Growing Pumpkins

Pumpkin curbita spp is an iconic plant in north american gardens a form of squash that symbolizes autumn through its use in creative halloween jack o lantern carvings or as a filling for delicious thanksgiving pies while most people think of a pumpkin as a large spherical orange fruit with a ribbed rind pumpkins also come in colors including white red pink and blue and with rinds.

Growing pumpkins. In order to start growing pumpkins you must first get your hands on some seeds. Two weeks before planting or sowing seed outdoors make individual planting pockets 1 8m 6ft apart. They come in all shapes and sizes however growing pumpkins is pretty much the same. Or try miniature varieties.

It s also full of nutrition dishing up vitamin c beta carotene fiber and potassium. The same tips and tricks apply to all varieties if it is a butternut pumpkin or a kent or a queensland blue you can grow it at home. But this vegetable boasts more than good looks. Plant pumpkins at the edge of the garden and direct vine growth across the lawn or sidewalk.

However if you live in a cooler climate you may not have as large of a growing window. They prefer very rich soil that is well drained and not too soggy. How to grow pumpkins. You can also grow pumpkins in big 5 to 10 gallon buckets.

Pumpkins need a sunny position moisture retentive soil and shelter from cold wind. Pumpkins are big greedy feeders. Growing pumpkins stands as an enduring symbol of fall whether they end up as smiling jack o lanterns or stacked near cornstalks for a lovely autumn scene. As for disease powdery mildew downy mildew gummy stem blight white speck and anthracnose can affect pumpkin plants particularly in locations where the conditions are humid and wet.

If this is the case for you start the pumpkin seeds indoors a month before the last spring frost. Growing pumpkins is easy and inexpensive since they grow well in many different regions. Thankfully pumpkin starts are easy to come by and can be purchased from two different locations nook s cranny. Read on for information on choosing a variety of pumpkin to plant finding an environment that will help your plants thrive and as well as growing and harvesting your pumpkins.

The vines will only be bothersome for a few weeks. Do this by making a hole about a spade s depth and width. Planting companion plants with your pumpkins leeks onion and dill for example can help to keep pests at bay as they deter them from the pumpkins. Backfill with a mixture of compost or well rotted manure and soil.

Be sure to harden the transplants off before planting.