Re: Calcium Nitrate Benefits?
In a message dated 5/1/00 11:32:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Pumkinguy@aol.com writes:
<< In a message dated 5/1/00 4:11:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
LIpumpkin@aol.com
writes:
<< Nate....I know that Dick Wallace has a info sheet out with instructions
on
growing giant pumpkins that came with his seeds a few years back. he says
that before the plants go outside,spread 10 lbs of calcium nitrate granular
in a 12 foot diameter circle around each planting site. he then goes on
with
the fertilization plans he has for the rest of the year.But at least 10lbs
is
a guide you m >>
Gang,
Putting 10 pounds of Calcium Nitrate on a 12 foot circle (only 108 sq.
feet) is the same as putting 3800 pounds of Calcium Nitrate on an acre. At,
say , 15% N that is 570 pounds of pure Nitrogen per acre. That is 3 or 4
times the normal dose needed to grow pumpkins. Remember you may be adding
additional nitrogen with manures , regular fertilizer and water solubles.
Unless you were growing in some strange media like saw dust, brown leaves,
straw bedding etc. with a Carbon/Nitrogen ratio that was totally out of
whack, I can't see the benefit of using that much nitrogen. Especially on a
young plant that hasn't set fruit yet. Mid season I sidedress my commercial
fields with 50 to 75 pounds of nitogen max..........that's for a whole acre.
They are plenty green. If your soil test said your calcium levels were low, a
little calcium nitrate would be good in the beginning. I like to use calcium
nitrate after fruit set when the fruit starts to put on big weight
gains...get that water soluble calcium into the fruit. People like calcium
Nitrate (and rightly so) for the water soluble calcium, sometimes forgetting
that there is a whole lot of Nitrogen in it too. Nitrogenwise it would be
like dumping 10 pounds of granular Miracle grow on the young plant (12 foot
circle) in addition to anything else that is already there.
pumkinguy
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