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Getting Ready

All right, here we go. This is truly the start of the next growing season.
Big pumpkins take some planning. They need good soil. I am starting to work
on the soil now. My patch will be about 48 feet by 56 feet, a rectangle,
nearly a square. I took a look at the soil by putting some in a large jar so
that it was half full of soil. After filling the jar with water and then
shaking it up, I let it settle down into three layers. The bottom layer is
sand, the next layer silt and the top layer clay. By measuring and
calculating using the thickness of the layers, my soil is 70% sand, 25% silt
and 5% clay. This falls into the category of sandy loam and brought a smile
to my face. There is a book called "Start with the Soil" published by Rodale
which is great winter reading.

I got two dump truck loads of compost from the local compost facility and had
it dumped by my garden. After spreading it about evenly, I picked out a piece
of a Barbie doll and several other larger pieces of plastic and a few old
tennis balls. Compost here isn't as good as Chris Anderson gets. I tilled the
compost in using my trusty Troy Built Tiller, down about 8 inches.

I then planted some winter rye for green manure. It came up quickly and the
deer ate it just as quickly. I am now in the process of building a fence
around the entire garden using 4x4 treated lumber 10 feet long which I will
bury three feet into the ground and later attach one to the other with
treated 2x4s. This will give me 7 feet above the ground and I will attach
some plastic deer fencinging to these 2x4s. It is called Deer-x and comes in
100 foot long rolls , 7 feet high. I hope a 7 foot high fence will keep those
deer out.

I took some soil samples today and will shortly be sending the soil off to be
analyzed so that I can add lime if the pH is below 7. Around here soil is
always acid.

I'll update you as I move along. You real experts out there feel free to
criticize what I am doing as I go along. I can use some constructive
criticism. I am serious about 1998. In 1997 I spent time trying to create
some good seeds. I plan on going to California, if I have to, for seeds. I'll
be in the Ottawa Seed Lottery. I'll see what Ray Waterman has. I'll trade.
I'll do what it takes. Without good genetics I know I won't do well. My
biggest pumpkin this last year was only 449. We had bad weather in PA but I
also made some mistakes. Ciliberto beat me again.

I intend to have four plants in this garden. I have another garden with a
friend but this garden mentioned above will be my main growing site. I will
start my seeds on May 6. This is the date Chris Anderson started his seeds
and if that was good enough for Chris it certainly is good enough for me. I
started on April 29 last year and I think it was a little early. I think Norm
Craven also starts on May 6. In April I intend to build my pumpkin shelters.

Marv in Altoona PA
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