Patch info, Part 2
In case you missed part 1 go to the Oct. archives.
We now have our soil test results which were done at Penn State and
IAS Laboratories in Phoenix. Both sides of the patch were tested because
of the different soil types and will be refered to as 1131 and 1190.
Probably the strangest thing is the pH level which is 7.1 on the 1131
side and 6.0 on the 1190 side. K level is medium on the 1131 side but
everything else is in the high to very high range including N, P, Ca,
Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, and S. Boron was the only low level.
I talked to Dr. Paul Eberhart at IAS today about the results. He feels
that the high to very high nitrogen level probably caused the seeds to
mature very slowly and also led to the 1190 splitting. He also
recommended adding some lime to the pH 6.0 area but didn't seem too
concerned about the level. He also felt that the organic material
released an adequate amount of Boron through the season.
It would appear that anyone who is overly concerned about pH shouldn't
be and although 6.5 to 6.8 is considered the optimum range, if your soil
is a little high or low don't sweat it and don't do anything drastic to
change it quickly. Nutrient levels may need to be higher for AG's
than other crops but care must be taken to not let anything get too
excessive.
I can tell you that the soil in the patch was in very poor condition
when we started it 2 years ago and it was more luck than anything
to get it in good enough shape to grow 2 1100+ pumpkins with 2 different
seeds in the same year. Probably the most important factors were a good
water supply, plenty of fresh cow manure and the Ironite which we used
to get the nutrient levels up to where they are.
The only thing that really went wrong ( other than the Letterman Show)
was the lack of mature seed, but maybe this is something that must be
sacrificed in order to gain weight. Possibly we will learn more about
this in the coming years.
Larry
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