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Bloomington, IN

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=127068

Well the numbers on my soil test are about as good as I could've hoped for. I'm going to stick with the alfalfa meal for the N but I'm not sure I should bother with the rest on the list of additives I posted. What do you guys think? Don't touch it? or could my soil use just a little more of something?

I'll be doing some camping here really soon and so will have some wood ashes available, I just don't know how much per 100 sq ft would be the right amount for my soil. I plan on foliar feeding some fish and seaweed throughout the season too. Thanks for any advice! Brian

3/27/2010 12:56:30 AM

Bloomington, IN

I guess I'm good, lol.

3/29/2010 2:19:12 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

High OM and low N probably means your organic matter has a high C to N ratio. That might mean net N mineralization is going to be low into the season. I'd add 1/2 to 3/4 of a lb of N as urea (46-0-0) per 100 sq ft - (so 9 to 13 lbs of urea on an 800 sq ft patch) to be sure you have enough available N.

No ashes, pH is high enough

3/31/2010 4:37:10 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Just noticed your patch is 300 sq ft - so go with 4 to 6 lbs of urea.

3/31/2010 4:40:27 PM

Bloomington, IN

Yeah all the maple leaves I added with the 2 yards of compost last fall probably sucked some nitrogen from the soil. So could I still use the alfalfa meal along with the urea? I was thinking of adding the half bucketfull of alfalfa meal then maybe eyeball the urea from there depending on how the plant does. Thanks for your response!

3/31/2010 10:59:54 PM

Bloomington, IN

Oh and I forgot to mention I've got a 4-6" tall cover crop of winter rye I'll be digging under. That should add some nitrogen too.

3/31/2010 11:01:44 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

I'm guessing 2.5 gallons of alfalfa meal adds a pound or 2 of N to your 300 sq ft plot. I'd just go with urea, but 1/2 urea 1/2 alfalfa meal might be a reasonable move. Without some available N (e.g. urea, calcium nitrate) early in the season I'd worry about low N limiting gowth then.

4/1/2010 12:47:02 AM