From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Rhode Island

enough of the politics of pumpkin growing lets share some actual communication that will help our hobby.

ron and i have both patches for 2012 preped and ready.
we spread evenly over each 3,500 square ft area ( each area will hold four plants), 22 yards of professionally composted leaves ( i call it black gold) along with each patch getting a full pickup bed of composted dried chicken manure.( believe me you only need a fine sprinkling of this stuff over the entire patch )
just finished tilling this in as the rains arrived yesterday.

everything was tested before we used it, plus we will test soil again in the spring and if needed will add at that time what ever that patch needs to offer us the best chance for success.

im already jacked up for 2012 season. i cant wait to see how a couple of our 2011 crosses do for us.

pap

11/11/2011 7:22:44 AM

South East

In full swing here to pap, compost heaps are made and some still under contstruction, leafs are being collected, and manure is being hauled. Pumped up for a great 2012 and cant wait to start again!! Good luckt to everyone!!

11/11/2011 7:30:53 AM

Omaha, Ne.

Thanks for taking the time to help us newbies to ride your coat tales. I put some horse manure. and tiling in the newly fallen leaves. What do you think of the city's compost I can get it for $10.00 a truck load? It has worked well for my tomatos and other things in the past. But now all I care about is AG's.

11/11/2011 8:36:42 AM

Preston CT

I lightly tilled and planted winter rye. I did not test or add anything. I will test in spring. My 2011 plants were pulled early so soil and patch sat for months with nothing going on. All the 2011 spring soil test numbers came back in check.

11/11/2011 8:52:39 AM

Rhode Island

darren

to me ya cant beat that professionally composted leaf compost. ( im talking black gold - high in minor nutrients, some nitrogen, plenty of carbon, great retention additive for soils that drain quickly as well,etc)

we have had this compost tested a couple years ago so we knew its value.

personally?leaf compost from a facility thats doing the composting right,turning it many times until its fully decomposed and black, is far better than tilling in some fresh leaves and waiting for them to break down.
although, if thats all i had access to--id go for it and hope for the best.---(do it in the fall though as you dont want leaves breaking down while your trying to grow anything)

the most important thing to remember though is that we should not over do anything we add to the garden.pigs get fat,hogs get slaughtered ---lol ---- i know because i have shot myself in the foot several times over the years.

11/11/2011 9:02:34 AM

Wi

My fall prep consisted of the following for a 6 plant patch (x 2):

I used about 1.5 yards / plant comosted dairy manure in the 2012 patch and about 3/4 yd / plant for the 2013 patch.

The only other amendment for fall prep was 3000# / acre gypsum.

We seeded winter rye (over a month ago now) and it's about 2" tall and done growing.

Spring we'll add humic acid, kelp meal, boric acid, manganese sulfate. Then we'll mix it DEEP and try to grow a 2000# pumpkin.

11/11/2011 9:19:07 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Exactly right. This year is shaping up to be my best ever "off-season". I've been working on a huge pile of compost over the summer. In the end it's down to about two yards of pure gold. Then, a farmer friend dropped off about 8 yards of excellent compost. This was also professionally prepared and looks great. Only a fresh smell from either pile!

The pile that I made was full of some of the largest worms I've ever seen.

Over the past few years we've gone to raised beds in the general garden at large, and the results have been great. Well, I'm going in that direction with the giants. For at least two of my plants, I have 8-foot X 8-foot raised beds built from lumber. Some might say, that's only 64 square feet for the base of the plant. I say, "That's 64 cubic feet, and if I can get a high root utilization in that space it will be light years ahead of what I have been getting from my normal soil." Also, the raised beds will help my soil temp. I'll also add soil heating cables to that. I hope to get the plants big enough to finally get pollinations in late June.

11/11/2011 10:36:48 AM

Ashby, MA

I added 2 yards / plant free composted horse manure (sitting in a pile for several years). I also added 1 yard / plant composted grass clippings (sitting in a pile for many many years). The grass compost was like a black "smelly" paste. I spread it over my patch like peanut butter. Tilled everything in and week later did a soil test. My pH and other numbers looked good. Just need to plant some winter rye now. I was thinking about adding another yard / plant of the composted grass clippings in the spring. Very excited for 2012.

11/11/2011 10:36:48 AM

Ohio

I have all my amendments ready to be put in since October 1st. Since then I haven't had any days since then to till any amendments in because the soil will not dry out, and if I would till I would be tilling in nothing but mud and i dont want that.

This year looks like I'm just going to have to put my leaves,cow manure,chicken manure and compost down and let it lay on top of the soil and till it in the spring.

I don't grow over my leach fields but my ground has been so wet that my leach fields cant hold all the water that's still in the ground so a lot of it is still coming up like a spring to the surface of the soil.(Just had my septic emptied last month)

Anyone else in Ohio having trouble with your soil drying out with all the rain water the ground is holding?

11/11/2011 11:56:45 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Paps,
I have sprayed my crushed up leaves with molasses, humic, Bio Grow and some fish......with a beer for me, and a beer for the leaves....lol
Any other suggestions to help me make my post break down to what you have shared? SHould I till them in now, or let them sit? They have a tendancy to end up in Wyoming with our windZ.....

11/11/2011 1:35:10 PM

Redmond, Washington; U.S.A.

Got a couple of yards of leaves tilled into my patch before they blew away. Still gonna till 5+ more yards of maple leaves in. I tilled in a ton of them last year and they were well broken down by spring, but my muratori rear tine tiller really chops them up good.

11/11/2011 1:47:18 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Pap, right after clean-up we sent off the soil sample and raked in the cover crop of rye. Soil results were pondered, and then forwarded to higher minds to look at and comment.

With the OM still at 19.1 percent we did not want to add anything because we top-dressed vines this year and covered trenches with a compost/peat moss mixture.

So looks like all systems are go for next year. In the spring I will till in the cover crop then re-test. Most likely will then till in humic acid, some kelp meal and alfalfa meal.

11/11/2011 2:10:55 PM

I'm behind here on patch prep. Getting Alpaca manure tomorrow then tilling it in. Once that is done patch prep will be done then I have the winter off. At least some of it, that is.

Martin

11/11/2011 4:57:01 PM

canal winchester ohio

fall prep is basic, after tilling I sow winter rye & hairy vetch. Everything is about 3" right now. Spring is when most of my addmendments are added.

11/11/2011 5:12:02 PM

North Smithfield, RI

Pap --- Where would we get profession leaf compost here in RI ? Got a couple yards of homemade compost too . Need to cover 2 750 square ft areas .

11/11/2011 5:21:13 PM

Joliet, IL

Cleared patch on Oct. 3rd and did a no-till approach this fall and a double seeding of winter rye. Hoping to keep my soil community critters happy with the cover crop roots and also watered in a product called thrive to add some more beneficials and myc fungi to help the soil food web balance and work with the cover crop roots in the warm october we had .on 11- 8, I watered in a product called aerify plus (a kelp, molasses, and humic acid along with a clay particle seprator) the day before a 2" rain to get it deep into the soil to help continue to break up hard pan while also feeding both the bacteria and fungi as they continue to work with the cover crop roots that will also penetrate deep to help create better drainage. Cover crop is between 4 and 8 inches high depending on which area had the best initial sprouting. Spring will get soil tested and adjust accordingly. Spring additions will be gypsum, humic acid, kelp meal, corn meal, and some great compost from ted krueger known as organimix. Before spring ammending, I will weed whack down cover crop and remove greens (corn seed maggot food if not broken down by planting)and till roots extensively and use a tool known as a deep spader to fracture hard pan by hand. I will then spray aerify plus again after finishing before throwing up greenhouses 4 weeks prior to transpplanting sprouts to hatch corn seed maggots and get the soil food web in full gear. I will spray thrive and biota max when soil temps get warm enough in the spring for good innoculation.

11/11/2011 5:37:54 PM

Onawa,Iowa

Pap and Chris S. ?
Who do you use for your pumpkin patch soil samples?
And in your tests any other substance to check.

11/11/2011 8:03:02 PM

Muddy Waters

I pile up this falls leaves for 2013 about 80 yds thus far delivered by Village & local supporters .Im adding last falls leaves & grass clippings laced with Alpaca,8 year old horse manure(wood shavings)grass clippings,3 bags calcium,1 bag sulfur,PH 7.4 1 bag humate,some azomite,will test again in spring.Will add more aged manure & compost in spring at planting sites.Will order new Aphid screen & construct 2nd greenhouse in spring for 2 kins.24x50 or so.No cover crop.

11/11/2011 8:44:35 PM

Wi

I use AgriEnergy Resources in IL. Lots of guys in this region use them.

Agrienergy.net

11/11/2011 9:03:49 PM

churchville, ny

U Mass soil test results for professionally prepared composted leaf mulch from local county supply
- "black gold" as many of you call it.

5 tons of leaves will give you 100 lb. N, 10 lb. P, 38 lb. K, 164 lb. Ca, 24 lb. Mg.


pH 8.1
buffer pH 7.4
OM 35.7%
N 37 ppm
P 237
K 2317
Ca 9824
Mg 1377
boron 12
manganese 19
zinc 5
copper 0
iron 2
sulfur 159

CEC 115 K=9, Mg=17, Ca=74

11/11/2011 9:14:32 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I've got my soil covered...

I have to get my "greenhouse" in check.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=153286

11/11/2011 9:32:07 PM

Colorado

Tilled in some compost today.I've hand tossed(pitchfork) appr 25 yards of ground up leaves and horse manure into a pile.Will cover it with clear plastic and let the red wigglers have at it all winter. Gardening can be good exercise

11/12/2011 12:09:31 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

New patch tilled, (40' x 60') & soil sample sent...winter rye planted...now what? No "black gold" available, as local landfill uses City Sludge as part of the composting process...which I will never use again!!!! Waiting for soil test results!!! Peace, Wayne

11/12/2011 5:33:57 AM

Bethlehem CT

Chris, Where do you get the manganese sulfate? My soil tests have always been low in manganese. I would like to correct that this year.

11/12/2011 9:29:08 AM

South of Buffalo

Went from 90 sq feet and about 50 sq ft tilled areas to 400 and 200 sq feet. Added composted dry chicken manuer and compost. cover crop on too late to germ but I have more than enough OM and my nitrogen will be good with the chicken manuer. Id rather supplement with neptuns than have too much N that makes for giant stalks and leaves.Hopefully that will improve on my successful 1st year

11/12/2011 6:40:56 PM

Putnam Ct.

Wiz, I also cover composting leaves with plastic to hold moisture and heat once cold weather sets in watering and turning every now and then. I wouldn't add leaves to patch until it is well composted . Let them cook down and add in spring.

11/13/2011 5:07:02 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Too Late....they are in.....lol Also put down as the same time......40 yards of composted horse and assorted leaves/grasses/pumpkinZ.... I will be tweaking the patch now.......over the next few weekZ from above..... Had to move those leaves. since it is against Zoning lawZ here to have a compost pile in your yard within the city.....and 100 leaf bags piled....too...lol
We just barely missed the 75 mile an hour windZ Saturday........but got things tilled under.....then the wind leveled the piles of dirt....As WIZ and BIZ cleaned up the 2011 patch...
Now I will spray WiZZzzy tea on the top with the Stihl....
a special blend.....guess we will see what the soil tests say before I further ammend......in the Spring....after another soil test....
I wanna see the diff between the fall test/ and the spring results.....

11/14/2011 9:25:24 AM

valparaiso, in

For my one and a half pumpkin patch I added 4 yards of composted horse poo, and a dozen bags of mulched leaves. Then I planted some winter rye. I will wait until spring to till it in, and get a soil test.

11/15/2011 9:05:51 PM

New Zealand

boy oh boy!
this thread is magic.
been looking for this organic info for a while.
and im feeling good with my patch prep now.
i managed to get 2 trailer loads of pure black aged mushroom compost... and more available.
its made of pine needles and straw... then mixed with some "stuff"..... used to grow mushrooms... then dumped.
the pile i dug mine from was 2 years old and pitch black.... and was told its the bees knees.
reading the posts above...... im thinking im on to something alot better than what i used to do.
except for not setting up a year before hand.
so im hoping for a good year this year...... but am planing already for next year.

just when you think you've done well prepping for this season....... you learn something new .........

and the new thing is..... my prep is/has been amature.

i have a MF35.... time to find a tiller for next year.

11/22/2011 2:25:34 AM

Lodi, California

Plop down gypsum, plop down 0-0-50, done.

12/27/2012 7:37:50 PM