Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Preparing to Grow Pumpkins
• Method 2 of 4: Planting Pumpkins
• Method 3 of 4: Gourd Care
• Method 4 of 4: Collecting pumpkins
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Sweet and salty dishes can be prepared from pumpkin, their seeds are healthy and easy to roast, and they also serve as bright and beautiful decorations in autumn. Growing pumpkins is easy and inexpensive as they grow in a variety of areas. Read on to learn how to choose the right pumpkin, how to choose the right environmental conditions for good growth, and how to grow and harvest your pumpkin in general.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Preparing to Grow Pumpkins

1. 1 Find out what time pumpkins are grown in your area. Pumpkin seeds will not germinate in cold soil, so plant them after the last possible freeze. Plan to plant your pumpkins in late spring or early summer for the fall harvest.
   • If you are celebrating Halloween and want pumpkins to grow for this holiday, plant them later in the summer. If you plant them in the spring, they can outgrow by Halloween.
2. 2 Choose a planting site and prepare the soil. Pumpkins grow in vines, so they need enough room to grow. Choose a place in your garden in accordance with these qualities:
   • 5-10 meters of free space. Your pumpkin patch doesn't have to take up your entire yard. You can plant it along your home or along the fence in your garden.
   • Good access to sunlight. Do not choose a planting site in the shade of a tree or house. Make sure the pumpkins get enough sunlight throughout the day.
   • Sufficient soil irrigation. Clay-based soils do not carry moisture quickly enough and are not very suitable for growing pumpkins. Choose a place where water will not stagnate after heavy rainfall.
     • To get a good start to the growth of your pumpkins, fertilize the soil well beforehand. Dig large holes in which you will plant the pumpkins and fill them with compost a few days before planting.
3. 3 Selection of pumpkin seeds. Go to your local flower shop or order pumpkin seeds from your online store to plant in your garden. There are many types of pumpkins, but for home cultivation, they can be divided into three main types:
   • Commonly eaten pie pumpkins.
   • Huge decorative pumpkins that can be carved into Jack's lamps. The seeds of these pumpkins are edible, but the pulp is not as tasty.
   • Small decorative pumpkins, commonly called mini pumpkins.

Method 2 of 4: Planting Pumpkins

1. 1 Plant your pumpkins 3 to 5 cm deep. They must be planted in rows from the middle of the garden bed so that there is room for branchy shoots. Leave a couple of meters between pumpkins.
   • Plant 2 or 3 seeds close to each other (a few centimeters) in case a seed doesn't come up.
   • It doesn't matter which side you plant the seed on. If the seeds are viable, they will grow properly.
   • Some seed packs advise planting the seeds on the "high" or low ground between the beds. This can help to adjust the water level in the soil, but this is not required under normal conditions.
2. 2 Cover the planted seeds with compost. If you've fertilized the soil before, you can skip this step. If not, add a thin layer of manure or compost to the pumpkin planting areas. Compost will help get rid of weeds and nourish the seeds.
   • With proper care, pumpkin seeds should emerge within a week.

Method 3 of 4: Gourd Care

1. 1 Water the pumpkins if the soil is too dry. Pumpkin seeds require a lot of water, but they shouldn't get too much. Cultivate the habit of watering your pumpkins every time the ground is dry, not when it is still wet.
   • When you water the plant, do not spare the water to get it right down to the roots.Pumpkin roots can go into the ground to a depth of several tens of centimeters to several meters, depending on the growth period, and it is very important that water gets to them.
   • Try not to flood the pumpkin leaves. This can cause the development of a powdery mildew fungus, from which, accordingly, the leaves will wither and the whole plant will die. Water in the morning so that if any water suddenly gets on the leaves, it can dry in the sun.
   • When the pumpkins themselves begin to grow and become full of color, reduce the watering intensity. Stop watering them completely one week before harvest.
2. 2 Fertilize your pumpkins. As soon as you see that the plants are starting to sprout, add a little fertilizer to them - this will shorten the growth time by a couple of weeks, and the plants will also be healthy. Go to your gardening store and ask about a suitable fertilizer you can use for your pumpkin beds.
3. 3 Fight weeds and pests. In order for you to grow healthy pumpkins, you will need to keep a close eye on them throughout the growth period.
   • Remove weeds from the beds often. Don't let the weeds grow around your pumpkins as they will take all the nutrients from the soil. Try to pull out the weeds several times a week.
   • Check plant leaves and shoots for bugs that eat up all plant tissue and ultimately kill the plant. Collect them from plants several times a week.
   • Aphids are insects that destroy most plants in vegetable gardens. They are easy to spot on the underside of the leaves, and if you don't take care of them, they will quickly take care of your plants. Spray them with water in the morning so that the leaves have time to dry in the day.
   • If necessary, use organic pesticides to rid your plants of pests. Get advice on this topic in specialty gardening stores.

Method 4 of 4: Collecting pumpkins

1. 1 Check if the pumpkins are ready to be harvested. They should be bright orange in color with a hard surface. Their stems must be dry. In some cases, their shoots may start to wilt on their own.
2. 2 Do not harvest pumpkins if they are still soft. They will only sit for a few days before deteriorating.
3. 3 Cut off the stems of the pumpkins. Use a pruning shear to trim them, leaving only a few centimeters on top. Do not break the stems as this may cause the pumpkin to rot.
4. 4 Store pumpkins in a sunny, dry place. Keep them away from wet places. They don't need coolness. Pumpkins can lay for several months after harvest.

Tips

• Pumpkins usually don't have much of a problem with beetles - they are very hardy.
• Water well, but don't overdo it, or the roots may rot.
• Once harvested, pumpkins (which may still grow a little) can be stored outside for a long time or in the basement if it is very cold in your area. In temperate climates, leave pumpkins in sheds, on shed roofs, in bags, etc .; in cold climates, store them in a cellar. They can feed you throughout the winter.

Warnings

• Pumpkin shoots can even grow on walls or trees if given the opportunity. In the house we have, an overgrown pumpkin garden resulted in one of them growing on the roof!
• Pumpkins are prolific plants, they tend to occupy the entire area on which they grow. Keep them away from other plants to give them room to grow. When the pumpkin begins to grow, all the plants underneath will be crushed - watch the growing pumpkins and gently move their stems if they interfere with other plants. Sometimes they can even crush each other!

What do you need

• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin seeds
• Shovel, hoe
• Good soil and plenty of free space
• Constant watering
• Organic pesticides (optional)