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San Diego

I am new to growing giant pumpkins and I have a question regarding the type of fertilizer I should use. I read that you want to start the plant out with a fertilizer that is high in phosphorus for root development, then nitrogen, than phosphorus again for blossoming, then potassium for the fruit. I also read that granular fertilizer is usually slow-release versus liquid fertilizer which is quick-release. With all the switching, should I be using quick-release liquid fertilizer? I am 17 and I don't make a lot of money so I have to stick with what I can afford, and what I am currently looking at are the different types of Miracle-Gro that are meant for other purposes. Is this the right route to take? If not, please list some possibilities and thanks for the help!

3/10/2015 1:43:11 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I prefer to get most of what my plant will need in the soil before planting, including slow release nitrogen. I prefer to keep the fertilizers as organic as possible. A lot of the inorganic fertilizers are high in chloride (salt), especially potassium chloride which is also called muriate of potash. I prefer sulfate of potash. High salt is a big concern in the western states, where there is lower rainfall. My area gets lots of rain to leach salts out, so I can get by using a little bit of granular fertilizer. I'm sure last year's flood did a lot of leaching. Organic nitrogen doesn't leach out like artificial nitrogen. Animal manures can have high salts from the urine. The manure that I use is piled up outside in the weather for 3 to 4 years and turned twice a year to compost it. The rain leaches out most of the salt.

I do some foliar feeding on my pumpkins if weight gains start to drop off. I use Schultz tomato food as it is higher potash and has some micronutrients. I add molasses to increase the sugar content in the leaves to stimulate the plant to send more to the fruit. I figure that some will runoff and get to the soil to feed the roots. I also put very small amounts in the water that I warm up in garbage cans along with humic acid, compost tea and molasses to feed the soil biology. I try to avoid high feedings while the pumpkin is growing to avoid blow-ups. Also, too much potash while the fruit is growing can cause your pumpkin to mature too quick and stop growing. I do much more foliar feeding on my long gourds because they grow on a trellis and don't get all of the vine roots. I like to keep the soil bacteria active as they will be breaking down the soil into compounds that plants can take in a little bit at the time all season to keep up continuous feeding.

3/10/2015 8:31:40 AM

San Diego

Thanks for the reply. Based on what you said, I should probably be worrying more about salts. I decided to try growing a little too late this year, and it will be hard for me to make my soil amendments before it is time to plant. Further, I have no available manure besides a truckload of composted manure that someone is giving away for free. I don't have any idea what the quality of the manure is, but I can guess it has a lot of salt. What are some of the organic fertilizers you use?

3/10/2015 11:48:48 AM

Plymouth, Mass.

Check out some of the grower supply companies...Wallace organic wonders or Holland giants. They both have fertilizer programs you can follow. But do get a soil test this spring ASAP and amend your soil prior to the planting season.

3/10/2015 12:28:01 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Mainly manure, compost alfalfa meal and kelp meal. You have to make sure the alfalfa doesn't have salt added for feeding to animals and kelp might have a little bit of salt. Sulfate of potash is considered OK for organic farming. I use worm castings in the planting hole to get the plants off to a fast start. I also bury fish real deep and keep an electric fence to keep critters from digging it up. Some growers use fish emulsion or other liquid fish and seaweed products. If the manure is composted it might not be too bad for salt. The worst manure is what comes from deep bedding pack confinement buildings, as the urine soaks into the bedding. If the manure comes from an open lot, the urine and salts can run off and it should be OK. It can take a lot of manure over several years to give you salt problems, unless you already have high salt. If it is available I would get it. If you can afford a good soil test, that will give you an idea of what you need and what to avoid.

3/10/2015 12:29:25 PM

Muddy Waters

Heres a great way to go http://worldwidegiantgrowers.com/Membership.html

3/10/2015 1:38:44 PM

San Diego

A soil test is something I am doing no matter what. I know there is something wrong with the dirt.

3/10/2015 2:22:40 PM

Seattle, WA

Somebody, keep in mind that high P will inhibit mycorrhizal infection. So if you're applying high P for root development then there's no point in applying myco around the same time.

3/11/2015 1:13:02 PM

Bethlehem CT

I prefer granular because I am low tech, If I had a nice drip tape layout with a dose-a-tron injector I would be doing the liquids more often. Growing in an arid climate is so much different than what I have experience with, so it is hard for me to comment on salt build up.

3/11/2015 2:36:35 PM

San Diego

The manure should be no problem. I just discovered that is also aged and it is piled into massive mounds. I am guessing this pile has been built on for a long time...

3/11/2015 5:19:10 PM

San Diego

From what I have been reading, the idea is get the soil perfectly balanced and then mostly focus on making the nutrients as available as possible. Fertilizers should be use at a minimum to avoid messing up the balance. Is this correct?
And another thing...I picked up the load of composted cow manure and it looked perfectly ready, but I did notice that it smelled somewhat like ammonia. I read that this is because of cow urine, and if this is the case, I think I may have trouble with salt and the high pH. Do you guys always have to lower the pH after using manure?

3/13/2015 11:03:50 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Manure can be low ph: a lot of farmers around who have livestock and apply lots of manure here have to lime their fields more often. The hobby farmer who gives me the manure has his shed floors surfaced with finely crushed limestone so some gets scraped up with manure. Also my patch is close to a busy road surfaced with crushed limestone and dolomite and gets lots of road dust. My ph runs from 7.15 to 7.35 so I don't have to raise it at all..

3/14/2015 7:20:32 AM

Muddy Waters

If the manure smells is not ready for the patch.it should be broken down.With just a dirt smell to it

3/31/2015 5:48:41 AM