustrations of how this should look!

>Types for fertilizers and additives to use with your fertilizers.

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to this subject. I feel the
fundmental building block is a good quality compost added in the fall or
early spring which is well mixed into the soil. Compost will add many of the
nutrients / micro-nutrients required in addition to improving organic
levels. Another words it will do much of the work for you that the addition
of chemical ferts. will do, although chemical ferts. will most likely have
to be added to fine tune your soil. I do not feel growing pumpkins in
straight compost is a good idea. Compost has a carbon / nitrogen ratio that
on average will vary from 20:1 to as high as 50:1. This is not a well
balanced media for plants to be growing in and will hinder you more than
help. From here I Iike to add a granular fertilizer in early spring and only
if required based on my soil test. Again I blend my own fert. based on soil
test results for the specific application requirements. A foliar feed is
also good with kelp added to supplement for micro-nutrients. Use a cold
process kelp, typically they are bright green and stink like hell vs. dark
brown kelp which has been heat processed. Heat processing of kelp breaks
down much of the growth hormones and regulators in it which are beneficial.
I apply kelp every two weeks in a foliar application. It may also be used as
a ground soak around young plants once they have been in the ground for a
couple of weeks and established themselfs. Your soil test in late June or
early July will tell you mid season what to add or what not to add. You may
need to completly dispense with any fertilizer at this time. However, if you
don't test your guess is as good as mine?


>How often do you apply your fertilizers and when is the best time?


I apply fert every two weeks, typically by foliar application very early in
the morning before the heat of the day. Applying foliars in the middle of
the day when temps are high can result in burning of the plant. Granular fer
t is applied in early spring and then again mid season under the plant with
a whirly bird type spreader then washed in by spraying water under the
plant. Remember ferts. should be used as a supplement for what is not
already in your soil or what your plant has used and your soil is running
low in! I only fert. if I have to based on the reports and my observation of
how the plant looks.


>When is the best time to water your pumpkin?


Early moring if possible! I mist so the plants are watered all day in small
amounts. When temps are low I water twice per week splitting the watering so
the total water = 1" per week. I have a water meter on my irrigation system
so I can tell exactly how much water I am apply and if I am in this range.
Do not water at night or late afternoon. The plant should be allowed to dry
well before dark or you may subject your plant to disease, mold etc.

Remember, this is what I do, every grower has different climatic conditions,
soil types and methodology for growing these giants. You have to pick and
choose what you feel is best suited for your own style and conditions.

Hope this helps!
Chris
===================================================

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index