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New Brunswick

My pumpkins are not growing very fast. I have been feeding them miracle gro.... 15 30 15 once or twice a week at the rate of 2 tbsp/ 2 gallons for each plant.
They are also planted in old horse manure with fresher applications. I water daily. What can I feed them to jump start them?

8/30/2002 10:56:54 AM

Sask, Canada

Hit them with 30ml 15-15-30 per gallon of water every other day.

8/30/2002 11:36:26 AM

New Brunswick

Thanks...now to get this straight... 15 Nitrogen, 15 phosphate and 30 potash...correct? Would I start right into this regime...providing I can find the fertilizer with those specifics....any idea who might carry it? Would it be a specific brand? (I don't want them to explode from shock.)...*grin*

8/30/2002 2:26:09 PM

Colorado

I am using 0-0-60 potash every 3 days 8 oz in 5 gal. of water.I bought a 50 pound bag at my local ag store for $9.68

8/30/2002 2:47:43 PM

New Brunswick

Thanks....I am going to the phone to try to find some

8/30/2002 3:14:45 PM

New Brunswick

Aha...I found it and its on the way. I will have it next Tuesday. No chance it will shock em and blow em up is there? I don't want to kill em with love. LOL Do they need anything else? Anyone ever use bone meal??

8/30/2002 3:23:45 PM

New Brunswick

Oops forgot to ask...how much of the 5 gallons of water plus the cup of Potash do you put on per plant? The whole pail? Do you water inbetween feedings?

8/30/2002 3:26:42 PM

New Brunswick

uh uh...now I just read where some of you do not use potash at all in September....and here it is almost September. Help....... Our growing season usually lasts another month. The Mav...do you use potash right through September?

8/30/2002 3:35:05 PM

New Brunswick

Now I just read that one has to be careful with potash when using manure...and my pumpkin patch is made of entirely manure. egads....what to do...what to do....
Giant Veggies...where did you get your 15 15 30? Liquid form?

8/30/2002 4:32:27 PM

Sask, Canada

Got mine from various sources, Crappy tire, Wal-mart, and local greenhouse.

Why? because after about the end of July places start clearing out their gardening stuff and don't re-stock.

No it's water soluble...

Don't fret about September 1) it's more a growers preference to let their pumpkins slow down one reason is not to possibly cause pressure/stress that will cause cracks, but it all depends on YOUR plant/pumpkin when was it pollinated???

It is nice to get informed and see how others do it and eventually you will be able to read your plants, Like mine they should start slowing pretty good naturally around day 50 to 55 so I will lay off the fert and just go with fish and seaweed. Why would you try to push something that is naturally ending/slowing with fert as this just causes problems. READ the plant and just try to boost what it is doing.

I'm a first year grower but have been gardening for years and growing giant tomatoes for 7 years now, so it is pretty much the same with pumpkins just on a larger scale.

TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

8/30/2002 11:04:30 PM

New Brunswick

Mine set fruit around the 1st of August. Quite late I thought) I fertilized them myself just to be sure. Have you ever ordered the potassium 0 0 60 ? I ordered some from a local dealer....but if you think it is too late in the season, I will just cancel the order. Hmmm....wonder if canned sardines would do for fish....bought some for the poodle and he won't eat them anymore. Wonder if the pumpkin would prefer oil or mustard? LOL. I am too far inland for seaweed....or can it be bought concentrated and bottled?? Last year my largest weighed 192 pounds and I just used the miracle gro. It did appear to do much of its growing in September though. This year I started my seeds in April and set out about the middle of June as it stayed so cold here. I think perhaps I started them too early. When do you start yours? The reason I am panicing is my two largested are one only 22 inches long (tho it is fairly large around and the other 48 inches around in circumference....certainly they have no size to speak of, and there is a local contest. I guess they were just too late setting fruit and no use crying over spilt milk.

8/31/2002 7:34:23 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey DS, you said a bad word on this site...Yikes!.... spilt Dairy product is acceptable.. Just kidding...You can get the fish and kelp soluable from Neptunesharvest.com also I don't think a little of the potash will hurt ya..got a five pound bag from epsoma at the local nursery. Chuck

8/31/2002 8:07:35 AM

New Brunswick

How do you mix the potash? sprinkle on dry or in water...and do you apply to tap roots or main stump? I have been mixing miracle gro in water and using that...but my stupid pumpkins are just sitting...they do not seem to be growing at all...and I am watering daily. They just started setting fruit the first of August. What will I do?

8/31/2002 3:16:42 PM

Amherst, WI

This is what I've been doing. I take a 1/2 gal milk jug (without the milk) and fill it about 3/4 full with very hot water. Then I pour in about 6 oz. of 0-0-61 granular fert. I let it sit for a while, mix it up some then pour it into my miracle grow dispenser which is hooked up to the sprinkler. After watering for 10 - 15 min. I fill up the dispenser with the remainder of the solution and water some more. Good luck. Randoooo

8/31/2002 10:21:01 PM

New Brunswick

I, as yet do not water with a dispenser. I am more the mix in a bucket and pour on type (: ...tho I do use a rainwave for regular watering. How much 0 0 60 Potash would I mix up in a pail per pumpkin plant? Would the whole 6 to 8 ounces mixed in water be way too much per plant?

9/1/2002 12:44:44 PM