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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Wednesday, July 09, 2008
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Iowegian
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Anamosa, IA [email protected]
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Entry 44 of 110 |
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This post will show up before the next ones with the pictures. It will make more sense after you see the photos.
I think I have an explanation for the wide differene in plant sizes. The 1068 Papez and 1097.5 Privitera were planted in one bed that had heavy manure application along with grass clippings and a fall cover crop of dwarf essex rape. The previous year it was in pumpkins that were dead by the first of August. The other Privitera pumpkins were in a similar bed next to the first. Instead of the rape cover crop, I tilled in extra grass clippings. All grass clippings were chemical free. The bed for the the Young pumpkins was a little sandier, which should have had better drainage with all of our rain. Last year it was in sweet corn and had an extra heavy grass clipping application. These plants were also the last to germinate, and after they did we had an unusually cold 2 weeks in which they grew very little. The 104 Grimes was planted in a spot that usually does well, but it is a few inches lower and has been a swamp for most of the growing season. I has planted a 689 McWilliams, but it didn't survive being submerged for a week.
I think that the grass clippings may have tied up some nitrogen in the soil, and combined with the cold and rain it really stunted things. Everything has received a shot of 10-10-10 surface applied so the rains will start working some down into the soil. I guess you learn something every year.
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