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Eugene, OR

I was just curious when most of you begin to fertilize your new plants? I've been thinking about using a mild application of seaweed fertilizer but don't want to burn the plants. Any suggestions on when, what, and how much?

Thanks again,

Brian

5/7/2004 11:22:05 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Seaweed alone won't hurth them. Watch the blends that contain fish & check the percent Nitrogen. If around 2-4% you're still good. But watch these off brands that add Urea to the mix. I saw one in a Garden center last week that was 10% Nitrogen. Checking the "nutrients derived from" statement indicated it was synthetic fertilizer with s fishey odor & cartoon face. Marketing value only.

5/8/2004 6:02:06 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I spray my new ones with kelp extract since it has growth hormones in it, but nothing other than that.
In my opinion, new "seedlings" don't need fertilizer and you're risking it by trying to feed them. All the energy and sugars they need to get started are contained in the seed already. I don't give my plants anything until they have several true leaves going and even then it's a very weak water soluble solution.
I've learned the hard way....don't mess too much even though it's tempting. Gee, sounds like another thread for newer growers....hmmmm.

5/8/2004 7:19:51 AM

Sheridan . NY

seaweed is a good but doesnt have all the things needed--a 10 8 8 with micnuts is good at 1/8 oz to the gal of water or a product call --symspray at 1/8 oz also--can foliar or ground feed---- craig

5/8/2004 8:44:53 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Like my soil is well prepared, I don't use to add anything but kelp till blossom time. And kelp not before the third true leaf is big.

Carlos

5/8/2004 2:52:18 PM

Eugene, OR

Thank you for the info guys. The first true leaves are just starting to put on some size, but haven't opened up yet. I'll hold off on any ferts for awhile, seaweed or otherwise.

I'm trying not to fall into "more is better" trap, which is why I asked! Thanks to this site and the fine people who post here, new guys like me can get the help they need.

Thanks again,

Brian

5/8/2004 3:15:28 PM

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

I had a look at my old diaries,started at 4 weeks old in 2002 and 4-7 weeks old last year this year I won't start until there is something I'm not happy about.

5/8/2004 3:18:09 PM

Sydney, Australia

Be careful, with anything at all when they are young. I won't be giving them a thing until 3rd true leaf, after almost killing my plants this seasom just past. Ben

5/8/2004 10:42:23 PM

Montoursville, PA

This is the primary reason the pit management tool is so unweildy, to manage, in pumpkin growing. The American Giant, if not all pumpkins, are rip snorting fast, to send roots down. Guess what it finds if you have a pit that is still cooking or contains an abundance of time release synthetic poison. Agressive little new hair rootlets can not stand this type, of hot agressive feeding. Worse they are the least developed, to stand gases, created, by changing organics that are moving from solids, to humus, to humates.

....I am not sure where this practice came from, in the historical past, in gardening. Perhaps it came from the need ,to burry, or cover up the outhouse pit. Stuff always grew good, on top of that deposit...but it was always old stuff save the top few inches. I am reasonably sure it is not a good practice as it seems to be used today.

....On the other hand if managed perfectly with finished or nearly finished composts it may still have merit.

5/9/2004 8:50:12 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Brian,
I'm not nearly as eloquent nor experienced as docpipe but I do have a few seasons under my belt and am always improving.
My plants look better than ever this year despite the cold weather we are having.
(Always interested in docpipe's comments by the way!)

I water with lukewarm superthrive, myco, and seaweed but nothing else and I don't plan to use anything else except some Neptune's Harvest fish emulsion later but also not very often.

Chemical fertilizers almost killed my plants the second year but I'll never use any again.

My plants look very happy this year at least and I hope that the snails won't take any out.
The snails here are terrible and I enjoy putting one on the pavement and jumping on it very very very hard!

I have 50 kilos of biological snail bait here this year so the snails don't have much of a chance anyway...

I think your problem is probably more with deer than snails you lucky b^%#@*%stard!
Talk to ya later pal!
Michel

5/9/2004 10:22:26 AM

Eugene, OR

LOL Michel, Thanks for the info. Next time you make a trip over from Germany, be sure to stop on by. We'll do a little hunting.

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone.

Brian

5/10/2004 5:14:06 PM

Montoursville, PA

Hey Michael...........you better believe we have snails and slugs, to the extent they are very much a problem. I use Escar-Go and Sluggo both of which are non-posion based to anything but the belly of the characters we wish to do in. Then both of these products bio-degrade leaving a trace of nitrogen.

These two are so good you don't even need to put out little trays of beer to get them drunked up so they will eat it. It has been discovered they like these two better than the chemisty department's offerings.

5/11/2004 9:26:36 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Doc, "American Giant" hmmmmmm.....??

Glenn

5/16/2004 2:47:13 PM

Puyallup, WA

Perhaps this can shed some light on the optimum temperatures for the roots of a new AG plant. Last year, I started my new plants(Parks 720 and Houghton 1058) over a new pit that I had dug the previous fall. I had filled it with manure and compost, ect. That pit was "cooking" all winter. When I put the plants in the ground, the soil temps were 90-95°. They stayed in that zone for weeks!! Didn't hurt the plants one bit!! This year, my soil temps are more "resrained"..... 72° in the morning and about 80° in the afternoon in all my hoop houses.

5/16/2004 11:53:06 PM