From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Eugene,OR

Check it out, my soil is now categorized as loam! It used to be sandy loam. I guess if you add enough peat moss you can change your soil type. Most likely it was already on the borderline between sand and loam in past years.

[Last edit: 03/02/26 12:47:08 AM]

3/1/2026 7:22:02 PM

East Coast, USA

WOW! This is the best one I've tried through my Soil Calculator at https://patchlab.app so far! I programmed it to be very aggressive or competitave. It came back with the following recommendations for your soil. 11.90lbs of Urea 46-0-0, 7.65lbs of Triple SuperPhosphate 0-46-0, 4.41lbs of Mono Potassium Phosphate, 0.30lbs of Borax, 2.80lbs of Hi-Yield Maganese Sulfate, and 19lbs of Hi-Calcium Lime to get to 6.5ph... So far I have never seen it suggest this litte... You are very close to "MY" opinion of the best, most aggressive, soil profile.. Of course my opinion is just that, and I don't have a ton of Giant Pumpkin experience, so take this with a grain of salt. But I wish I had your soil! lol. (I ran it for 1000 sq ft patch).

3/4/2026 10:04:23 AM

Grittyville, WA

According to the test his nitrate is high, so why add 11 lbs of Urea? Not sure he should add extra potassium either at this point in the season, but maybe later on. This could be an interesting discussion! I think the direction top growers are going is balance not aggression (sadly for our male egos). To use a winter Olympics analogy its more like figure skating than hockey, ugh???

3/4/2026 1:30:43 PM

Eugene,OR

3600 sq ft. I added 35 lbs blood meal,3 lbs borax, 1.4 lbs copper sulfate, 10 lbs manganese sulfate (32%), 175 lbs alfalfa meal, 90 lbs kelp meal, and 100 lbs lime.

3/4/2026 5:26:57 PM

East Coast, USA

Brandon, I based my target values off of an average of several of the Paton's tests from years that they grew their largest most famous pumpkins. Not sure if it's right or wrong but my logic says if it worked for them then why wouldn't it work for me? Then I took a soil sample, split it in two and send one to western labs and one to the lab the Paton's use, compared the results (or differences in results) calculated a formula that I can use with my western labs results so I could get the same results using western labs. Is it better, worse, out of balance, etc.. I'm not sure, that's why I always say to take anything I do or say with a grain of salt because I tend to think way outside the box sometimes. But at the same time, my grandmother always had a saying she liked. "The proof is in the pudding". :)

3/5/2026 5:02:08 AM

East Coast, USA

I dont know why Im getting those weird characters where I make punctuations.

3/5/2026 8:46:55 AM

Connecticut, USA

Are you using in iPhone? See this post I made last year.

https://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=355304

3/5/2026 9:23:38 AM

East Coast, USA

Yes, I used my iphone.. Thanks Ken!

3/5/2026 9:30:37 AM

East Coast, USA

Keyboard settings updated!

3/5/2026 9:32:01 AM

East Coast, USA

I can't edit my comment and fix the punctuation now, can I?

3/5/2026 9:33:54 AM

Connecticut, USA

I will do it server side.

3/5/2026 9:54:37 AM

East Coast, USA

Thanks

3/5/2026 11:00:42 AM

Eugene,OR

You are able to edit your comments if you start by doing a “what’s new” search and then go to “grower diary comments.” Then you can edit your comments. But if you go to someone’s diary and look at the comments under a post, you are unable to exit your own comment posts there. At least that is what I have found to work.

[Last edit: 03/05/26 4:20:48 PM]

3/5/2026 4:19:36 PM

East Coast, USA

Thanks! My edit button is there now. Wasn't before.

3/5/2026 6:52:40 PM

Grittyville, WA

Pirate- I'm not opposed to creative thinking, logical thinking, or new thinking. Its only wishful thinking where we may run into trouble.

Vineman- maybe this is the year to do a tissue test... the soil is only half the info you could be working with.

3/5/2026 9:32:14 PM