From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Canada

Well May was a very wet cold month, in the early spring
the soil was tilled a good 2.5" down and it was nice and loose, problem is i dont know if i'm getting the water down to the roots or not, last thing i want to have happen is to have the roots heading back up looking for water, right now when i water my plants the water kinda runs off away from the plants and puddles in the garden. I was going to dig a small trench about a few inchs deep around my pumpking plants so the water would sink down but didnt want to take a chance on damaging the root system. any ideas on how i can get the water down to were the roots are?

If i left the hose around the stump and just had the tap set to drip drip drip for a few hours you think this migth work for a good drenching on a weekly basis? right now with all the wind and hot temps were getting the soil is drying out really fast and plants are wilting dureing the hot sun of the day so thats kinda telling me i'm nto getting the water down deep enough i think

thanks

Dave

6/12/2004 4:23:50 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

You could make a minor soil wall around the plant of loose soil(an inch or two high). I've done similar with young tomato plants. I water to the top of the wall, and after it soaks into the soil, I can water again if needed.
I planned to do this with mine A.G. if it needs water, as mine is on a mound, and the water would run down the mound.
So far nature has supplied plenty of water.

Doug

6/12/2004 9:08:43 PM

Canada

Well I took my shovel and dug out a small 6" trench around the bottom of the plant this way when i water hopefully the water gets down to the roots. Next years 2005 growing season i plant on doing what others have done in there patches by adding PVC pipe down on an angle when planting this way they simply pour the water and fertilizer down the tubes and this way its sures to hit the roots.

thanks for the info

Dave

6/12/2004 10:15:56 PM

Puyallup, WA

DaveM,
2 1/2" depth tilling? You're kidding, right? What is below the 2 1/2 inches....a rock farm? Pumpkin roots from the main vine in the first 10 feet can go down easily 15-20" if you have fertile soft soil.

6/12/2004 11:56:54 PM

[email protected]

I'm with Stan on this. 2.5 inches isn't really deep enough. Was that a Mantis Cultivator? The worst tillers might only make 6 inches. Better ones make 8-10" at best which I still don't believe is enough for AGs.

I had a friend come in lst fall with his Kubota tractor. We dug 4 foot deep pits that were 6' long by 4' wide with the backhoe attachment. These were backfilled & mounded with a mixture of mative soil, manure & compost.

Then he tilled the rest of the patch with the King Kutter tiller attachment to a depth of 14 inches.

Bless his heart, Tommy found soil I never knew I had. LOL

The point all this rambling is trying to make is after seeing how deep AG roots *CAN* go when we allow them to, I believe no reasonable effort to help them along should be spared. Perhaps there's a "Graden Tilling Person" in your town you can hire next year. It seems nearly all towns have at least a couple.

6/13/2004 7:25:18 AM

Canada

My Bad, The ro-tiller i have here dug down 2.5 Feet in the spring when i tilled it, Were I planted my 2 pumpking plants i dug out a good 3 Foot holes x 3 foot hole and filled it in with mixed compost and good soil before planting i think around the 3.5 foot depth mark i started to hit some heavy clay. i'm hopeing this doesnt effect the growth of the plants when or if the roots go down that far but we will see what happens

Dave

6/13/2004 12:11:46 PM

Brillion Wisconsin

I would try using soaker hose, coil it around the plant like you see in many of the diaries. Just make sure the stump does not rot from all the moisture.

2 1/2 Feet! WOW, That machine would have to have 4 foot Diameter tines.

6/13/2004 12:31:46 PM

Puyallup, WA

Green Rye...LOL!! 4' tiller diameter! :>)

6/13/2004 12:57:11 PM

[email protected]

Now I am thoroughly confused.

6/13/2004 1:52:56 PM