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Location

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Date Posted

Southern Ohio

Soil pH 6.0
Buffer pH 6.9
Organic Matter 1.6%
CEC 9.3
K Saturation 1.9%
Mg Saturation 14.6%
Ca Saturation 70.6
K/Mg Ratio 0.4
Ca/Mg Ratio 9.5
Phosphorus 75 ppm
Potassium 81 ppm
Magnesium 185 ppm
Calcium 1751 ppm

10/18/2012 7:10:11 PM

Southern Ohio

I know i need lime but how does everything else look?

10/18/2012 8:40:27 PM

Southern Ohio

The lab that did the testing recommends CaCO3 42, N 2.3 , P2O5 1.8 , K2O 3.8 , MG 0.2 The way I read it that its pounds per 1000ft2. Does this seem right or even a good start?

10/18/2012 9:52:21 PM

The North Coast

That sounds legit to me. Making these additions will get you much closer and with the spring test and recommendations you can really get dialed in.

To calculate how much N, P, K, or Ca (and everything else) you need, take the percent of product divided into the pounds needed. This gives you the amount of that specific fertilizer that you need to apply to get the required amount.

Example: Need 2.3 lbs N in your 1000 foot patch.
Your nitrogen source (just an example) is 7-0-0 or 7% pure nitrogen.

2.3 / .07 = 32.9 pounds would be needed of your 7-0-0 fertilizer.

The calculations get a bit more complicated if you use a broad fertilizer like 10-20-10 but just do the math for each element.

Make sure that you confirm that the recommendations are per 1000ft2. Sometimes a soil test will give recommendations per acre and per 1000ft2 on the same result sheet.

Dont forget about the micro nutrients. They can be a bit of a challenge to source but they are very important to.

You do yourself no good to do any guessing or over application. Get clarification if needed. Good luck.

10/19/2012 9:11:49 AM

The North Coast

Use Western Labs in the spring. They are the preferred lab for many and they can give you recommendations specifically for growing giant pumpkins.

10/19/2012 9:14:57 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

I can only say that its obvious you need to raise your OM up.

10/19/2012 10:59:23 PM

Portsmouth, RI

1 thing I can add is the type of lime to use. By what the lab results read is you need very little magnesium so calcite lime is what you need. I suggest sending your results to Tom at extreme pumpkin and he will let you know what you need to add.

10/20/2012 8:08:16 AM

Colorado

A lot of compost would help-1.6 % organic matter is low.

10/22/2012 6:26:40 PM