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nanaimo,B.C,Canada

How many of you out there dig planting pits and fill with compost,manure etc. Is this common practice with top growers or just keeping all the growing area throughout the same?

Dave

4/5/2004 3:01:40 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I did it in the past but despite growing the German record in 2002 I have mixed feelings about it.
I have a clay type soil here and in the first year I tried pits my main stump rotted due to excess moisture in the pit after heavy rainfalls.
In my second year, 2002, I dug pits again but also built a small hill above them so that the stump itself stayed pretty dry. I did the same in 2003.
This year I will not dig pits again. I prepare every square foot of soil in the same way and just plant the plants where I want. This sure is a lot less work!
And I understand that this is also the way almost all "Heavy Hitters" are doing it.
I can also tell you that the grower who "convinced" me of this practice is Carlos Perez from Spain. I always read his 2003 grower diary. In spring when I saw how he is preparing his soil I had great doubts that he could have any success without digging pits, making hills or anything like that. He just spread all his manure, compost, etc. evenly over his entire patch and tilled it in.
But as the season proceeded it became obvious that this is the correct way to do it. He eventually harvested two pumpkins over 1000lbs.
However, one must also say that this has probably only been one factor for his success. I have never seen better pruned plants than his and he also did a great job in keeping the patch weed free.
Check out his 2003 diary!
Best wishes,
Martin

4/5/2004 5:18:27 AM

Roanoke Il

I think th pit idea can be used in any type of soil clay or sand but with clay based soils I would think one would want to raise the surface of the planting area atleast 2 feet graded mound to prevent the swimming pool efect caused by softer ground when it rains heavey. If soil is really heavy clay one might want to install proper drainage system. By mounding the soil warm up faster in the spring giving you an important head start. draw backs soil dries out faster in the mound, one needs to work with vines more when come down off the mound. You may just want to break up the soil under a raised bed of lets say 2 feet that is what alot of big growers do. I pearsonally dig a 3 foot deep pit fill the first 18 inches with fresh cow manure the 6 inches of compost two 5 gallon pails of wood ash 5 lbs of 10-10-10 then add the top soil mixed with compost bone meal blood meal 2lbs each, building a mound of two feet over grade.soil warms up faster. when the vines start to run i keep building the mound up while burrring the vines takes about 10 feet before i'm back to ground level. hope this helps mark.

4/5/2004 7:40:41 AM

Puyallup, WA

Pits work for me because I have to dig through a layer of clay to reach sandy loam. Hence, I have no problem with
water stagnating in the pit.

4/5/2004 10:45:27 AM

C N Y

have a look at Boily's diary for '02/03/04---he did a heck of a job on the patch he has, all ventilated and drainaged...
there are SURE to be a few ideas in there for you as well.eg

4/5/2004 7:51:34 PM