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NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Being a newbie, I was wondering about what fertilizer to use during the growing season. Any suggestions? Is 20-20-20 ok to use? I have read to feed these huge pumpkins as much as 1 pound of fertilizer per pumpkin each week. Is that correct? How would you apply so much fertilizer everyweek?

3/17/2004 12:26:03 PM

Massillon, Ohio

everyone has different opinions on the fertilizer thing. from a few times a season (i've heard "less is more; let the soil do its job") to everyday.

so i'll let others chime in their two cents (they are good at that around here LOL).

what i really wanted to know is ...do you really make rootbeer ??!! for your job or home-made hobby ??

3/17/2004 12:59:44 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Thanks for your input. It is much appreciated. Yes we make our own rootbeer. Just as a hobby. Mostly my kids do it anymore. They caught me looking up how to make my own beer (which never happened) and it took off from there. Kind of cool to do it at home. A lot of fun.

3/17/2004 1:39:18 PM

Massillon, Ohio

that is SO COOL !! i've been wanting to do that so your name caught my eye...neat stuff.
they will chime in soon i promise.. haha ;)

3/17/2004 2:25:06 PM

Cincinnati,OH

How much fertilizer to use depends on the condition of your soil. I think the best approach is build up the soils organic content and use ferilizers as a suppliment. I think I would use 20-20-20 and till it into the soil and use foliar feedings to boost the N, P and K as the plant needs more of each. Follow the instructions, an overload of fertilizer is a dangerous thing. I make the homebrew too.

3/17/2004 6:01:31 PM

Sheridan . NY

put compost on you soil--- spray fish molasses and Symbex on top till in--foliar feed with Agro-k feeding program all season--------

3/17/2004 8:50:01 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Thanks for the assistance. I know everyone has their own way but all these instructions seem more helpful. But one thing, I never heard of fish molasses. What is it and where can I purchase it? Yes Ron R in Cincinnati I am glad that you make homebrew. Besides rootbeer we also make homemade wines. Not for the kids of course.

3/17/2004 9:27:03 PM

Montoursville, PA

Talk to Craig. He sells fish and molasses too. You may find your molasses in a farm feed and supply store and not need to pay the ship.

3/17/2004 9:57:16 PM

Mastic Beach, New York

Rootbeermaker..it's fish and molasses also kelp (seaweed).. e-mail Craig he sells this stuff.. or you can go to your local feed store(for horse's or cows) and ask for Black strap molasses and for the fish/seaweed goto neptune harvest..on the home page go to links ,click on it and scroll down it's near the bottom

3/17/2004 10:07:34 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Thanks for the explanations. All of this is a great help.

3/17/2004 10:16:19 PM

South Hill, Virginia

You can also get Neptunes Harvest at SeedOutlet.com. Should be a little cheaper for you than directly from Neptunes Harvest.

3/18/2004 12:34:21 PM

Walkerton Ont

is stuff with high potassium good to use

3/18/2004 12:42:17 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Big one, I may be wrong and I hope that I am corrected if I am but that was what I initially read was to use a fertilizer that stresses potassium(if there is such a thing)which would make sense to a rookie like me but if you read the other messages above they give some very good info. I am hoping that someone would respond that says they use a fertilizer that stresses potassium. Here is an excerpt of what I read... "By late July, use a formula that stresses potassium, such as 15-11-29. I apply water-soluble fertilizer at the rate of one to two pounds per week per plant from fruit set until the end of the growing season. Some competitive growers will err on the side of overfertilization. But too much fertilizer can hurt more than help."

3/18/2004 7:26:14 PM

Walkerton Ont

what does that mean rootbeermaker stresses potassium

3/18/2004 11:13:11 PM

Western Pa.

For years, I was told that doubling up on the amount of potassium (after fruit set) would help build up pumpkin walls. I now believe that the use of too much potassium may age fruit prematurely, and cause growth to come to a screeching halt.

3/19/2004 8:49:24 AM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Thebigone I am not a pro at this but what I understand is that a fertilizer that "stresses potassium" means that the last number is higher than the others such as the example they gave was 15-11-29. Perhaps someone that is more knowledgeable can help you more than I could.

3/19/2004 9:29:27 AM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

kilrpumpkins, one of the original reasons that i began to ask questions here is that I was wondering about the results of adding extra potassium. Perhaps it may, as you said, may age the pumpkin prematurely, or at least make it grow too fast and it could even burst from the vine. I would appreciate your insight as well as others on feeding pumpkins during the growing season as I appreciate all the help that others have given to me.

3/19/2004 9:37:37 AM

Indiana

from my one year of experience i have to agree with kilr.
Steve

3/19/2004 9:49:37 AM

Saegertown Pa.

I have a bag of 0-0-60 that I havent used in two years any one want to drive to Pa. you can have it. I would have to agree with Kilr I do believe it can shut the plant down.

3/19/2004 12:22:06 PM

Montoursville, PA

My background teachers taught me never to use any combination going into the soil at one time that totaled more than ten.At the same time and in the same breath they stressed balance of the NPK factors. Therefore one would not consider any numbers bigger than 5-2-3 or some combination totaling ten or less. Most organic fertilizers are slow release. They stay in the soil to be converted not usable plant food by natural living soil.

The only reason synthetics must have huge numbers like 10-10-10 is that they mostly leach right out of the soil which is the source of the majority of the fertilizer poisons going into our water supplies as well as the chemicals that kill your natural biological critters, in the soil.

Leaf mold and dead grasses falling to the surface eventually becoming compost, humus and humates that are the best food for plants are only 1-1-1 at the highest numbers.

Done properly over a long period of time I believe any plant can be grown on nothing but leaves and grass clippings. I believe that the addition of manures and composts will do the rest for anyone given patience and skilled learning to get to that point.

3/19/2004 12:33:49 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

docgipe that is a lot of information there but it is my son that has decided a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to grow a large pumpkin. So I guess I do not have enough time to allow leaves and grass to decompose and fertilize the ground. It is something very much worth to think about next year if he still wants to do this again. BTW would you know what the estimated last frost date is here in PA? When do you transplant outdoors?

3/19/2004 6:30:33 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

I guess I should wait until I get results back for the soil analysis before I even consider fertilizers?

3/19/2004 6:35:02 PM

Western Pa.

rootbeer,

6 weeks after you first hear the spring peepers at nigt,will be your last frost date. Most around here start their seeds around the 1st of May, and transplant a few days later after the plant shows it's first true leaf. Waiting too long can make the plant rootbound, which will hinder it. Since it's still chilly, you need to have the plant outside in a "cloche", or mini greenhouse until early June.It's best to have these and maybe some black plastic on the soil weeks in advance to warm up the soil.What part of the state are you in?

3/19/2004 7:20:00 PM

Western Pa.

Sorry, night, not nigt!

3/19/2004 7:20:55 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

kilr, thanks for that info. I live in NEPA, specifically in Scranton. I kind of figured that I would need a mini greenhouse since I already use one for my tomatoes.

3/19/2004 9:44:54 PM

Roanoke Il

over the last 4 seasons Ive pushd the heck out of my pumpkin with everything but the kictchen sink but i would have to agree with everyone go natural cow manure compost ect. best of luck rootbeermaker.

3/20/2004 7:40:12 AM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Mark p how big were your pumpkins the past 4 years? I would prefer to go natural with the pumpkins but I also want to consider other possibilites. Thanks for your information and good luck to you also with your pumpkins.

3/20/2004 7:58:13 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Rootbeermaker,good cow manure contains a lot of Potassium you will have seen a 6" thick layer mentioned in most how to grow articles this will add a massive amount probably more than you will need.Its hard not to feed more K late season though because you will read that everyone else is doing it.

3/20/2004 9:53:54 AM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

AXC thanks for your info and insight. I guess that the amount of K put into the garden depends on the individual and the garden itself?

3/21/2004 7:27:03 AM

Roanoke Il

chemical fertilizers age a plants rootbermaker in 60 days I think a grower can get a pumpkin up to 900 lb ranges with chemicals but its to fast and thats all you'll get is about 60 days of growth per fuit. Some growers get 90-100 days of growth thats how they reach the 1100-1400 lb range. Plus with folar feedig with chemical fertilizers you tend to have more splits. so go natural its beter in the long run.

3/21/2004 9:07:59 AM

Iowa

Rootbeermaker,
If you don't have a source for compost or manure, don't be afraid to use commercial fertilizer. Pumpkins need somewhere around 2 units of N, 3 of P, and 8 of K per 1000 square feet. So go to your local ag chemical dealer or lawn and garden center and by a formulation simular to this. You probably won't find a 2-3-8, but maybe a 10-15-30. ( all these numbers mean is % of each element in the total formulation, so in a 100lbs you would have 10 lbs. of N, 15 lbs. of P and 30 of K) You can apply this before you plant and till it in and then use some water soluble after the fruit has started to grow. The reason most commercial fertizers formulations are larger numbers is simply becasue they are more concentrated than organics. Most growers put on several inches of compost, manure, leaves, coffee grounds, etc., YEARLY! So they are putting on lower formulations, but a lot of product. I have yet to hear a grower say they only put on a quarter or a half inch of compost. Organics are definately the best way to build up the soil in the long run, but it takes a lot of product and time and just may not be practical for everyone. So you may have to use commercials until you can find sources of manure and compost and apply them in the fall. You can get a big pumpkin with commercial fertizer.

3/21/2004 12:26:25 PM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

MarkP and Phonzie, thank you for your knowledge and insight. Once again the people here are knowledgeable. I see there is more to planting these pumpkins than what I first understood. I can also see how growing pumpkins can be so addictive. I hope we have this enthusiasm in this garden next year as we do now. I guess my questions now are with both types of fertilizer, how do you apply them? Do you just put more on the top of the mound or do you work it in? And is it true that pumpkin roots are shallow and do not grow deep into the soil?

3/21/2004 9:08:09 PM

Iowa

your commercial granular fertilizer would be best to be worked in over the whole patch. A water soluble fertilizer, should be put on with a pump up sprayer or a garden hose applicator. It can be applied over the whole plant and leaves. However, most should be put near the roots where the plant can more easily take it up. And yes, pumpkins roots are shallow, when compared to other plants.

3/22/2004 12:10:33 AM

NEPA roller46@hotmail.com KB3QKV

Phonzie, thanks for the input of the commercial fertilizer. Good luck bud with your garden. Another question Phonzie as well as anyone that can offer an answer to me. If you water the entire plant and that includes the leaves, would it make the plant more susceptable to mold or mildew? If so, can this be bad for the plant?

3/22/2004 6:45:42 PM