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Taber, Alberta

Is potassium sulphate something I want to put on my pumpkins this time of year (or at all)? I have a small quantity of it and want to know should I put it on and how would I do it? I was told 1/6 teaspoon per 10 litres of water. Also, I have some calcium nitrate. I heard this is good for pumpkins. Is it and how do I apply it? Thanks
Alan

9/11/2003 9:58:36 PM

New Brunswick

Hi...I don't know much about potassium but was told to put a handfull of soluable potassium in a large bucket of water. I measured out about 1/4 of a cup in hot water to dissolve it and then added cold water. I applied it to one plant (Not the one with my largest pumpkin) I am just expermenting and did not want to risk my largest one. Apparently the durn stuff is tricky and can cause splits and blow ups if too much is used. I, too am from Canada and frost is in the air. Mine are not growing much. I am using the potash on the one plant. Apply every 3 days or so. I am using 20 20 20 fertilizer daily in small amounts on my best plant. Weighoff is on Sept 20th so I will not have to tend them much longer. Good luck. How big are your pumpkins? My largest are between 350 and 400 pounds by OTT estimates

9/12/2003 10:51:56 PM

[email protected]

The amount of Potassium sulfate in a quantity of water is not very relevant. Until we consider the area that said quantity is to be applied to.

Alan, How big an area will you be applying the 10 liters to?

And how much actual "K" do you want or need to apply?

With those 2 figures I can lay out the formula which goes like this:

Amount of K required in Pounds or kilos for some sized area (usually either 1,000 sq ft or 1 acre in the US) divided by the percent analysis of the source (50% for sulfate of potash) = amount od fertilizer needed. This quantity is then added to whatever qantity of water is desired for the application technique to be employed (usually around 40-100 gallons per acre).

I try to think in terms of an area to treat that is manageable in the patch. So "per 100 sq ft" is easier for me. Then my 300 sq ft plants get tripled. The 400 sq ft plants get quadrupled & so forth.

Now that I can't easily walk the rows of the patch anymore, I now use my sprinklers to apply all fertilizers. The injector container holds up to 1 pound of soluble fertilizer. It takes 12 minutes to empty at 7 gallons per minute. So all 800 sq ft (includes boards & rows) receives 84 gallons. To this I usually use 4-8 oz of a 20% concentrate every 5-10 days. Depending on current growth observations.

Steve

9/13/2003 1:46:14 PM

New Brunswick

When I applied it, I poured it directly around the stump. I did not broadcast it.

9/13/2003 10:00:25 PM

Taber, Alberta

Thanks for the responses. I have 2 on one plant (one is 140 lbs, the other is around 100 lbs). The size of my plant is around 400 square feet. Tremor, I have a small container (I think a pound) of 54% soluable potash. I got this from a hydroponic store and is a powder. Your formula kind of confuses me. For the end of the year and I'm trying to get my pumpkin as big as I can without blowing it out, is this little container enough? I'm not too good at this scientific math.

Thanks
Alan

9/14/2003 4:09:07 PM