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Issaquah, WA

I would like to say hello to everyone. In first grade, as a class assignment, my teacher had everyone in the class grow a pumpkin plant. I took this plant home and planted it in my mom's flower bed and it ended up growing me a few pumpkins. At that point I was hooked.

Since then, I have grown pumpkins every year. Needless to say I am not in elementary school anymore but have a great career job and my own home. I continue to grow my pumpkins at my parent’s house for a few reasons. Reason #1 I live in a townhome with no room for a garden. But more importantly, we work on it together.

Last year I had my best year ever. I grew a 55lb Atlantic Giant. It was a true family effort. That inspired me to go all out this year and try to grow an even larger pumpkin.

I have read all of Don Langevin’s books and am now looking to get some advice on soil prep. I managed to wrangle a plot of land from my folks that is 18X12 feet, a one plant plot. I want to give it the best chance I can.

Here is the problem. The area is clay, clay and more clay covered in about an inch of pea gravel. From everything I have learned a soil test is the first step. I will be sending it off shortly. However I realize it is late in the soil prep season and want to get a head start on preparing my new bed and hopefully growing something of size this year.

I managed to get my hands on some Holland seeds and several 1132-09 Westervelt seeds. In the past couple days I have added a 1/2 yard steer manure, 2/3 yard sandy organic soil (1/3 sand and 2/3 compost), and 1 cubic yard of compost. It has added about 3-4 inches on top of the hard pact clay/gravel. It is just lying on top of the pea gravel/clay layer not tilled in. I am holding off till I get the results.

I seek any advice on additives to the soil. What to bring in, add etc. in the meantime because time is short. Planting is only a month away.

Thanks for your time and advice.

4/9/2010 12:15:11 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

You are off to a good start. The best remedy for breaking up hard clay soil and increasing soil tilth is gypsum. Wait for your soil test but a spot of that size one or two 40 pound bags would probably be good. Add more or less depending on how much calcium you have in your soil. It will not affect pH like lime does.

4/9/2010 12:41:56 AM

Deer Park WA

Hello neighbour! Organic materials and gypsum are your best friend with clay soils. Till deeply at the planting site, we have had to start from scratch in many gardens and have had great luck double digging a 6' x 6' planting hole and filling it with a 50/50 mix of native soil and compost/manure/amendments and building a mini green house over that. Seems to take about 3 years of soil building to get "Heavy Hitter" soil but you can get around that the 1st year with a little extra work.

Good luck!

Gerry Gadberry

4/12/2010 12:15:38 AM

Issaquah, WA

Thanks for the tips. I carted in 4 yards of compost/manure/soil blend. My soil is now around 12-16 inches deep. Added 7 lbs. gypsum, 7 lbs bone meal, and 7 lbs dr. earth life fertilizer to the mix. Mixed 2 pounds of fish meal into the planting area. Added 5 lbs of kelp meal.suggestions? I was thinking about using a flag pattern to grow in my patch. With that would it still be a good idea to cut every other side vine as it grows into the half christmas tree formation?

4/18/2010 10:25:53 PM