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Owensboro, Ky.

Just a bit of curiosity from a new grower. If you were working with a limited budget...say $250...what would you spend it on? Compost, other soil amendments, fungicides, pesticides, fertilizer? How about a priority list with monetary amounts?

2/2/2005 11:01:44 PM

Walkerton Ont

wow thats going to be on tough budget plan. I couldnt see myself going the whole year with only spending that much. I spend almost double that just on ferts

2/2/2005 11:04:55 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Okay, prioritize without monetary limits.

2/2/2005 11:20:30 PM

Puyallup, WA

One has to know what we have to start with before we can give advice. How fertile is your soil? Do you have access to free manure? How much room do you have to grow in? How many plants would you like to grow? Do you have access to free water? These are just for starters! :>)

2/3/2005 12:05:04 AM

Rexburg, Idaho

Potentially free items
#1- Manure and lots of it. Chop up some old rotted hay or straw from some farmers hay stack that has fallen down.
#2- Education, this site is a good start. How to Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins Vol III. is well worth the money but you might be able to borrow one or if your lucky a big library might have one.
#3- Shovel, Hopefully you have one, Tiller would be better. Consider double digging your patch. This costs nothing but for the Motrin to treat all the sore muscles.
#4- Hoe, Winged Weeder or some equivelant weeding device.
Potentially spendy items
#1- Early spring protection. Hoophouse is going to shoot a lot of your wad but you can skimp by with a 8x8x2' frame covered with plastic. I used this my first two years. About 10 2x4's should do it. 30$ a piece give or take.
#2- Sprinklers. You can do bare bones and have a sprinkler, hose and a stand to get your sprinkler up above the plants. With this technique your plants will probably suffer some depending on how much time you can devot to this hobby, but it can be done. You can also go more elaborate with timers and mutlipe sprinklers for better coverage, the sky is the limit. (I've got to put a new system in this spring and mine will cost over a grand just for the sprinkers system.)
#3- Fertilizers. Some people just rely on the manure but I'd plan on spending most of my money here. 30$ for the Soil test and then amend appropriatly I'd guess another 50$ here. Depends on how many plants you are going to have.
#4- Pesticides and Fungicides- Ask someone near you. I'm lucky and have no problems here. Haven't spend a dime in this catagory for the last three years. This category could add up in hurry.
#5- Water??? Can't grow pumpkins without this. Depends on your situation.
Can it be done on a Budget. Yes, but I haven't tried it. I think it would scare me to know how much I do spend over the course of a season.

2/3/2005 12:28:34 AM

Indiana

$30 on a soil test and go from there

Assuming nothing really out of wack for 2400 sq ft(4-600 sq ft plants)

$10 on your basic granular fertilizer

$25 on 2 bottles Triazicide insecticide from Lowe's

$15 on a Bottle of Daconil for fungus(Ortho brand if you ask me)

$25 20 lbs Peters 20-20-20 for application after Fruit set at Lowe's ones again

$5 on a box of regular Miracle Grow 15-30-15 for root development in first 6 weeks of plants life.

Thats $110 that will get you a very good first year start.

Rosemania.com has several Fungicides that could be alternated in the program. Banner Maxx is a great systemic to alternate with Daconil, but its $60 or $70 itself.

Other expenses would include garden hose, sprinklers, garden tools.

This is a start. We can build on it from here.

Soil and Seed are also very important. I rank importance as
1)Soil
2)Insecticide
3)Fungicide
4)Fertilizer

Water falls somewhere in there, but most of us can water

Tom

2/3/2005 1:41:34 AM

Wichita, KS

a fence!

You don't "need" a tiller; you can turn the soil with a shovel.
You don't "need" purchased ferts this year; if you absolutely have to add stuff to your soil, horse manure can usually be found for free, and you can make your own compost.
You don't "need" a fancy irrigation system; a hose and a rainbow sprinkler will get the job done, and you can usually find that at a garage sale for next to nothing if you need it.

Your budget is about what I have worked with the past couple years, and I found the fence to be the most important. There was no point in growing anything unless I could keep the deer and rabbits out.

after that, the most beneficial item I have purchased is a battery powered irrigation timer, about $30. Next is a soil test, about $30. Once you get the soil test back, you have to look for another job, because you begin to realize that your budget is too small to facilitate the level of change you are wanting to make.

At least thats how it is with me.

2/3/2005 2:16:43 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks for all the ideas. Everyone seems to be saying $30 for a soil test. My local County Ext. Service does them for about $5. Am I missing something with their test? What should I be looking for?

2/3/2005 6:44:02 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

WSM, make sure that test isn't just a PH test, a local shop was offering free tests, these turned out to be simple PH tests.
Tom

2/3/2005 7:10:35 AM

[email protected]

Ditto what Tom B. said.

2/3/2005 8:17:46 AM

Utah

you can get a good soil test done at the UMass.
$13 for a standard soil test with Organic Matter.
You have to send them one cup of soil - only
costs around $3.

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/

2/3/2005 10:45:48 AM