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Cleveland TN United States

I am admittedly a rookie at growing pumpkins. I have had problems watering my garden, It seems that after a few waterings the top of the ground compacts and water just runs off after that. What should I do different?

12/15/2015 10:31:11 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

If you have been tilling your soil up real fine, you can break down the soil structure. Tilling also mixes oxygen into the soil, increasing the rate at which soil bacteria digest the organic matter and releasing it into the air as carbon dioxide. Then watering it will make it crust over. Also, the farther south you go in the US, the older the soils are. That means that the soil particles have weathered more, with silts breaking down into clay. Southern soils generally have lower organic matter, because they don't get as much cold weather to slow down bacterial action. I suggest adding lots of compost, and finely chopped leaves in the fall to build the organic matter in the topsoil. Try to keep tillage to a minimum. A fork works good to loosen up the soil without beating it into powder like a rototiller does.

12/15/2015 11:17:43 PM

Bethlehem CT

That's good advice.

12/16/2015 8:53:34 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

You can also use a product called Wet-Sol Grow, which reduces surface tension and essentially makes water wetter. Very little is required with each watering and it is recommended for clay or compacted conditions.

12/16/2015 4:00:43 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

Yucca extract works great as well

12/16/2015 10:02:19 PM

aurora, IL

You could broad fork your patch then till it level, only 1 to 2 passes. You will still have good drainage do to the forking that going deeper than the tiller.

12/20/2015 12:58:20 PM

Cleveland TN United States

Thank You Guys for the help

1/3/2016 11:20:49 PM

N.c.

Hey OG! I have read that excessive tilling can cause this problem. Myself I have never owned a tiller and rely solely on a shovel, yet I have the same problem you describe. I purchased soaker hoses from Wall-mart and alleviated the issue. The amount of magnesium in your soil may be augmenting the crust forming problem. Magnesium at 12% of your base saturation is plenty good. If you notice however a magnesium deficiency in your plants you can always foliar apply epsom salt. Try, of course, to maintain your OM above 3-4%.

1/4/2016 9:37:18 AM