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Salem, OR

For those of us who don't add hot manures in the fall and need to add, say, 3# of N per 1000 sq. ft., what is the best approach?

1) quick-release nitrogen (what, calcium nitrate and urea, maybe?) that will be available for plant growth but which will all be gone once the pumpkin starts
or 2) slow-release (Osmocote, etc.) that will stick around.

Just how much nitrogen does the plant need once the pumpkin sets (and I definitely don't want to keep that pumpkin from setting due to too much N the first week of July!)

Last year I went with plain old 16-16-16 (not slow-release) and calcium nitrate and had a PB by 300 pounds, but I'm wondering if I need to have a bit more nitrogen in my patch in July and August to bring it to the next level. Any thoughts?

4/24/2007 8:36:23 PM

[email protected]

Slow release source such as Osmocote are more efficient since they don't leach or volatilize as much. Hence you can use less. But.........

Urea or (better yet) a soluble Nitrate form of N will mostly wear off by fruit setting time which will help keep Nitrogen related fruit aborts down.

As you have noted, the plant's Nitrogen needs are low during fruit set then pick back up again. A lot of growers are able to supply tyhe needed N needs after fruitset with Fish emulsions & other "lower analysis" sources.

4/24/2007 10:52:20 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

I would think blood meal would be a great organic source, and bone meal if one wants P....

4/25/2007 10:33:40 AM

Midwest

Can I chime in with what I experienced last year? I had many leaves and some horse poop wintering on the patch. I tilled in April/May and my plant was in the ground May 8th. Nothing really got going until AFTER I added N in the 3rd week of May and I was very disappointed in early June because the main vine was only about 8ft thru mid-June. Then, I added N again (Miracle-Grow 15-15-15) to speed it up. Of course, by time the vines were long enough (15-20ft), it was the 3rd week of July. I didn't know that the plant needs N after the pumpkin is set. This year, I have a Chilean Nitrate product (http://www.agrienergy.net/Five.pdf) to apply now and after setting the fruit. Thanks for the info Steve!

4/25/2007 1:46:28 PM

milford, CT,

Anybody use 15-0-0 (nitrate of soda). Im thinking of using it ...I get a little worried about urea because it's so strong. my nitrogen is 8 ppm. Mark

4/25/2007 5:29:25 PM

Somers, CT

Coccadoodle doo!!! Or poor man's Agway Organic Fert. I would stay away from 999-0-0. Remeber, in the beginning you still want root growth which comes from potash or P (not pee such as in urea). Same with your lawn. good seed starter in the beginning of the season helps promote good root growth which is just as important as nitrogen early in the season. After that, let the salad growing commence.

4/25/2007 10:32:04 PM

Nashville, TN

I've chosen to use Blood meal, it's a 12-0-0 slow release N. Also contains soil-building Carbon and Iron, with trace amounts of other essential elements. I lay it on the soil just in front of the new growth to ensure a continuous supply of Nitrogen. It can also be added to soil beneath current growth if additional N is needed.

4/30/2007 8:44:02 AM