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Knopp, Germany

I know that to do it right you need the whole game plan, but, for conversation sake, what is the most important?

Being a new AG grower, I haven't used any compost or manure in my patch. However, I was able to get some fertilizer as outlined in Don Langevin's book II (cost me an arm and a leg to get it over here to Germany, but what the heck, sport is sport!)

I have high nitrogen fertilizer for the beginning, balanced for the middle and high potassium for the end spurt. I also was able to get johnnyseeds.com (they been good to me, that's why the plug) to ship me seaweed/fish emulsion fertilizer and straight seaweed fertilizer to Germany (good guys, but they didn't do it for free :-), and Neptune doesn't ship overseas)

So, let's say for arguments sake I get a pumpkin to grow to 490 pounds (will just happen to beat the German record, of course only till Floh weighs in :-)).

What is most important? Fertilizer or compost/manure.

Hope everyone grows em as big as Pappy and Jeff!

thanks to all....owen

7/19/2002 11:29:40 AM

Cooks Creek, Manitoba, Canada

Good soil is always number one, at least for me. I know/heard of several people growing 500lb+ pumpkins without fertilizing at all - but they had really good soil. So I guess I'm saying compost/manure, but the biggest I've grown is only 514lbs so I still have a lot to learn.

7/19/2002 11:41:34 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Hey Owen - I'm a new grower too (ain't it great?) but I would really have to go with the soil on this one. The quote "good soil, good seed & good luck" is ringing in my ears. There are so many variables to consider it can drive one mad.
From your diary it looks like you have some good gardening skills. Did you amend the soil in your other garden? It looks like you dug up the grass & tilled the soil for your patch. There is probably limited organic matter here and your plant will use most of it up. If you are planting in the same area next year, I would seriously considering adding compost and manure.

7/19/2002 12:20:04 PM

Knopp, Germany

CEIS,yes it is great! i wish that i could get some "clean" manure, but it is not available here in Germany. I have found a web site that describes a way to make "grass manure" using grass clippings and compost accelerator, i hope that that will help next year. thebez, i hope that my soil is good, i need it, the news just said that we will be down to the low 40's tonight. well, i guess that is summer in germany.

thanks again guys...owen

7/19/2002 2:11:54 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Hey Owen - I forgot Schones Wochenende! (have a good weekend) - Cheers, Ceis

7/19/2002 2:46:33 PM

Bridgewater, NJ

Wie lange dauert Sommer in deutschland, und ungefähr wie heiß ist es am meistens? lol, ein bisschen deutsch ab und zu, ist doch kein Problem für mich!

7/19/2002 3:02:00 PM

Webster, NY

For those like myself who took german in high school some 30 years ago, try this translation site from altavista.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

7/19/2002 7:31:00 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Yo Owen, Back from the beach...Some of these guys are shooting for 20% organic matter. Now I know that the germans are very technical in all there undertakings but how do they stop the cows stuff from hitting the ground over there? Hey I got a great idea next time the circus comes to town....No don't do that LOL. cover crop like winter rye grass turned in in the spring..rabbit stuff straight from the rabbit, no composting needed helped Pappy this year. The roots gotta grow somewhere where they can pick up the fertilzer easily. I'll go with soil is more important. Thanks for the well wishes waiting for the sun to rise but early flashlight analysis does't look good for pollenation again. Chuck

7/21/2002 4:04:59 AM