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Deer Park WA

What have you all been doing to get ready for this New record setting season!!! I have 1= 1000 Square foot patch, squared away. One = 800 square foot patch with a few variables left to resolve. 10 yards of composted Horse crap that the city building inspector has certified as non-anoying to my down wind neighbors. (Whining Bastards), and a cover crop for both patches of Rye that is ready to go down. Guess all I have left to do is decide what seeds to plant? How do I stack up against you all?

3/3/2002 12:23:13 AM

Puyallup, WA

Sounds great Gerry!
I've already rebuilt the ends of my hoop houses. Right now, I'm laying one inch PVC pipe(120 feet) to provide water to my hoop houses. Fortunately, we do not have to worry about our ground being frozen solid to a depth of 12"!!!
Oh yes....got more chicken manure and TAGRO on the way.
Out of eight plants, only one is yet to be determined.

3/3/2002 2:26:22 AM

Massachusetts

Been taking advantage of the mild weather in Ma. Tilled under both patches one is 850 sq. ft. and the other is 1500 sq. ft. Tough to get cow manure in these parts. I've been trucking it in from about 60 miles from here. Both patches have been spread to a layer of 6 inches. Now, just pondering over seed selection and waiting for final till. Good luck to everyone in 2002! steve

3/3/2002 7:50:12 AM

Roanoke Il

I've added about 14 tons of compost 8 tons of cow manure 6 tons of horse and rabbit manure so this winter. The ground is still covered with about 10 inches of snow. Was going to plant rye but the weather had already turned cold did thing it would germinate. Still have to add another 10-15 tons of compost when the city's compost site opens in apirl. I sill want to build a wind break around my patch. when the ground unfreezes. Then the race will be on... mark

3/3/2002 8:37:09 AM

Long Island,New York

Ok...set this jealous, city-ish boy straight...when you guys add 6 inches of cow manuer to the top of your patch and till it in...wouldn't that just make a mucky mess everytime it rains? Ive heard of people putting a foot's worth down......how can that work? You must not be able to go in the patch for a week after it rains ! I already have root-rot problems...if I did that I'd imagine all sorts of problems....I need the info !...G

3/3/2002 9:24:25 AM

Rexburg, Idaho ([email protected] )

Just praying for warm weather here in Idaho. Still have a foot of snow, the ground is still frozen and it is -12 F this morning. I'm contemplating taking the snowblower to the patch to speed up the melting of snow a little bit.
Last fall 22 yards of manure was hauled in. 2 trucks of leaves and the rasberries were removed to give me more room for each plant. I'd like to find some aged horsemanure to add on this spring as well. My organic matter was only 3.5%.
If you put the manure on in the fall and till it in, it turns to compost by itself by spring and there is no problem getting into the patch. It actually just adds organic matter and helps the sticky gumbo you get otherwise.

3/3/2002 9:51:02 AM

canal winchester ohio

As far as getting ready all is mostly on standby now. In November I applied appx. 4" of composted leaves & 3-4" of cow manure then tilled that all under & let it set a couple of weeks. Then per my soil sample I applied Ammonium Sulfate, Gypsum powder,Iron Sulfate & copper Sulfate tilled that all under. And last week I applied a little more Ammonium Sulfate & tilled again.
Now we sit until May 1st at which time I'll add more Ammonium Sulfate,Pottassium Sulfate & a little Boron till it under wait 2 weeks & plant May 13th-15th . Then make a appointment with my theropist for every 3 weeks until the weigh-off to help me make it through another season.....Paul

3/3/2002 9:58:32 AM

Southeast

Ive cleared an additional 400 sq ft for secondaries so I can plant 3 full plants about 600-700 sq ft. Im also installing a misting system and have ordered all the wobblers and tubing.I added 9 yds of fresh cow manure to 2000 sq ft in the fall and 2 truck loads of composting leaves. The winter rye is almost a ft tall. I plan to to grow 400 sq ft of secondaries vertically by using 7 ft garden stakes, that will overhand a creek, Im really tight for space here. I also plan on putting in 4 plants on the edges in the vipor formation for nice genetic crosses not competition size pumpkins. Going to double till as well. Thats enough. David

3/3/2002 10:37:53 AM

Long Island,New York

Im working on keeping a straight face while making excuses............almost got it down perfectly.

3/3/2002 11:16:35 AM

Roanoke Il

Glenn I know your working your @$$ off getting your patch ready it is your year to shine. I would be really surprized if you didn't bring one home over 700 lbs this year. Mark like they say JUST DO IT!!!!!

3/3/2002 11:39:34 AM

Cornelius, Oregon

So far I have added 60 yards of mint compost, spread it over my 4 ultra competitive sites, tilled the entire patch yesterday. Still to add are my lime, slow release fertilizer, micronutrients that were low, well, lower than the rest, Re-install the Dosatron into the sprinkler system, decide on my flag eight seed choices, and wait until April now that I got that first tilling in. Top 8 seeds for 2002 are 723, 846, 801, 705, 712, 611, 895SQ, and 900SQ.

3/3/2002 11:43:25 AM

Long Island,New York

You got me mark.....can't get by you. Got my 45 yds of cow manuer down and mixed with 6 dumptrucks of municipal compost. All the additives are in...boron, nitrogen, potassium....phos......all thr traces are in in perfect quantities....my ca-mg balance is perfect. Michorizzal fungi are fat and happy....vitamines are ready.....kelp/fish/calcium foliars are ready....the screen is up for the bugs...pefect shade cloth up on hoophouse with retractable dome for wet weather.Misters set with timed fungiside injector ready.All 55,000sq ft plowed under and ready for early start.The 567.5 is filed and sitting with the 723's,846's,705's(5 of them),946.5 and 935's.Gonna grow all 10 -900lyons'....Ive hired the help and they're all PHD's in cucurbits.Holland's cottage is ready out back...I hope he doesn't fight with Brett too much in my patch this summer....yup....we're ready....

3/3/2002 11:51:40 AM

Roanoke Il

LoL glenn I know for a fact that you probably have all the seeds you mentioned. The only thing I don't think you have is the 55,000 sq feet of patch, But the rest wouldn't surprize me. The retractable roof I've been toying with the idea for 3200 sq feet of my patch. Maybe just agr 19 over the top of it on wire this year need to jack up the late season temps in my part of the world. mark

3/3/2002 12:16:16 PM

Midway City, California

Waiting for the rainy season to finish (has not really started yet and may be one of those drought seasons) Then I will start tilling. According to my soil samples I have double the nutrients required. All my samples came up high
Will add only 40 pound of Calcium when I do the tilling. Working on My compost piles using horse manure and grass. (Lots of green lawns around here for the grass). Started to wash out the 1/2 gallon icecream containers that I will start my seeds in. Biggest problem I am working on is how to get my pumpkin over the block wall fence, the gate will be to narrow. Good luck to all John

3/3/2002 12:21:30 PM

Long Island,New York

Ok...I've already gotten 4 emails looking for a 705. That post was a joke...I dont even have 1 -705....nor a 567.5 nor 10-900lyons. nor 55000 sq ft and I dont have a dome.....nor cow manure or vitamines.......nor a good shot at 700 because what little sun i actually get in my teenie tiny patch was in my eyes...yeah , thats the ticket !! The sunwas in my eyes......G

3/3/2002 1:15:46 PM

Roanoke Il

lol 4 emails ..g You still have done more this season than any other and you have to have faith glenn that all your pumpkin or squash buddies can talk you threw this season. mark

3/3/2002 3:07:02 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

I added goat, rabbit and chicken manure to my patch last fall. Leaves were spread and planted rye seed. Unknown amounts of the manure and leaves for I did not take time to measure. I just wanted to get the pens cleaned. Although I could have used much more. 2-1/2 buschels of rye put on my acre of pumpkins. I know my OM is low, but this will increase over time. Now, I need to pick what seeds I will plant and wait for spring....Tom

3/3/2002 4:46:59 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

I've been spackling, sanding, sanding, spackling, sanding,
and painting like a banshee, the two rooms i gutted before last season began !!! I can't take any chances that the guy sitting in the Big Chair at divorce court is an avid AG
grower !!! G...if i get this done, can i have a 705 ?

3/3/2002 6:49:06 PM

Long Island,New York

Thats 5 now.

3/3/2002 7:57:05 PM

Midway City, California

Sunday afternoon Temperature in the mid 70's After reading all the work other growers are doing already I decided to break out the tiller for a test run. Everything was in good shape and the engine started after the second pull. Have to replace the throttle cabel as it is starting to fray and slacken up. The soil is in good condition and should till down to eight inches without any trouble. After that I will hit the clay.

3/3/2002 7:59:08 PM

Greencastle, PA

I just put pn 10 yards of composted cow manure, I will add some miracle gro topsoil because it worked well in my flower beds and add bone meal, blood meal, greensand, and agricultural gypsum because my soil is very low in nutrients, then I will till it all together. I'm going to plant a 611 Hester, 455.4 Andrews, 1064 Needham and 968 Sproule. I will prune in the Christmas Tree and Flag patterns, keeping the 968 the smallest of the bunch. Glenn, the manure I spread is about 1' deep in most areas and it just rained and it looks fine. I will also use the membranes from dried seeds as airators, they seem to work well. Good luck all.
Tom

3/3/2002 9:16:49 PM

Amherst, WI

So far, mostly mental prep. Trying to learn what makes these big boys grow. Trees are being cleared out for added sunlight. The patch is being expanded to 3700sq ft.I also have a secondary patch in a secret location which I plan to leave at 1000sq ft for now. Hoop house supplies will be bought this week. When some of this dang snow melts, I will start hauling manure. Oh, I should get some seeds,too.

3/3/2002 10:19:27 PM

Sydney, Australia

Have another 7 months to plant time. Have just expanded my patch from 350 to 830sqft, digging up the grass in readyness to add soil(mine are raised beds). Another sizable corner of my domestic backyard gone. My wife will get used to it.......

3/3/2002 11:23:49 PM

Greencastle, PA

I just found out that my parents are getting divorced and that I may be moving to Eugene, OR next year, so I will switch my line up and replace the 611 Hester so that if I do move to OR I will be able to grow it there where it will do very well (I hope). Good luck all,
Tom

3/4/2002 10:01:31 PM

canal winchester ohio

Tom,
Aahh,...I'm trying to find the right words,....hold on.
Ok, I got it. If my parents were splitting up I think pumpkins would be the last thing on my mind Hoss, Family comes above ALL else. I do hope you see that..........Paul

3/4/2002 10:14:43 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

Sat. and Sun. I disked the garden area. I planted a green manue crop where the pumpkins will go this year. I switched areas and will grow vegetables where the pumpkins were last year.

3/5/2002 2:43:49 AM

Myrtle Creek, Oregon

Today I plan on putting my mini greenhouses together and setting them out on the spots where my hills will be placed, if I wait any longer I don't think the snow will be gone or the ground will be warm enough to plant on the date I would like to,I still have about a ton of compost to spread and till in but that's what happens when old man winter comes as early as he did last year.
My 7 year old grandson says I should get a flame thrower and melt the snow but I shouldn't get to close to the house with it.LOL <;-)H-K-J

3/9/2002 10:49:14 AM

The Big Orange, CA

Just started excavating this year's site/patch. Introduced approximately 130 cubic feet of soil amendments including organic compost, rice hulls, guano, chicken manure, dolomite lime, and old forest compost. I'm allowing the mound to settle for a few weeks before transplanting the seedlings into it. Has anyone tried cocoa mulch? (It seems to make sense that the sharp edges would help keep snails away from the pumpkin vines.)Or have any mulches they'd recommend for a very fertile mound, 4 feet above a layer of hardpan clay? Good luck to you all! The Chameleon

3/17/2002 12:11:02 AM

North Ga

Uh, Oh, Where am I?

4/3/2002 6:56:26 PM