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Indiana

Is the agro k program the way to go?? Is it worth the $ If you used it, let me know what you think, good or bad. please e-mail me privately. I need to know if i need to start saving the $ for next years crop.

10/5/2004 8:52:32 PM

Walton N.y.

i think craig lembke said that 12 growers using the agro-k plan grew pumpkins over 1000 lbs and many others have set new p.b.'s and think it helped us get a 116lb watermelon and 2 fruit over 1000lbs this year not to mention 2 other fruit that beat our old p.b. we use it on our whole garden and fruit trees as well and have seen better crops all the way across the board

10/6/2004 8:54:22 PM

new middletown ohio

I went with the program this year and had 2 pumpkins over 1000#. a 1070.5 and a 1008.5
my personal best by 113#. I also had 3 more pumpkins over 900#.I had a 173.5 watermelon
and 2 field pumpkins over 62#. The Initial
cost wasn't all that bad, and I only have to replentish a few of the items. You only use a few ounces per gal per plant, so it goes a long way. It worked for me! Raggu

10/6/2004 10:22:21 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

You can visit Craigs website at www.candjfert.com, or email him at craig@candjfert.com
I've already got mine!
Tom

10/7/2004 6:54:14 AM

Commack, NY

Moondog, i think the more important thing here is to get your soil in its optimum condition first. Any program, regardless of how good, is not a substitute for well prepared soil. I havent used an ounce of fert in probably 4 years. This year i was in a new patch......882 lbs. Last year, 1,030, but that was 5 years worth of soil prep behind it. Dan Carlson, same thing......no fert, this year 1,432 dmg, 874, 1016.5, 930, 798 and a squash estimated at 1060 lbs. I suppose the skeptic might say, "well if he used some program he wouldnt have split out the squash, and the 1432", but im not convinced. I have no doubt that there are benefits, but its not the cure all. If you decide to go the program route that's fine, but you need good soil first and foremost. Now if it ever came out that Al Eaton grew his world record in untested soil, and only used this program, and nothing else........well then i'd be sold. Some people swear by it, im just trying to give you another view point.

10/7/2004 9:09:45 AM

Puyallup, WA

Craig's products are very concentrated. You do not need much if your soil is in good shape. DO NOT use the "moron" principle with his products! ie.....The "More" you put "On", the better it works.

10/7/2004 12:36:01 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Craig will be the first on to tell you that soil prep is very important, but once you hear what the program does (it's not a bunch of chemicals killing the soil), it make sense to use.
I agree on soil prep 100%, most of the long time growers that I have spoken to say it will take a few years to build your soil up, using the Agro-k along with soil prep make sense.
Give Craig a call and make your own opinion

Tom

10/7/2004 1:56:43 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

As of right now:
7 growers on the Agro-K Pumpkin program took first place at their respective weigh offs...
13 growers were over 1000 lbs across the country...
30 growers reported personal best!

Just thought you might want to know.

10/7/2004 4:27:06 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

make it 31 growers i used the program and had two pumpkins over 400lbs i lost them due to to much water hurricane ivan but i managed to finish out the season my first with my pb of 269lbs not bad for a very late set and all the rain we had so i say give it a try it is a awsome product!

10/7/2004 5:14:40 PM

Hensler North Dakota

Make it 32 growers I had 2 over my pb

10/7/2004 6:57:33 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Sweet!
Look forward to being part of this PB crowd next season!
Tom

10/7/2004 10:02:29 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Make it 33. All of mine were over my pb.

10/8/2004 12:25:57 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I have looked at the Agro-K plan for feeding and caring for your pumpkins as written by Craig Lembke. It looks like you spray something almost every day. I am wondering if any of you who used the products have any suggestions about how to use them in the most effective manner. Any tricks to their use? Any thoughts about what you did and how it might work better?

11/15/2004 8:42:22 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Every day?

11/16/2004 6:52:10 AM

huntsburg,ohio

Yes everyday or as i did atleast 5 out of 7 days aweek.Craig's program isn't exact, close but still a work in progress.I'm gonna cut back a little next year as i thought my plants were a little too green this year.It's all foliar except for the symbex which is put into the soil.Jerry

11/16/2004 7:42:51 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

If you were spraying 5 days out of the week, how did you handle things like rain for three or four days in a row? And how did you water your plants? Overhead, drip, or hose at the plant base?

11/16/2004 1:12:04 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Jerry...did you get to go to work, or sleep any?

11/16/2004 7:41:55 PM

huntsburg,ohio

I water overhead and spray just before dark as that is the best time to foliar feed.If it was raining then i didn't spray that day.maybe some weeks got 4 times others 6.Kyle time is a tough thing and getting tougher as i'm finding out.I'm cutting back from 12 plants to 8 this year.Jerry

11/17/2004 8:48:18 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I spoke with Craig Lembke and he recommends that the plants be watered at the base and over the entire growing mound of the pumpkin and says the water will run out onto the rest of the roots. He doesn't want to get water on the leaves I think because it would wash off what you are spraying on. I guess though that if you spray in the evening and water in the morning that anything sprayed on the leaves that is going to be absorbed is already in the plant. Jerry, when you sprayed the Agro-K products on the plants were you spraying until the leaves were wet enough that the stuff you were spraying was running off the leaves? Also, what did you do with whatever was left over? Continue spraying until the sprayer was empty? Or use it on the tomatoes etc? Also, as a point of interest have you been using systemic fungicides as well as contact fungicides along with Warrior T or triazide? This adds another day or two of the week spraying. I am somewhat amazed that the leaves can stand all of this stuff being sprayed on them. I don't think my skin or yours could take it.

11/17/2004 3:35:52 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Jerry...I hear ya', I'm cutting back to 5 plants, *finally*.
It took me several years to learn that...too many plants will hurt your weights (well, obviously not in your case :0)...and too many plants will hurt your family life.

11/17/2004 6:36:55 PM

Western Pa.

Lubadub,

If I can speak for Jerry, he uses a gas powered "fogger" that creates a cloud of mist that reaches all parts of the leaves. I've found that when the plants are small you can use 1/2(or less) of Craig's recommended amounts, so as not to waste product. It can also be used on all other vegetables. I also don't think it's necessary to spray Warrior T and such as often when using the program. The only product I'm not completely sold on is using Topsim M(only as a last resort), from what I've read it is extremely toxic to the earthworms that seem to thrive under the program.

11/17/2004 7:15:12 PM

huntsburg,ohio

I put on a gallon of liquid on each 600 sq ft plant if any extra spray on garden, flowers, sweet corn ,etc.Use a mist blower to apply and whatever it takes to kill bugs and disease.Jerry

11/18/2004 8:16:06 AM

Montoursville, PA

I use one quart spray bottles at start up until the combined two plants get sized up for one gallon use. Small amounts of left overs goes onto what ever I think can use a little boost....including the easy way out: dumpping some on the compost pile. Early on a quart will last for several cycles.

11/25/2004 11:17:20 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

When I spoke with Craig Lembke I understood that you cannot store any of his products once they are mixed and so small batches should be made up and used either by spraying on the pumpkin plants or on anything else growing in the garden once the pumpkins have been sprayed. He said the products breakdown in solution if not used. Was I mistaken or can some be stored and others not??

11/26/2004 6:10:25 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

hey told me to mix small bathes, just enough for one use.

11/26/2004 6:15:02 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

batches....oppps

11/26/2004 7:33:14 PM

Montoursville, PA

The products then must not be any good shortly after shipping. They are all in solution. I have had a problem with growth in only one of the products when in conjunction with another product mixed in. This saving only applies in the very early season in the quart spray bottles. I think it was the Vigor Cal Phos with molasses added that came alive for me when stored for a week or the next cycle. Later a gallon treats a fully filled 500 sq. ft. patch with a little left over for a hungry...something else.

I play with the tiny bits left over. It is amazing what happens when applications go on plants not growing in the great high humus pumpkin patch. Onions are likely the only place I would not use the left overs. I do not like big soft onions and that is what I got by treating them.

11/26/2004 10:44:03 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

all so complicated..

11/27/2004 1:22:26 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Using some secret process Agro-K attaches a saccharide to the nutrient. Somehow this makes entry into the plant a bit easier when sprayed on the leaves. The product as it comes in its container is not diluted with water and so does not begin to break down. If I am correct, once water is introduced into the equation, the original product begins to break down. Dwaine, is this not so? You have spoken with Craig on several occasions. I tried to get him to ask this question again but he must be out hunting bears. By the way, did anyone we know get one???

11/27/2004 8:57:03 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I'm no chemical engineer & I don't work for or sell Agro-K products. However I do sell many thousands of gallons of similar fertilizer solutions so I'll try to explain.

For starters every chemical or mineral nutrient behaves differently in water. So most manufacturers will make the most conservative recommendation that would be appropriate for the source materials they're bottling. (rate the chain for the weakest link so to speak)

Next, in their concentrated forms as purchased, solutions do contain water. But they also contain buffering agents that are guaged to the quantities present in the controllled conditions of the bottling facility.

Adding more buffering agents or preservatives at the time of mixing is an option that some greenhouse growers do engage in to keep large quantities of RTU nutrient solutions for extended periods. But the types & amounts are determined by factors too complicated for this conversation.

Pumpkin growers *could* set up processes of pH monitoring with appropriate stabilization & correction with an entire raft of spray or storage tank additives that can be tailored to any number of specific nutrient solutions, temperature conditions, different spray tank materials, rouge source water impurities, etc. Or we could just keep it simple & follow the directions. LOL

If Agro-K has made the intelligent decision to label their product this way, then to get the most out of the program, I would recommend following their advice to the letter.

11/27/2004 9:35:47 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

@ Southern - complicated?

@ Tremor - Very nicely said.
I will see if Craig is available to answer these question here on BP.
Tom

11/27/2004 2:51:48 PM

Sheridan . NY

Hello all --what every one said above somes it up --so ill add my thoughts -as far as amounts mixed 6 hours is the time frame for using what mixed --yep water does change its make up as in most things --just as molasses in a little sour milk -- I tryed storing molasses years a go in a washed out milk gallon came back in a half hour --just like a volcano-- people have lots of thoughts about the Agro-k bp progrom --most like it- some say it pain to go and spray everday-- but heres what i suggest--most of us need to be in the patch every day --at start of the season take a quart bottle fill it full of water--spray all your plants --see how much water you use--i call wet water--mix product to how much wet water all season-- I grow 4 plants use about less than 1/2 a qt for at least 4 weeks and using using 1/8 -1/4 oz- >1/4 teaspoon and at full growth 2 1/2 gallons of wet water each plant about 400 sq feet and 1 oz to the gallon of water and sometime 2oz or more if it rains --you will learn to read your plants needs being out there every day-- all so you wont miss a lot things--that ive kicked my self a lot of time not being out their year ago--please email me at craig@candjfert.com or web site a www.candjfert.com or 716 672 2367 ill try to answer an question--thanks CRAIG

11/28/2004 9:49:55 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Thanks Craig,
Once again, my hat is off to you.
Tom

11/28/2004 10:07:57 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Craig, What's the chance of you going to the Niagara Seminar this winter? I would love to meet you and learn more about your products. I'm sure there would be lots of interest from other growers that are going to Niagara as well. It would be nice if you could bring some up for us Canadian growers to purchase.

Phil

11/28/2004 6:52:30 PM

Sheridan . NY

Copper-- Im in contact with the Canadian Customs & Goverment see what it going to take to bring the products over and all the related Agro-k stuff --911 has made a whole new set of rule for fertlizers organic or not --but have all ready made plans to be at Niagara regardless --thanks ---!!

11/29/2004 9:24:18 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

That's great Craig. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

Phil

11/29/2004 7:07:38 PM

Montoursville, PA

Fortunately for all of us the Agro-K products are not so strong and reactive that our minor measuring errors make a problem.

I did learn here that my storing, of mixed product, may errode some, of the value. That only applies, to early periods, of growth. From patch half full I can use a full gallon with minor left overs. On the full two plant patch I use two gallons of prepaired products. I will now break it down to exactly half of what has just been said for my two plant use early in the year. The leftovers will go in the compost pile.

Reporting another molasses event I had one to work up and make a run out mess. My molasses is now stored in baking pans to catch such an event, in the future. The bottle lids are cracked to prevent a blow out.

Craig your snake oil, as some have called it, is sure raising the attention factor. Hee Hee. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. I will change my mind and go to Niagra. If you are not, on the program, maybe the meetings after the meetings will be the time well spent. I would like to hear a discussion, on that tea liquer some, of the guys, are mixing up while using some, of that horrible Snake Oil. :)

Maybe this is working up to some kind of a gathering of the order of the poopies, soupies with tea and see tactics. One would expect guys doing messes like that to be suspect. To further entice your pride, in my latest poopie deal, I would like to report there is now some bear poopie, in my compost pile. May I be a member and follow your order?

12/1/2004 10:41:42 AM