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Albion,IN

I have an area that was used years ago for a vegetable garden, and have tried a couple of times in the last few years to grow pumpkins in it to no avail. It is almost all sand. I have aged cow manure available to me at no cost. would this be a good fertilizer for pumpkins, and if so how much should I use?

2/26/2017 10:22:14 AM

Randlett, Oklahoma

yes if it is aged it is probably good. I have the same access and I got a soil sample of it. The only way to know how much to add is to get a soil sample of both the manure and your current patch spot. send them both in, and look at the results

2/26/2017 10:51:09 AM

Rhode Island

joe

we stopped using any cow manure several years ago.
for us it was a matter of helping disease prevention (by not introducing it into the patch.
we found the use of cow manure (aged) promoted unwanted diseases into our patches.
we prefer instead to use composted leaves,dehydrated chicken,kelp meal,etc,etc.
if all you can get is cow then id say thats better than using nothing.
id spread a four inch layer of the aged cow manure over the entire patch and till under.
also, if you can get it done early enough apply a spring cover crop of winter rye (then till under before plants start to run ).
pap

3/3/2017 10:39:37 PM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

Indy, if you do this without a soil test, do not ever do it again without getting one. Some of the nutrients leach out of the soil and some stay in the soil for a very long time. So a few years of using manure of any kind will likely put your soil out of balance.

3/4/2017 4:35:20 PM

Wallingford,CT

"Albion" ? interesting, made me look it up

3/4/2017 4:54:02 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

If Albion, is in Michigan...then I know where it is!!! Peace, Wayne

3/5/2017 2:18:50 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Sand can be tough to build organic matter. The air space between the grains allows enough oxygen in to help the bacteria turn organic matter into carbon dioxide. It might help if you could find some silt soil to mix in.

If you have the room and access to untreated grass clippings or other high nitrogen material, you could mix that with the cow manure and let it heat up good and hot. Turn it a few times to keep it cooking. That might kill off pathogens. Pap's idea of tilling in the rye cover crop will do about the same thing.

3/6/2017 12:51:49 PM

Barrington N.S. Canada

How many pounds of kelp would you for a 1000 sq. ft.

3/6/2017 4:09:37 PM

Barrington N.S. Canada

Would a 40 pound bag be enough or can you add more?

3/6/2017 4:30:31 PM

President - GPC

Yes, Apply it prior to setting your pumpkin, not in the Spring....I use mine in the granular mix when I bury

3/6/2017 5:31:50 PM

Barrington N.S. Canada

Thanks Wizzy, my kelp is kelp that has been dried, ground up and processed and bagged in 40 pound bag. I have never used kelp and am getting back into growing giant pumpkins again after a break from it for a few years. Thanks again.

3/6/2017 6:10:32 PM

Nampa

Kelp rates are usually 1-2 lbs per 100 square feet. 20 lbs for 1000 ft. I believe I have seen this on Ron's and Holland's sites. I'm sure you could add more, but I don't know where that line is.

3/7/2017 7:44:39 PM

Barrington N.S. Canada

Thank you SpudKin for this information

3/7/2017 10:22:51 PM

Albion,IN

Wayne, my Albion is in Indiana. Not very far from Albion Michigan.

3/10/2017 4:38:13 PM