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Hopedale Ohio

I have 2 new spots this year for pumpkins. Dug a 5x5 area. Taking out some clay before adding compost and other amends. Is 4 feet deep enough and what are your thoughts on area size for digging. Thanks

4/10/2019 11:27:59 AM

Central NY

If I were held at gunpoint I’d rather do 10x10 at 2 ft deep...gonna till the rest of the 700-1000 sqft or are you limited in space?

4/10/2019 12:56:54 PM

Hopedale Ohio

Space is good just wanted to see what people thought of pit depth. Thanks

4/10/2019 1:10:27 PM

Central NY

Yea...I would say 4’ is over kill but if the machine is there,why not, loosen up the whole patch down 24”..got a handle on the rest of the process?

4/10/2019 1:29:14 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

If you are digging a pit into clay and filling it with coarse textured material you could be creating a bathtub that will fill with water and stay wet. With clay subsoil, you are better off building a mound that will have decent drainage. I could get away with a deep pit, because my subsoil is sand. But I never go deeper than 2'.

4/10/2019 1:50:11 PM

Hopedale Ohio

Thanks folks I think the clay is my soil is a good thing after all for drainage and I'm not going to go so deep. Thanks again

4/10/2019 2:09:31 PM

Grittyville, WA

I think 4 ft is great most people only go 2 ft. But there is one other problem regardless of whether it fills with water. Really... its lack of oxygen. All that compost and ferts will need as much oxygen

4/10/2019 2:59:21 PM

Grittyville, WA

as you or I (I need more than most obviously). Consider: putting some large spaces for air. The simplest solution might be crosshatching with sticks. Putting a pipe to allow air. Also condider filling with material that wont use a lot

4/10/2019 3:05:03 PM

Grittyville, WA

of oxygen. In otherwords dont bury me under your pumpkin plant...

4/10/2019 3:06:13 PM

Grittyville, WA

Fyi this is all theory... because the heavy hitter dont go that deep. But as long as there is oxygen that deep its a viable idea.

4/10/2019 3:08:17 PM

Hopedale Ohio

Thank you all again, as usual I got some very helpful information and some new ideas to ponder.

4/10/2019 3:54:28 PM

Lakewood, WA

As someone with two 4' deep pumpkin pits, it's a whole lot of pumpkin pit. It's quite huge and enough to swallow up children and pets.

I'm hoping to dig up my pumpkin roots in the autumn and see how far down the roots really made it. Will post on my grower's diary.

A few layers of sterilized straw in between the soil helps keep the new soil from compacting.

All the best to you and everyone!

4/12/2019 12:29:19 PM

Hopedale Ohio

Thanks Suburban Gardener Good Luck to You
Mr Bubba say's no pit It's a swimming pool for bad things and water. I've dug 2 and filled and I have 2 other spots to mound. I guess I'll see in the fall which worked better. Have a great weekend all!

4/12/2019 3:05:07 PM

Syracuse, NY

unless you enclose a pit with plastic, the water in the pit will be at the same level as it is anywhere around it.

4/13/2019 2:06:58 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Not necessarily, pumpkinpal2. Clay can seal up as well as plastic. Several years ago I checked on a farmer who had a problem with a wet spot in a waterway that was dry all around. We decided that it needed a tile line run up the middle. When the contractor started digging a trench for the tile, he started hitting buried trees. Soon a huge gush of water erupted and ran out. It looked like a river for about 5 minutes, then it quit. Many years earlier, someone had buried the trees in the clay subsoil and filled over it with silt soil. The water pooled in the pit in the clay. You can create something similar but on a smaller scale if you dig a 4' deep pit in tough clay. The clay won't be as wet because water just won't move through it very fast. The backfill with coarser grained soil will have more voids in it that will fill with rain water that can't penetrate the surrounding clay.

4/13/2019 10:35:11 AM

Syracuse, NY

okay, VERY informative point taken, and thank you---eg

4/13/2019 3:30:55 PM

Grittyville, WA

I had an unusual opposite experience. I dug a 4' pit which I thought would hit a well draining layer but unexpectedly could not get past the clay zone. And despite heavy rains.. Constant rain nearing 10" this month... It has not held water. Its risky though.

My clay might be 50% fine silt. It absorbs water very well.

A big factor might be to not pastify/liquefy or disturb the clay too much when digging the hole.

Lots of dont's with clay: Dont dig when the ground is saturated... Don't leave bare ground, always protect it from rain... Always cover with straw or compost. Don't use heavy machinery.

4/13/2019 6:24:33 PM

Syracuse, NY

All right, CLAY-ton.
I tell ye, if I and you ever end up at the Big Show
at the same time, we'll have our own table with the biggest
FRUITS at it, ever! ha ha ha

4/14/2019 1:01:20 AM