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Cranbrook bc

I've had some dumb questions but I want to know if I should be focusing completely on 0-0-(high number) fertilizers, my pumpkins are nearly 30 daps and probably not even 150 pounds, the one plant is stuck with a bunch of other plants so I figure entwined roots may not be helping its case but if I add fertilizer every week can I possibly speed up growth? This is my first year, even a 300 pounds pumpkin would make me happy for this year, they're nice and orange and wanted to get a big one for carving.

8/14/2015 3:42:11 PM

Germany

If the plant is healthy and able to let the fruit grow until end of September or into October (weather permitting), then your fruit will have reached about half teh final weight around day 40 (in my case in previous years it was around day 44). Hence, with 150 lbs around day 30 it looks like you should be able to reach your goal without too much troubles. Also, a 150 lbs fruit probably hasn´t withdrawn too much K from the soil yet. It all depends on how much had been available in spring...did you get a soil test?...you might still be high in K and then rather kill your plant/fruit by adding excessive K. Also, if some of the vines are still growing, then your fertilizer should also contain some nitrogen. Better use a N/P/K with moderate K, a bit of N and low P.

8/14/2015 3:49:48 PM

Cranbrook bc

Thanks Pumpking

8/14/2015 4:00:08 PM

Manitoba

Pumpking - why the low recommendation for Phosphorus? Our soil has hardly any at all, and even though it has a lot of Potassium, I still think that a certain amount of all 3 major minerals would be necessary during all stages of growth. What do you think?

Also, when we add fertilizer long after the original soil test, obviously the quantities (as well as ratios)of these 3 minerals would have changed mightily where a giant pumpkin is concerned. I don't see how we can compensate for that unless we have a laboratory right on the premises! And yet a week later, these quantities/ratio could be different yet again. Tk. you.

8/14/2015 8:44:51 PM

Germany

P is particularly important for flower development and stimulation of root growth (fertilizers high in P for May/June)

Too much P lowers the growth of myco on the roots (which thus lowers the roots´ capability of eating all sorts of fertilizers.

Better staying too low on a fertilizer than over-doing.

If something is missing, the plant will tell you. Usually soil has a good load of K, and in case of a patch prepped for pumpkins (with a good load of manure and/or compost) K is above the desirable K/Mg/Ca ratio for base saturation with these cations.

8/15/2015 1:58:55 AM

Germany

...to clarify (if necessary): Myco are friendly fungi that grow in a symbiosis with the pumpkin plant´s roots and they help the plant to take up minerals by seemingly expanding the root surface. The myco itself is after sugars (from the plant, thus making the myco grow along the roots) and phosphate (thus making the myco spread out into the soil). As soon as there´s plenty of phosphate in your soil, myco growth will be limited.

8/15/2015 2:01:56 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

The lack of weeding is most likely your issue. You can not grow one of these in the grass.

8/15/2015 10:29:10 AM

Manitoba

Pumpking, thank you v. much for your explanation of minerals. I didn't know much of that.

8/16/2015 10:20:52 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I agree with Shannon to a fair degree. Even at pollination time the grass seems to have infiltrated the plants pretty good. Often times the hardest thing for new growers to grasp is the amount of actual physical labor required to grow giant pumpkins. No fertilizer can make up for this. It begins with the fall prep and continues in the spring prep followed by a summer full of weeding, pruning and vine burying. And your spouse will appreciate the positive effect on your waste line after a long winter, I know mine does :-)

8/16/2015 2:57:55 PM

Germany

Oh, been checking out your diary, it looks like you had prepared a small spot for the plant only and then most of the plant grows across the lawn, doesn´t it?

Your plant will have tap roots from almost every leaf node going into the ground, and you need to make best use of this root system to feed your pumpkin. How are you watering the plant...just around the stump area (where you planted the seedling) or the whole plant (watering with a sprinkler perhaps)?
Make sure you water the entire plant with an amount of water that equals 1 (or maybe 1.5) inch of rain per week. Also, because I assume the lawn area hasn´t been amended with fertilizers, I would recommend you add a liquid veggie fertilizer to your watering (so that the fertilizer will hit every tap root, the run-off from the leaves will always hit the soil where the tap root starts). No need for adding heaps of K, better add small amounts of that fertilizer to every watering rather than trying to burn the roots with an occasional shot of strong fertilizer.

8/16/2015 3:36:32 PM

Germany

For next year, you should be aware that an Atlantic Giant plant can grow a main root system which is larger than the plant itself, a 300 sqft plant could easily have a 400...500 sqft root system branching out from the stump.

8/16/2015 3:38:01 PM