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Grants Pass, Oregon

How often should you fertilize pumpkin plants? Is it every week, and what are they supposed to be getting. Should they still be getting some nitrogen, as well as Phosphorus? Please let me know what you guys do. Thank you

6/11/2001 2:48:43 PM

western Kentucky

From what I have heard you should use a high phosphorus fertilizer like 15-30-15 at the beginning to promote root growth. Then switch to a more ballanced fertilizer like 20-20-20 after the fruit sets.

It goes in this sequence Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium

Nitrogen- promotes foliage growth (and will easily burn your plant if you get too much)

Phosphorus- promotes root growth

Potassium- helps the plant to produce sugars... stores the sugars inside the giant pumpkin.

anyone else have something to add?
Justin

6/11/2001 3:46:06 PM

Greencastle, PA

no, you've got it covered.

6/11/2001 5:07:59 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Polka,
I feed mine every time I water...just a weak feed...rarther than big dollops every week..keeps the plant ticking over..nowt worse than the plant starving for a few days.
Alun

6/11/2001 8:04:17 PM

Greencastle, PA

yeah, if you give them a big feeding every week they could split, I feed mine every time I water also.
Tom

6/11/2001 10:20:05 PM

Saskatoon, SK

How much fertilizer are you giving each day? Is it granular manufactured fertilizer or fish/seaweed based?
thanks
DC

6/14/2001 5:53:02 PM

canal winchester ohio

mine recieve 1/2 oz. each of fish & seaweed plus 1 tablespoon of 20-20-20 plus 3 tablespoons of 5-10-40 in 10 gallons of water each day & spread in 10 ft. circle........Paul

6/14/2001 6:22:06 PM

Grants Pass, Oregon

I have been feeding them a water soluable fertilizer that is
22-34-11 . I mix it 1/2 cup to about two gallons of water and use it everytime I water. I also give them 1/2 oz. of fish to a gallon of water. Is there something different I should do? My plants are a little over 4 1/2 feet now and has a female flower set on the secondary vine about 3 feet out.

6/14/2001 9:14:35 PM

South Hill, Virginia

Both my plants get weekly feedings of a granular 27-3-3 and Ironite which I just sprinkle around each hill and along the primary vines. We've had so much rain here I haven't been watering it in. The ground is still so wet it disolves before the next weekly feeding on its own. Each plant also gets about a 1/4 cup of fish which I mix in with two gallons of water and apply at the stump and everywhere I've buried the plant. My 275 Desrosiers got his first application of kelp meal(which will be a weekly ritual) this past weekend as he has set a pumpkin.

I need to pick up some high Potash fertilizer for the 275 Desrosiers and add some Miracle Gro to the feeding schedule for my 788.6 Dopp which is about two weeks behind the Desrosiers. Both plants will also begin receiving an application of seaweed through my misting system once per week.

Since this is my first year I don't really know that I'm doing the right thing but I try to do what makes common sense and what I've ready from the real pros on this site. It has started me on a new hobby...fertilizer collection:)

6/15/2001 10:29:59 AM

Walnut Creek, CA

Be sure to know your soil...fertilizer runs through sandy soil faster than a more clay type soil. So be careful not to overdose your plants. Small amounts more often is the way I have been doing it so far this year with nice steady growth.
Just self pollinated 001 pumpkin 6/13 at 5:45 am !!! (Yawn)and 002 today 6/16 at 6:00 am on my "Live and Let Die" vine. The 001 five lobe female seems to swelling. We will see in a few more days, the pumpkin patch is an exciting place. I love growing big pumpkins!

6/16/2001 10:28:03 AM