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Salem, OR

For those of us who don't add hot manures in the fall and need to add, say, 3# of N per 1000 sq. ft., what is the best approach?

1) quick-release nitrogen (what, calcium nitrate and urea, maybe?) that will be available for plant growth but which will all be gone once the pumpkin starts
or 2) slow-release (Osmocote, etc.) that will stick around.

Just how much nitrogen does the plant need once the pumpkin sets (and I definitely don't want to keep that pumpkin from setting due to too much N the first week of July!)

Last year I went with plain old 16-16-16 (not slow-release) and calcium nitrate and had a PB by 300 pounds, but I'm wondering if I need to have a bit more nitrogen in my patch in July and August to bring it to the next level. Any thoughts?

4/24/2007 8:35:22 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

My feeling on this is that most of the Nitrogen requirement is in June, when most of the vining is going on. I think you want it pretty well gone, by the end of June. I use Ammonium sulfate and apply mid May. Urea is too slow release. Ammonium Nitrate is a little quicker than Ammonium sulfate. Calcium Nitrate is much quicker and should be applied around June first. 3 lbs of actual N per 1000 ft2 is equivelent to 120 lbs/ acre actual N. In My opinion, this would be fine a low organic matter sand. If you have a high organic matter clay loam. half that much is probably enough.
15 lbs Ammonium Sulfate = 3 lbs actual N

4/24/2007 9:46:27 PM

Wood River, IL (kennyw_49@yahoo.com)

Where do you find these products. And can they be bought in small amounts to use in a 1800 sq. ft. patch.
Thanks
Kenny

4/27/2007 11:49:21 AM

Midwest

I found liquid and/or dry nitrogen at my soil lab: www.agrienergy.net in Princeton Illinois. They have several N products.

4/27/2007 2:16:56 PM