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Ga.

I have posted my soil test in my diary..I hope you can read,,if not,,let me know and I'll email it to ya..I dont understand how to read the results..
Thanks...Jeff

1/16/2004 6:15:58 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Jeff I think from the results of your soil test your lucky to be growing weeds. Actually I couldn't read the numbers and could only see the bars. Could you copy the numbers down so we could see them. Thanks

1/16/2004 8:42:32 AM

Montoursville, PA

From my viewpoint the only items that are down a little are Sulphur, Boron, Manganese and copper. I would continue adding up to six inches of manures plus browns in the form of leaves by the ga-zillions. Your tilth will improve with the added humus. The humus will continue year around to add humates. The use of fish, kelp and molasses will greatly help. If you can make and use tea you would enhance all. I would keep on using a bag of gypsum yearly on each 1000 sq. ft. because using high levels of manures and or composts will bring with them some salts. Gypsum will tie up salts and help develop your tilth. I use Ironite, Green Sand and other equals in a blend to continue maintenance of trace elements. I use tea once a week. You can hardly over use tea. Tea is one of the most under used feeding supports in any gardening program. You can home brew tea or you can improve your tea using comercially available tea tools to create very high quality tea. Any is better than none! Once a week is not to much. As a drench it's good. As a foliar it will help ward off fungi the same as kelp. Like fish, kelp and molasses it builds a stronger more naturally self resistant plant.

Higher percentages of humus will help buffer the use of any supporting sprays be they organic or synthetic. If you want to move that humus content up increase your manures and cover crop maintenance to the best level you can.

I believe there is or should be no great concern for your four items that are in the low zone. I would not use a pill in a bag adjustment. Seek the natural goes with something else program, to ease it up a little each year.

I could not read or see your PH. I'm sure you know how to adjust modestly to get into a 6.0 - 7.0 desirable growing PH for pumpkins.

1/16/2004 10:01:23 AM

Montoursville, PA

I missed my closing line: I would add per thousand square feet of patch on half bag or aproximately twenty five pounds of a low number organic dry mix fertilizer like 5-3-2. Even lower numbers would be fine because it works all season for you and supplys the major elements of growth.

When you fertilize to support your biological living parts of the soil all things will eventually go up to excellent. Along the way you may tweak based on soil tests using one simple question: "Is the decision to add my present fixer product going to build healthy living patch or hurt the healthy living patch". Second question: "How much of any harsh chemical base treatments can I eliminate or reduce as my patch strengthens on the bioligical living side"?

Few of us have the strongest healthy patch that we could have. Getting there is a process. It is not simply throwing a switch and saying, "I'm going organic". Building towards that goal is a noble pleasing goal".

1/20/2004 9:00:10 AM