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Manitoba,Canada

I could use some help with my pumpkin patch. It just doesn't seem to be producing any big pumpkins (losing too many bottles) lol. Plants seem slow at the start then take off in August, but by then it is too late. I had my soil sampled and here are the results. Doesn't call for much, but is my organic matter low? Ph high? What are the ideal values to produce the big ones? Is there a site one can go to, to get the ideal values of nuitrents? What should I be added without screwing up something else.

Organic Matter, % 5.4
Phosphorus, ppm Bicarb 69 Bray-P1 190
Potassium, ppm K 56
Magnesium, ppm Mg 805
Calcium, ppm Ca 4130
Sodium, ppm Na 69
Cation Exchange Capacity, meq/100g 29.1
pH 7.8
%K 5.0
%mg 23.1
%ca 71.0
%na 1.0
Soluble Salts, mmho/cm 0.2
Sulfur, ppm S 77
Zinc, ppm Zn 18.9
Iron, ppm Fe 61
Manganese, ppm Mn 47
Copper, ppm Cu 3
Boron, ppm B 2.2
Aluminum 81
N03-N ppm 44
K/Mg Ratio .22
ENR 67

Please anyone with their thoughts. Post here or e-mail me

10/24/2006 1:03:46 AM

SF Bay Area, California

Three things stand out. OM is low, Potassium is low and PH is a little high. Pumpkins like lots of OM. I like to run my soil at 15%. Add at least three inches of good compost in the spring or well composted manure this fall.

K should be around 250 PPM. The ppm level for your K and the the base saturation calculation of 5% does not seem to match. Is your ppm level really 56?? If your K is really that low I would add 1 pound per 100 square feet of Sulphate of Potash and till it in this fall and recheck in the spring.

I would also try to lower your ph with soil sulfer. Use only 2 pounds per 100 square feet spread evenly and tilled in this fall. You may have to repeat this for several years to get your ph closer to 6.8 - 7.0 which seems about right.

10/24/2006 11:02:39 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Being that your from Canada, you should buy some peat moss and spread it over your patch. Or at least in the area where you will be planting your pumpkins next year. Putting down a lot of sulfur doesn't always work. By looking what you got posted, your sulfur is already at 77ppm. Any labs that does soil test, advises not to have your sulfur over 50ppm. My soil pH has been running at 7.6 - 7.7 . From a lot of searching on the web and talking to other growers, use peat moss or pine needles to lower your pH. peat moss runs at about 3.4 for ph.

10/24/2006 12:03:27 PM

Manitoba,Canada

Sorry guys, Anaid tecuod you are on the ball! My potassium is at 562 not 56, once again sorry. So would peat from the field be alright, it is weed free, or close to it. Or would it have a higher ph?

10/24/2006 5:40:27 PM

SF Bay Area, California

Sulfer will leach out of the soil pretty quickly so I stand by my recommendation for sulfer, tilled in this fall. The peat moss is also a good idea but you will need quite a bit to have much of an impact on soil ph and that is peat moss not peat....

10/24/2006 6:46:21 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ditto the Peat Moss which wil also build %OM. I'd still add some Sulphate of Potash. But none of this really explains a slow start by itself.

The slow start has me wondering how far North into Canada you are. Cold soils? Proper soil warming may help. Do you use cloches & soil heating cables?

Check also for virus. Mosaic causes us to start slow here & the vines do recover in August. But by then the competitive season is over.

10/25/2006 12:16:11 AM

Manitoba,Canada

I live 300 miles north of Winnipeg. I think the cold soils could have alot to do with it, so I am installing hot water lines from my furance, instead of heating cables. We usually begin seeding here May 7-10. Put pumpkins out a week or so later. Night can get very cool. I do use a hot house. Thanks guys

10/25/2006 1:04:22 AM

Midwest

Slow starts may be an indication of nitrogen fixation by microbes especially if you are using a cloche or mini greenhouse. I've seen N tie-up when applying composted manures and other organics in the Spring. The biology shoots up really fast while consuming this material and ties up the N. If your soil test indicates low N now, and you add OM in the fall and/or Spring, watch out for a low N level next May. Ideally, your ammendments should be broken down in your patch before the season starts. Maybe apply N about 2 weeks before planting outside in May and then another application in early June? I am giving my opinion on this and would trust the experts on this board for the proper rate and frequency. Ideally, I would love a 20ft main and several 10ft secondaries before pollinating on July 1st. Plus, I would love to not have to apply N (at all) but, realistically halt N sometime mid-June and let the biology start to give it back to the plant.

10/25/2006 1:41:18 PM