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Deer Park, WI

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=176824

In this diary entry, I describe the process I employ to prep my planting sites. The intent is to offer new and experienced growers insight into practices they may not have considered.

Likewise, I too am interested in reading/seeing various practices that I may not have considered.

If you'd like to contribute, please describe or link to unique practices you employ to prepare your planting sites.

4/26/2012 9:29:03 AM

Stanwood, Washington

This is my first year with the cables. here is what I did.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=176559

I dug my hole and the used the pitchfork to loosen all of the soil 8 inches below the bottom of the hole. I laid the cable in a coil pattern on top of the loosened soil and reburied. Then I had to use the pitchfork on all the area around the cable thet I had trampled down while putting it in. I didn't add any amendments to the cable area other than what I had already tilled into the entire patch. I will add Mycho and ferts in the plant hole when I put the plant in the ground.

Without the green house the soil temp seemed to hold at right about 15 degrees above the surrounding soil. My green house is about 5' x 7' and about 7 feet high at the peak. With the green house in place I was getting readings of around 70 degrees in the morning and around 80 degrees in the late afternoon when the sun warmed things up. that puts it at 25-30 degrees above the surrounding soil.

4/26/2012 12:09:10 PM

Redmond, Washington; U.S.A.

Dug holes 2-3 feet deep. added RTI Myco, Compost, and 8-2-4 granular organic fert (dried poultry waste, feather meal, sulphate of potash... and a few things in it that I don't remember). Added that all to the removed soil. Backfilled to just over 1' deep, graded it flat and placed soil cable. Backfilled over cable and planted. And I am enjoying watching my plants growing everyday now. And it helps that we've had the warmest spring in 3 years here this season. http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=176234

4/26/2012 5:33:23 PM

East Jordan, MI

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=174659 This pattern works for the heat cables too, the important thing is to not cross the cables, and to not have the thermostat (for the ones with thermostats) lower than the cables. I also like the thermstat to be between two parts of the cable. I think it gets a truer reading of how much the cable is actually heating the ground than it would if the heating part of the cable was only on one side and cold ground on the other -- I did a test last year with small meat thermometers. The temp would go as high as 90 if the thermostat was too far from a cable. I don't think 90 is anything to be concerned about as far as harming the plant, but it does run up the electric bill and I'm not sure it helps any more than the 72 or so the thermostat is designed to regulate at.

4/28/2012 1:22:40 AM