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South Carolina

Before attempting to grow big pumpkins for the first time last year I had always used my small garden area mainly as just a kitchen garden. Every fall I removed the crop residue, limed, spread 10-10-10, tilled and sowed a cover crop until the following spring without ever testing the soil. Soon I will sending off for a soil analyses for the first time and of course wondering how out of sync the results may be. I am assuming the NKP may be altered in a somewhat short time but what about a high PH level? I know using ag lime takes months to increase PH and wondering if the opposite it true as well? What would be considered an upper limit PH level for a successful growing year? Thanks ahead of time for any help.

Jim

2/19/2009 3:56:25 PM

Sheridan . NY

jim- ph of 7.3-- and also depends 0n if you have elements that wont relese in high ph> K is one ---6.8 is a good place to be--craig

2/19/2009 7:57:05 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

hello jim welcome to bp.com and ag growing its good to see a fellow west virginian on here im from Mill Creek in randolph county if you need any help or seeds etc contact me at burrhead26280@yahoo.com good luck and god bless you keith

2/19/2009 10:57:13 PM

Utah

Jim-
many western soils have high pH. 7.5 to 7.8 is common for natural soils where I am in Northern Utah. While it's not ideal you can still grow a giant pumpkin in it, and do well.
you can add elemental sulfur to lower the pH -
Apply, till in and water. The sulfur reacts quickly with the water in the soil to create sulfuric acid. In your soil it should happen fairly quickly unless your pH buffer is high.

2/21/2009 1:23:56 PM

Midway, UT

Adding organic matter to your patch like peat moss will help drop the ph of your soil fairly quickly. Sulfur takes a while to break down and work in my Colorado soils. We don't have much of the bacteria that breaks down the sulfur so it can take a year to get it really working. You can still grow a big pumpkin with higher ph but it does limit your potential. I had a really high ph last year at 8.0 and still managed a descent sized 755 pounder. This year I'm in a new patch and doing a lot of work to get my ph to a proper level.

2/21/2009 11:24:55 PM

Ohio

Ask Jack Larue about growing in high PH, if Im not mistaken he likes to grow in soil 7.5 to 8.0 and has grown 10 pumpkins in the same year from 1000 lbs to 1400 lbers in it.

2/22/2009 4:51:26 AM