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Mn

This upcoming season I will be adding some plots for pumpkins in our garden. I wanted to know if the plan I have is good our bad. I plan on digging about two feet down into the ground, in all the areas I plant in. I will then back fill it with one foot of horse manure and then an other foot of rotted down cow manure. Besides PH i am worried that i'm taking vital minerals and nutrients out of the patch when i back dig all the top soil ( 2 feet down)Out.
Could you help me out?

Tahnk You

12/11/2004 10:38:16 PM

Mn

Thank You Not "Tahnk You"

12/11/2004 10:40:10 PM

San Diego

AJG,

I think most growers would tell you that it's much better to not dig out your soil, unless it is some awful stuff:) The better thing to do is to till up your existing soil and mix the manure in with your current soil. Even better, mix in some compost with it as well along with some gypsom (10 to 15 lbs per 100 sq ft is common) to add calcium and help leach the salts from the manure. Even better yet, get a soil test too so you know what kind of soil you are working with and if anything else needs to be added. Good luck! Jimmy

12/11/2004 11:33:52 PM

Mn

I think that would be better. I was being urged by a person to go threw with this plan. I just think that without the topsoil their won't be very many benificial nutrients in the soil. Also I think that the plants would be so lodded with N-P-K that the pumpkins would explode, and make a huge crater were my world record pumpkin should be.

12/12/2004 12:38:11 AM

mcminnville oregon

iM A DIGGER ???? i EXPLAIN MY METHOD as digging as big as a hole as youcan??? sleep on it dreaming of giants??? then return again to finish it offff!!! Im even thinnking of using a oneman auger to punch a series of holes within! now I then manually refill the hole??? using fluffy tilled soil & amendments along the way!! I mark the craters w/stakes and retill entire garden again! I think the benifit is having the unpacked soil??? nomatter how deep i dig ,, I always end up w/ a mound!!!! DBH

12/13/2004 2:22:59 AM