Read also:
- Pumpkin Growing Stages
- How To Grow Pumpkins In Small Space
- How Long Do Pumpkins Take To Grow?
- How To Grow Pumpkins In Containers
You could just go to the local pumpkin patch when fall arrives, but there’s something really satisfying about cultivating pumpkins in your own home.
If you have the room, these exuberant, spreading vines with their huge, bright fruits are easy to cultivate, and they’re always a favorite with youngsters.
Plus, when you cultivate your own, you can choose from a wide range of types with fascinating colors, shapes, and even textures to spice up your fall decor. Or maybe you just want the joy of creating a Thanksgiving pie from your own pumpkins.
Creative ways to grow pumpkins
1# Choose Pumpkins Wisely
Pumpkin plants can vary greatly based on type, so choose the best one for your environment and available area.
2# Pay Attention to Harvest Times
Pumpkin seed packs will mention the days to maturity, which is the number of days it will take for the plant to mature from seed to harvest.
Then, perform the arithmetic to determine when you should start your seedlings so that they have the requisite number of frost-free days.
For most places, sowing seeds between May and June would suffice if you wanted to produce a variety that takes 100 days to mature.
3# Give Pumpkins Enough Sun and Space
Pumpkins enjoy spending their days in the warm sun, so put them in an area that receives direct sunlight throughout the day. If your sole possibilities do not provide all-day sun, a location with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day will suffice.
Allow between 5 and 20 square feet (depending on the cultivar) for the plants to vine out. It is possible to train smaller types onto a trellis, which can assist maximize your growing area.
4# Set Seedlings Up for Success
Plant pumpkins only when the daytime temperatures in your location reach the 70s and the nights are frost-free. You should also add plenty of compost or well-rotted manure to the planting area and work it into the soil.
This loosens the soil, making it simpler for pumpkin roots to establish themselves. Compost also helps your soil retain moisture and increase nitrogen levels, which pumpkins require in large quantities.
5# Keep Plants Well-Watered and Fed
Because pumpkins are up to 90% water, keep your vines hydrated, especially during the hot summer months.
6# Control Pumpkin Pests and Diseases
Pumpkins require pollinators to establish fruit, so let bees alone and avoid using pesticides. Squash bugs (which resemble stinkbugs) and their golden-orange eggs, which can be found on the undersides of leaves, should be removed. Sulfur dust or spray can be used to control powdery mildew.
7# Treat Pumpkins Carefully at Harvest Time
Pumpkins are ready to pluck after their skin colors have fully developed and the stem is a rich green hue, as vines begin to die back at the end of summer. The skin gets leathery as well. It will jump back if you poke it with your fingernail.
Conclusion
Pumpkins enjoy the sun, yet because water evaporates more quickly in the sun, they require more regular watering.
