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Vancouver, WA

Organic Matter 17.3%
Nitrogen 2 ppm
Phosphorus weak bray 127 ppm
Phosphorus NAHCO3-p 67 ppm
Potassium 1135 ppm
Magnesium 405 ppm
Calcium 1821 ppm
Sodium 34
Sulfur 5 ppm
Zinc 8.8 ppm
Manganese 22 ppm
Iron 87 ppm
copper 0.9 ppm
Boron 1.1

Percent cation Sateration

K% 18.5
MG% 21.2
Ca% 57.9
NA% 1.0

CEC 15.7

PH 6.9

Any suggestions?

3/1/2008 9:20:15 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Calcium is low. Should be at least 3,000 ppm. Your potassium is super high. Magnesium should be 1 1/2 times that of potassium. Don't use anything with potassium this season. Soil with that high of potassium will more then likely make your pumpkins mature real early. You could skip a year and plant alfalfa and harvest off some of the high potassium. Cut the alfalfa three times and throw it away.

3/1/2008 1:06:21 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I would add calcium via gypsum and calcium nitrate. The calcium nitrate will also give you the nitrogen that you need. Your K is high, but I wouldn't worry about it, I believe it will be fine. You have enough Mg.

These are the ammendments I'd go with:

5-7 lbs calcium nitrate/1000
5-7 lbs blood meal/1000
100 lbs gypsum/1000
10 lbs/1000 of a trace mineral product like greensand
10-20 lbs kelp meal/1000
10-20 lbs humic acid/1000

3/1/2008 2:52:20 PM

Vancouver, WA

Thanks for the advice. I planned on putting down the gypsum right away. I have heard that you should not put down nitrogen to soon because it leaches out fast. Does anyone have any suggestions on timing Nitrogen applications. Also does anyone else have an opinion of my Potassium level. Will this cause the pumpkins to mature early?

3/2/2008 2:12:24 PM

Adams County

what is a good ratio for pottasium ppm ?? and what ppm should magnissium be ? thanks Bill

3/2/2008 4:37:57 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Calcium 3,000ppm, Magnesium 300ppm, Potassium 30ppm

3/2/2008 5:18:31 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

No, your pumpkins won't mature early. It would probably be best just to bring the Ca level up some.

There doesn't seem to be an optimal Ca:Mg:K ratio. Studies of other crops also show there doesn't seem to be an ideal ratio. As long as there is enough of each of the three and one isn't out of balance, either way too high or low, the plant will do fine.

As an example Joe Jutras' preseason soil test results for the patch that grew the 1689 show he had 710 ppm of K. Base saturations were: K=18.6%, Mg=18.5%, Ca=63.1%

3/2/2008 5:57:26 PM

Adams County

thanks all , Bill

3/2/2008 7:22:01 PM

Vancouver, WA

Wow! I hope its a good year for me. I was a little worried about the pottassium level. Whats your thoughts on the timing of my nitrogen applications (Blood meal & Calcium nitrate). I plan to plant the plants into the greenhouses the last week of april.

3/3/2008 9:29:59 AM