From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Osseo, MN

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=294760

So, I need to get some food to my pumpkin. I want to know how aggressive to go. I have learned that since my plant is almost all terminated on vines, I should focus more on phosphorus and potassium for food. If I go with a combo of a 0-45-0 (Hi-Yield Triple super phosphate) and 0-0-60 (Hi-Yield Muriate of Potash)fertilizers, will that be too aggressive and damage the plant? Holland's feeding schedule seems aggressive also, so I don't think so, but just want to be sure. Also, should I incorporate a little nitrogen for balance or is it not necessary?

7/27/2018 10:06:58 PM

Syracuse, NY

if you have directed all growth and plant activity down to one vine and one pumpkin, OK, you probably should wait a few days to a week before adding a ton of fertilizer otherwise that'll probably blow up your pumpkin. hard 2 believe that you don't even have the top root at the pumpkin stem buried and it is still the size of my pinky finger! and another one, next leaf over! hmmmph... the plant is already gonna focus on what it's got to work with, and if your top roots are anything like that throughout? you're probably doing everything right already. i'm just sayin', easy now, big fellah; others will chime in, of course. in the meantime, i'd make use of the sand and GENTLY lift the fruit up about an inch and move it 'leftward' 1 inch away from the vine, creating a new 'center of depression' under it so you won't be wishing you had, AFTER the vine mars the skin; you CAN wiggle it just a little bit to settle it in. be careful to not twist the vine itself, causing a 'pinch' or move it all too much and snap-a-rama(!). PS---everything'd be more dangerous if it were about to explode---eg

7/28/2018 3:29:46 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

The cottage cheese look around the stem suggests that the pumpkin aborted. If it did not grow today then it aborted. The larger concern with adding the things you mentioned isn’t damaging the plant, it is blowing up a pumpkin. Be very cautious. I prefer potassium in liquid form, gives you more exact control. Once that stuff is in your soil there is no going back. It is not soluble as nitrogen and will not leach out for a long time.

7/28/2018 8:54:43 AM

Central NY

Don’t over think it saw jaws...we’ve grown plants in good soil with very little fertilizer that grew healthy plants and fruit between 600-1000lbs...don’t gunk up the works throwing stuff at a plant that your not sure what it needs..it’s very easy to love your plant to death...we were guilty of this our first few years of growing...good luck

7/28/2018 10:04:13 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Do not throw 0-0-60 on it, that’ll salt up the soil, cause a blown gasket on the blossom or cause early maturing. Unless you really know what you’re doing and trying for a 2000 pound pumpkin, I’d listen to the above and remember it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

7/28/2018 11:53:49 AM

Osseo, MN

Thanks for the advice. I believe I was about to over do it. I am pretty sure the first pumpkin is aborting. It has not grown at all in 3 days and the second one (also on the main) is quickly catching up. It seems much more healthy than the first one did even. Hopefully this one stays healthy.

So, if I don't go heavy on ferts for where I'm at. What do you recommend? Should I stay with the Miracle Grow Shake and Feed (10-5-15)? I've fertilized only twice this year with that and have probably not even used the recommended amount because I was worried about fertilizer burn, but I think I could have been more generous. Anyway, what will get me to a middle ground here for a good fertilizer? my goal this year is 200 lbs. It's important to note that I have put Mychorrizae at each node with a 50/50 topsoil to potting mix ratio about half way through growing, before it was 100% topsoil for burying nodes.

7/28/2018 7:16:28 PM

Grittyville, WA

try alfalfa and kelp . . . alfalfa if you need nitrogen and kelp if you dont . . . Chicken manure if you need phosphorus. Or just leave it alone but i think you will get better results if there is a lot of natural fertilizer where the roots can get it.

7/28/2018 7:44:41 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I have found that light feedings of Schultz or Miracle Gro tomato food can keep a pumpkin moving along. A little in the water, some sprayed on the leaves. They are heavier on the P and K, plus they have some micro nutrients. But don't over-do it. One box per plant for the rest of the season. You don't want to throw it into an explosion, just keep it going steady. And the muriate of potash is high in salt. If you have sandy soil you can get away with it. But if your subsoil is the tough clay that the glaciers left on a lot of Minnesota, you can really damage the soil.

7/28/2018 8:28:54 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I don't feed anything unless I take a tissue test first. Its a small price to pay to know where you're at.
Once you get your results back you can add what you need and not add where the numbers are high.
Tissue tests aren't like soil tests, you can take 10 different soil tests from your patch and get 10 different answers. The tissue test is going to tell you exactly what your plant is taking up.
Then its just a matter of a few adjustments and your there.
That being said, I also take soil tests this time of year because of my ADD and OCD. lol

7/29/2018 12:41:36 AM

Santa Rosa, CA.

What Chris said

7/29/2018 1:35:43 AM

Torrance, Ca.

And what patch master said.

7/29/2018 10:19:52 AM

Osseo, MN

Thanks again guys. I am probably not going to do a tissue test at this point because. My first one aborted and I'm only 7 DAP on my second. I want to make sure one takes before I get serious. I guess I thought that maybe feeding it aggressively would help it stay healthy and not abort, but it seems there no definitive correlation there. Once I get one established I think I will give it regular mild feedings with the miracle grow and maybe a drench fertilizer? Since I have such hard clay soil. I'm not sure the miracle grow is having much effect if it's just laying on my hard topsoil.

7/31/2018 1:48:59 AM

Grittyville, WA

I actually agree here these guys are offering great advice... Maybe a compromise would work here if your plant looks healthy leave it alone. The last thing you want is to burn your roots wilt your plant and abort your pumpkin right? Wait until the plant appears to be deficient or slowing then either guess or do a tissue test. If you do a tissue test... I honestly think you will not regret spending that $44.

7/31/2018 2:57:54 AM

New York

I have found places that do it for 22$

7/31/2018 7:21:39 AM

Osseo, MN

Okay so here's an update. My 2nd pumpkin is still growing and has not aborted 9 DAP. However, about the past week some of the leaves on the plant are starting to tint yellowish. Doing a google search reveals that its most likely a nutrient pour water deficiency. I have not fertilized in 3 weeks or so. My gf has beenwatering fairly regularly, but I fear some of the water may be evaporating before it can absorb into the soil fully. Also, I do not have a filter on the outdoor hose anywhere, which I plan to do as soon as I can afford it. Clearly a tissue test is a good idea, but I need money for that. Maybe in a couple weeks.

8/1/2018 10:06:56 PM

Grittyville, WA

...k. well sounds like a sprinkler with a timer is what you need... I like the lawn kind that fan back and forth. Set it so it waters the plant and at least a ten foot area around the roots. Put a cup or container or bucket somewhere near the plant to see how much you are watering. A half inch per day might be good. That will water in the granules and that could be plenty of fertilizer...
It depends how much you added!
Post pics if possible its really hard for anyone to know what to advise if they cant see it

8/2/2018 1:44:08 AM

Osseo, MN

I might try a low to the ground 360 stray heads with low pressure. I'm using foliar fungicide and don't want to wash it away if i habe too water. That way I can get the fert nutrients in better than a drip also. Plus there's so many options I can easily make it portable. I did about half the recommended amount of miracle grow shake and feed last time, so not very concentrated on the fertilizer.

8/2/2018 10:10:27 AM

Grittyville, WA

Ok good. Welcome to pumpkin growing... You are now a pumpkin grower. Best of luck I hope you grow a great pumpkin...sounds like you are making a good effort.

8/3/2018 1:24:32 AM

Syracuse, NY

my thought is that the recommended rates on fertilizers are there for the general public, which, to them, includes us. the problems start when we think that more is ALWAYS better---that only applies to money in our pockets and toppings on our pizzas. else, using the recommended rate is just that: recommended. i have a plant up in back that is growing in this past winter's horse manure and soil that has had one application of Mycorrhizae, probably last year and i don't think i added any this year (was @ 5 pounds per PLANT's growing area, regardless of size (400-500 SF?)). regardless, ONE of three plants had gotten to be lima bean-grean (lighter) with my assumption being that the seed, my #20 (Prizewinner X 689.5 Sandercock) is more sensitive than the other two on either side of it (#20 X SELF);

8/4/2018 12:21:14 AM

Syracuse, NY

THOSE two are a little pale as well. 5-6 days ago, i began throwing on 55 gallons to each plant @ 1 Tbsp. per gallon of Miracle Gro Bloom Booster (10-52-10); each 1.5 lb. package was pretty close to being the right amount for 55 gallons, just right. that middle plant is pretty obviously looking MUCH better when i looked at it about a day ago and it already HAD a pumpkin on it, even WHILE it was looking sickly---
it is already semi-orange, so, i'm very optimistic. the #20 ALWAYS makes a nice, 140-250-pound orange sweetie for me, anyway.
i think we can water incessantly and when the nutrients that are less than plentiful get rinsed-on-through, we see the effects of that and have to add SOMETHING, and my fall-back-on item is exactly what i said above, just, a basic, user-friendly fertilizer that anyone can use, at the recommended rate, that might even say "Guaranteed not to burn you plants, when used as directed." i say go for it with moderate watering, and if you are using any SINGLE product, gosh, AGs want EVERY bit of whatever you ARE giving them, but, unless you know what you are doing, (and i do NOT know for myself, lol) you don't want to use itemized fertilizers, without yes, a soil or tissue test, but for a cheapy like ME? Miracle Grow is the weigh to go! plus, all older leaves die at some point, and maybe nutrients from your yellowing leaves are being translocated to other, newer growth further along the plant---i only heard of this a week ago, myself. the point to all of it? OK to use recommended rates, IF there is nothing that will be added to that could result in TOO much of a good thing. eg

8/4/2018 12:21:31 AM