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Ellwood City, PA, USA

Are there any particular nutrient deficiencies that contribute to aborts, regardless of weather factors?

Potassium perhaps?

I have been pondering this, due to issues I have had the past two seasons.

7/17/2012 2:53:14 PM

Averill Park, NY 12018

Don't know about a single one but if the soil is what is called nutrient deficient it can be a factor.
Stress on the plant from heat is the biggest cause.
Keep them watered good.

7/17/2012 4:56:52 PM

Omaha, Ne.

It's been crazy hot here to. But still each one I pollinated took. with no water,ice,shade, and at different times in the morning.
So Envy I was thinking the same thing.

7/17/2012 6:39:26 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Manganese

7/17/2012 8:16:20 PM

Ohio

This year I had a 1421 abort at day 17 , i had a 1789 abort on me at day 25 at 105 inches CC and also had a 954 Jutras abort on me at day 18...... All my plants soil never completly dries out and all my pollinations was done in June, (perfect polination weather) My soil test this spring was the best its every been besides the low nitrogen and I fixed that before and during when the plants was growing. I have approx 800 sq ft per plant (4 plants at 3200 sq ft ) of very thick vines, with a great Lush green look to them with now empty spots with mill fabric still laid down , where approx 200 lbs of pumpkins ( a piece)used to be with no pumpkins insight. Everytime a female shows up it shrivels up and dies out.

This is what i call pollination troubles...lol with not one idea of what is causing this. My only guess can be the extreme 100 degree heat we have had the last couple weeks on and off again.

7/17/2012 9:48:14 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Looks like Boron is essential in plant reproduction also. Here is a link I found that outlines some nutrients and their roles:

http://fritind.com/nutri_facts.html

Here is another site I found with nutrient information and recommended remedies:

http://www.ghorganics.com/page32.html

Hope this is informative for others.

7/17/2012 9:54:09 PM

Alabama

Pumpkin Envy, I was thinking the same thing there has to be some sort of deficiency, the last to years I cant get anything to pollinate, If it just hot weather then it's going to be hard for us in the south to get anything to pollinate.

7/17/2012 9:54:38 PM

Lloydminster/AB

Too much N every time.

7/17/2012 10:07:12 PM

Alabama

in 2009 mine boron was 0.3 ppm the year we grew the Al state record we had no problem pollinate that year,

in 2010 my boron was 0.4 ppm we had a hard time geting anything to pollinate,

in 2011 my boron was 0.5 hard time to get anything to pollinate.

my boron was low every year but the year I did not have a problem pollinating was the lowest.
but of the info you have there looks like a boron deficiency I'll have to try to get some boron fertilizer and see if it helps.

7/17/2012 10:20:34 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Don, I would tend to agree with the high N angle.

See my other thread that I suspect high N in. That is my theory as to why my pumpkin stopped growing and my plant seems to have taken off again:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=445017

7/17/2012 10:22:41 PM

Wisconsin

be careful on the boron I overdid it and burned a lot of my leaves on my knis and most everything in my garden is stunted. Growing but not what it should be. From everything I have read (after the fact,duh) if you have enough organic matter you should have enough boron. Just wanted to share my stupid move so no one else has to repeat it.

7/17/2012 10:25:59 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Pumpkin Bell, before adding anything, perhaps its worth double checking some other sources to see what the "normal" or "recommended" levels really are. I didn't see any levels documented in those sources.

Does your soil test show what the normal range is and where you fall in that range?

7/17/2012 10:29:18 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Thanks Duane. I will keep that in mind.

7/17/2012 10:31:04 PM

Alabama

yes Duane thanks maybe I'll hold off on putting any boron fertilizers on.Pumpkin Envy I think some were in the 0.8 ppm is Recommended.

7/18/2012 12:30:19 AM

Lloydminster/AB

I am a bit of a " more on" a times, and have seen the affects of too much N. everyone has different soil, but if my soil test indicates anything more than a moderate level of N I will have problems with sets and aborts. I think AGs are very efficient in their N use. Some of my plants have shown obvious N excess even though soil test said I was deficient. I think it could be warm soil breaking down organic material very quickly. In one of my greenhouses that I've had that problem in, right now is a watermelon plant growing at an unbelievable rate and though it is getting to over 100' feet doesn't have any flowers and I know why! If your leaves green up quickly you may have a problem. On good plants it takes over a week to become a nice shade of green. On my problem plants the young leaves are a dark green at a couple of days. Experiment by holding off ferts on a plant.

7/18/2012 1:51:40 AM

Glosta

Duane how much boron did you add?

And relying on OM to supply micro nutrients is like relying on the government to do the right thing for the people. Once in a while they come through. I added enough boron this year to put my ppm over 3 ppm. Nothing stunted. 6 foot tomatoes. Best pumpkin plants ever. Its all about balance. One nutrient effects the other. Sometimes positively sometimes negatively. One thing is not the culprit. Look at the whole picture.

7/18/2012 4:30:10 AM

Ohio

Last year i had a really low nitrogen levels and boron was good. And still had abort problems, so i know that my nitrogen levels wasnt my problem for aborts, if anything my nitrogen was way to low according to my spring soil test.

7/18/2012 4:41:41 AM

Nottingham, UK

With regards to the soil tests I have a question and I ask as I have not started doing them yet (stupid I know)

Q. When you get your results I guess it shows up what is in the soil. However, will this be different from what is actually available to the plant as it must take sometime for microorganisms to go to work on the ammendments and make it available to the plant?

Sorry to highjack the post, just thought it may be relevent.

7/18/2012 5:53:16 AM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

I don't believe the soil results indicated either way.

I assume it was showing the total amounts present in the sample, not necessarily what was available to the plant.

7/18/2012 2:50:15 PM

Ohio

As far as Boron goes, and this was told to me by Ron Wallace , is that calcium is the Bus and Boron is the Bus Driver that takes your calcium (bus) to where it needs to go ,and with out enough Boron your calcium is a stranded hitch hiker with no place to go.

7/18/2012 4:54:52 PM

Alabama

What kind of organic fertilizer do you buy to add boron as a foliage feed?

7/19/2012 1:38:59 PM

Glosta

there are many just google "organic boron foliar"

7/19/2012 1:45:52 PM

Wisconsin

My original intent was to improve my brussels sprouts. I read that small heads and hollow stems would be caused by a boron deficiency. I have always used the elcheapo home soil test that only checks for the 3 big hitters and Ph. I started doing some internet reading and came to the conclusion I needed boron and the dosages listed me to use 33 tablespoons for my 1600 foot garden. I was very careful to make sure the boron was evenly spread over the whole garden, and sure enough pretty much everything was affected, not quite like I had wanted but; "When you don't get what you wanted what you did get was experience". Nothing died completely and all the boron will be out of the soil by next year. I will get a real soil test this fall and move on from there, so I can look at the whole picture.

7/25/2012 12:05:34 AM