Soil Preparation and Analysis
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Subject: Optimum Soil PH for Giant Pumpkins
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From
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Location
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Message
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Date Posted
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pburdon (Team Lunatic) |
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
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I had my soil tested and the PH reading was 6.9 Before the test cane back I had been thinking about adding peat moss that I have in abundance on my property. I've read the peat moss has a PH of about 4.8 So now I'm wondering if I will mess up my patch by adding any peat moss, or do I tinker with the soil / peat moss ration and drive the PH down to say 6.5
Any thoughts?
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3/17/2012 4:00:58 PM
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Josh Scherer |
Piqua, Ohio
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if you put peat on you should apply a high calcium low magnesium lime I like to grow with PH of 7.0
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3/17/2012 8:24:50 PM
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pburdon (Team Lunatic) |
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
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Thanks Melons. I thought I had read somewhere the Giant Pumpkins did best at a lower PH. I don't need to add the peat so at PH 6.9 I should be fine....Thanks
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3/18/2012 8:37:38 AM
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Bohica (Tom) |
Www.extremepumpkinstore.com
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7.2-7.4 is a real sweet spot for microbes. Some of the biggest giant pumpkins have been grown in soil that had a Ph between 7.2-7.4, it even appears that some very well known giant melon growers have realized the same about melons.
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3/18/2012 8:54:29 AM
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pburdon (Team Lunatic) |
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
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Interesting....Thank you.
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3/18/2012 9:11:36 AM
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Bubba Presley |
Muddy Waters
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The old #s of 6-7 for melons & kins,needs a 2nd look folks,I grew the 260.5 starting with a PH of 8.0 & ended season with a 7.4,We have to keep an open mind.everything we hear or read is not gospel from the past.These giant veggies are a different animal from regular veggies.The potassium levels are now being said to be real important,like the calcium,was & is important.These old #s have been around for decades & we just picked them up from the X-purts.I was told a year ago my PH was too high.your greenhouse is to big.Yesterday I learned at OVGPG seminar.The bigger the greenhouse the better,Nic Welty did a great job on hoop houses.I hope to put together a nice screen house presentation for a future seminar if the Kin Cave Rocks!Optium PH to shoot for 7.5 is my guess.
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3/18/2012 9:26:55 AM
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Josh Scherer |
Piqua, Ohio
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I agree with Tom when I started growing AG's I was told 6.5 was best, but as the years go by I'm told 7.0-7.4, I have heavy clay ground that started out at 7.6 I got it down to 6.8,now I'm sitting at 7.0. I've been told over 7.0 your potassium leaches out, but what I know about field crops, you can put in chemicals to keep your nutrients in the soil, not the watershed. A product I use is called retain and can be purchased at most gardn centers.
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3/18/2012 9:28:33 AM
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VTSteve |
South Hero, VT
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Forage radishes accumulate potassium and nitrogen in large quantities, in addition to trace elements, according to some reports I read today.
I can't speak from experience, but plan to plant a radish cover crop in late summer to amend my clay soil.
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3/18/2012 11:21:30 AM
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Josh Scherer |
Piqua, Ohio
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I know a few farmers who use tillage radishes for cover crops I also have thought of trying it, for now I use sedan grass and sorgum, maybe I'll throw some radishes out in one of my patches
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3/18/2012 1:55:57 PM
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pburdon (Team Lunatic) |
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
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Well lots of food for thought. All my other nutrient tests came back good except for nitrogen. I have lots of organic matter. Am I correct to assume that by using a bacteria based soup I can increase the nitrogen content?
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3/18/2012 2:19:49 PM
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VTSteve |
South Hero, VT
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Contact Tom Privitera about nitrogen fertilizers. My plants weren't growing very fast until I got some 30-0-0 liquid nitrogen from him and applied it. Results in less than a week.
Your organic matter may be causing the low N reading.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong on this.
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3/18/2012 5:22:50 PM
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Bubba Presley |
Muddy Waters
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It does take nitrogen to break down organic matter.So makes sense to me Steve.
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3/18/2012 5:57:40 PM
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VTSteve |
South Hero, VT
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pburdon, consider sending your test results to Tom Privitera. He helped me a lot last year by making recommendations I followed and upped my personal best by 331 lbs(581 to 912).
He will charge you only for the products you order from him. lol
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3/18/2012 8:44:43 PM
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marley |
Massachusetts
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you also might get some candy!!
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3/18/2012 10:10:52 PM
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pburdon (Team Lunatic) |
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
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Does anyone have contact info for Tom Privitera?
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3/19/2012 8:34:00 AM
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swaintech |
churchville, ny
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www.extremepumpkinstore.com
Sales@extremepumpkinstore.com
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3/19/2012 9:33:34 AM
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Farmkid |
Braceville, IL
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warning about radishes. if you plant them and they decompose in the fall they stink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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3/20/2012 4:08:18 PM
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VTSteve |
South Hero, VT
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Farmkid: YES! The odor has been described as similar to a strong gas leak--or worse...
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3/20/2012 7:10:36 PM
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cojoe |
Colorado
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7.2 is what john taberna said at vegas.He's the western lab owner. They did the studies with with the grower group two years ago
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3/22/2012 12:15:09 PM
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WiZZy |
President - GPC
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7.2 Hmmn...Nice!
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3/22/2012 1:04:50 PM
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BatCaveN8 |
The North Coast
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Quick...get me some lime!
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3/24/2012 8:18:16 PM
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Total Posts: 21 |
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