Creating 1 Acre Pumpkin Patch

[Luremaker]

3. Yes, I did a soil test and I plugged the results into the OMAFRA's fertilizer calculator, selected pumpkins and I went with the recommended amount of fertilizer.

Would you please post the link to the fertilizer calculator you used?

OMAFRA's fertilizer calculator is a small program developed by the Ontario's Ministry of Ag, Food & Rural Affairs. I was given a copy from one of the reps at an ag fair last spring. He said he was not sure if copies could be given away. I'll try to find out if it can be shared freely. It's a nice program because you enter all of your data and select a crop and it then makes recommendations for fertilizer application.

 

[DirtClod]

Hi Steve: I've been catching your post as they come along and all looks to be going well for you. Sure would be interested in seeing some updates of the pumpkin patch. I finally made it back up to my place, after about a month. The first three rows of pumpkins I planted have good runners and the baking pumpkins have pumpkins about the size of golf balls and are pretty loaded. The grass is trying to choke them out. I pulled a lot of the grass but finally ran out of time, as usual. The last five rows I planted didn't come up well at all. I only had six plants come up out of probally 100 hills or so. I don't have any idea as to what happened. Anyway I fertilized all them and the grass with some more 17-17-17. Someome said that pumpkins need lots of nitrogen at first and then lots of phosphate later. But I read your post where you used 46-00-00. I think they said that is urea or a form of nitrogen. But when I questioned the co-op they suggested that I use the 17-17-17. Maybe by next year I'll get all my facts straight and my ducks in a row before I plant. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, It seems that a lot of people are following this project. Keep up the good work success to all.Thanks

 

[Luremaker]

Hi Steve: I've been catching your post as they come along and all looks to be going well for you. Sure would be interested in seeing some updates of the pumpkin patch. I finally made it back up to my place, after about a month. The first three rows of pumpkins I planted have good runners and the baking pumpkins have pumpkins about the size of golf balls and are pretty loaded. The grass is trying to choke them out. I pulled a lot of the grass but finally ran out of time, as usual. The last five rows I planted didn't come up well at all. I only had six plants come up out of probally 100 hills or so. I don't have any idea as to what happened. Anyway I fertilized all them and the grass with some more 17-17-17. Someome said that pumpkins need lots of nitrogen at first and then lots of phosphate later. But I read your post where you used 46-00-00. I think they said that is urea or a form of nitrogen. But when I questioned the co-op they suggested that I use the 17-17-17. Maybe by next year I'll get all my facts straight and my ducks in a row before I plant. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, It seems that a lot of people are following this project. Keep up the good work success to all.Thanks

I used three different fertilizers on my 1 acre patch. I used 165lbs (25Kg x 3) 19-19-19, 110 lbs (25Kg x2) of 11-55-0 and then I applied 110lbs (25Kg x2) 46-0-0 just before the plants vined. Pumpkins require lots of nitrogen and phosphate. I did take a few pictures of my plants yesterday. Right now I have lots of pumpkins between golf ball size and basketballs. I'll post a few pictures later.