2019 Giant Pumpkin Fertilizer Program

In 2018 I cut back some on the usage of seaweed in my fertilizer program.  After a discussion with a scientist at the Utah Giant Pumpkin Grower Spring meeting today, I'm putting it back in, but mostly on the soil.   This scientist talked about keeping the roots young and seaweed is a good way to do that.  Seaweed can encourage root hair elongation/growth and root hairs typically will only last about two weeks.  Foliar application effects a plant much differently than soil applications.  So in 2019 I'm going to do more soil applications and less foliar applications.

One interesting part of the presentation was this chart.  In a lot of ways it nicely matches what I've been trying to do with my fertilizer program.  The right fertilizers at the right time for the greatest impact.  The following chart shows this from the presentation:

The Amine N is basically urea form of nitrogen.  

Another interesting part of the discussion I had was urea verses ammonium sulfate for nitrogen.  By the end of the discussion my conclusion was that for soil applications, sulfur coated urea is a little bit better way to go. 

Also enjoyed Ralph's presentation today.  He had shared a lot of what he presented with me previously, but pulled away with some new ideas as well.  Basically I'll be doing much more soil testing this year of dissolved solids (NPK) to make sure the nutrients are staying within the 500-900 range.  I know I've been too low in the past.  

The following is the 2019 fertilizer program I'll be using:

May (focusing on the roots):
Week 1	RAW Phosphorous/nitrogen (mono ammonium), B-vitamin, liquid seaweed/kelp, compost tea, myco, microbes & Azos, yucca, humic acid
Week 2	fish, compost tea (alfalfa), fulvic acid, yucca, silica, seaweed, humic acid, foliar multimineral
Week 3	NPK, compost tea, humic acid, yucca, fish, Azos, enzymes, amino acids, iron
Week 4	NPK, compost tea, RAW 7-4-5, Omina, silica, fulvic acid, seaweed, calcium
June (focus on vine growing):
Week 5	blood meal (for nitrate nitrogen), phosphorus, potassium, enzymes, humic acid, compost tea, yucca, RAW 7-4-5, azos
Week 6	foliar multi-mineral, phosphorous (flowering), fulvic acid, microbes, RAW 7-4-5, azos
Week 7	(pollination) humic acid, compost tea, RAW 3-12-12, Omina, iron, azos
Week 8	nitrogen, TKO, humic acid, yucca, compost tea, azos
July fruit (focus on transiting from vine growing to fruit):
Week 9	enzymes, NPK, compost tea, fulvic acid, seaweed
Week 10	NPK, humic acid, compost tea
Week 11	(pumpkin gearing up), TKO, microbes, nitrogen, humic acid, compost tea, B-vitamins, Omina, seaweed
Week 12	cane molasses, humic acid, NPK, compost tea, iron
August (focus on the fruit)
Week 13	NPK, foliar multi-mineral, compost tea, silica, Actinovate, seaweed, humic acid
Week 14	Azos, yucca, humic acid, NPK, compost tea, Omina, foliar multi-mineral
Week 15	silica, humic acid, NPK, Actinovate, compost tea, enzymes
Week 16	TKO, cane molasses, fulvic acid, NPK, compost tea
September (finish the race)
Week 17	humic acid, foliar seaweed, B-vitamins, RAW 3-12-12, compost tea, Omina
Week 18	TKO, nitrogen, foliar seaweed, foliar humic acid, cane molasses, silica
Week 19	foliar potassium, nitrogen, foliar seaweed, humic acid
Week 20	foliar potassium, foliar seaweed, humic acid