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South East

I,ve been listening and hearing alot about adding , gysum, bloodmeal, alfaalfa and so on. But is there anything known about the amount u suppose to use to change your soil. and do these esimates hold your soiltype in account? How much wil raise the nr on a specific additive and how you are sure you dont use to much or not enough. And what does it to the balans off soil. example: you do a soil test, you find out that, lets say calcium and phosphurus are low, real low. now you add tonns off stuff. Many growers dont do a soil test after, because this happens mostly in spring, and season is started. but by guestimating you could be way off! Is there a way to be more sure? (other then growing big! lol)

2/5/2007 4:59:18 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Frank, most everyone I know does a soil test in the fall and spring.
Ammendments depend highly on your soil test and your soil.
Too much of one can tie up others, you are looking for a balance.
Email me I have some reading for you.
Tom

2/5/2007 5:27:21 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Cook,

I've stopped making "on the board" recommendations for these reasons:

>The soil labs differ in their extraction & reporting methods.
>Yes, the CEC does change the amounts of amendments required.
>Too often growers fail to account for manures when adding mineral supplements.

Technically, it's just a series of mathematical calculations that take the Pounds available per acre minus the amount desired divided by the analysis of the amendment factored by the "fertilizer efficiency factor" of the material selected.

What gets so dicey is the fact most growers expect to make large corrections in one season & they nearlt always fail to consider ALL of their inputs.

2/5/2007 8:01:13 AM

southwest MO

Tremor makes some very good points... To develope some consistancy I would use the same folks to analyze your soil year after year. More importantly is the method they use be the same. At least that way you can compare apples to apples and have some meaningful data you can track trends with.

2/5/2007 1:12:35 PM

President - GPC

There are some rules though are there not? I was a newbie, still am in many ways....watch it LB......But the more I read the more I get nervous growing......Too much information over load......Go slow, know what you have to start out with by getting a good soil test.
Know what you are adding and how it will change the results of what you are trying to achieve and what it really should do to the soil.

Read the book The soil food web, and other organic books....There really is no quick fix, thats when we get into trouble........BP has good info.

2/5/2007 2:03:55 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Wiz's comment..."know what you are adding"...is the best advice I can attest to. I added a ton...well several tons of compost from the local land fill, thinking that om will help, just to find out that it was almost toxic in phos and boron. Might be a year or two before I can use my pkn patch. Will be tryin to grow veggies in the pkn patch this year, and pkns in the veggie patch. Who knows what might happen...lots of good veggies last year!!!! Peace, Wayne

2/6/2007 12:17:51 AM

maine USA

I would worry about eating veggies if you grow them in that pumpkin patch Wayne. I'd have it tested thoughly, especially for heavy metals. take care KathyT

2/6/2007 12:45:27 AM