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Entry Date
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Location
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Monday, April 27, 2009
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TomV
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Fredericksburg, Virginia
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Entry 2 of 40 |
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This picture is a close up of the winter peas .
I plan on cutting the cover crops back when I plant the pumpkins, and cut down all of the peas and crimson clover later in May. I will leave the plants on the patch as a mulch to suppress the weeds.
I did some research on how much nitrogen is fixed by the cover crop, and the nutrient requirements are needed for pumpkins. The Virginia Cooperative Extension reports that pumpkins need N-P-K in the following amounts: 2 lb Nitrogen – 3 lb Phosphorous (P2O2) – 6 lb Potash (K2O) per 1,000 sq ft.
The recommended nitrogen applications for pumpkins is 60 lbs per acre which works out to 1.39 lbs/1,000 square feet. I think some nitrogen may be needed when the plant is vining too.
Winter Peas fix about 90 lbs of N per acre, and Crimson Clover fix about 80 lb per acre which works out to be an average of 85 lb/acre or 1.95 lb per 1,000 square feet. This should be right where I want it to be.
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