Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Planting Pumpkin Saplings
• Part 2 of 4: Planting a winter gourd
• Part 3 of 4: Growing a winter gourd
• Part 4 of 4: Harvesting the Winter Gourd
• What do you need

Winter squash is one of the staple vegetables to eat due to its high nutrient content and easy storage. Winter squash is a small, sweet variety that is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as manganese and potassium. Plant a seed pumpkin in full sun and, after two to three months, you will have a pantry full of hard-skinned pumpkin.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Planting Pumpkin Saplings

1. 1 You should have at least three and a half sunny months of the growing season. Winter gourds take between two and a half to three and a half months to ripen, and like most winter gourds, they cannot be picked until ripe.
   • Excess winter gourd seeds can be stored for up to six years.
2. 2 Purchase a bag of winter gourd seeds from your local garden store. If you don't want to plant your own seeds, you can wait until spring to find seedlings at the market or garden center.
3. 3 Start planting seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost of the season. Check the status of the calendar to see when it will be. If the growing season is longer, plant the seeds outdoors two weeks after the first frost.
4. 4 Cover the seeds with a warm, damp cloth for a few hours while you prepare the soil.
5. 5 Plant six seeds in 8cm pots. Seedling trays are usually not large enough for pumpkin seedlings. Fill the pots with the seed mixture and sprinkle with warm water before planting each seed 3 cm deep.
6. 6 Place the seeds in a sunny window, which you can complement with a fluorescent light. Cover the pot with plastic wrap for the first few days to improve germination. Typically, seeds will germinate within 5-12 days.
7. 7 Thin the seeds down to three per pot when they begin to choke off each other. They should be ready to be transplanted into the garden soon.

Part 2 of 4: Planting a winter gourd

1. 1 Prepare your beds. You need at least one square meter of soil to grow winter squash without interfering with other vegetables. The garden bed should be located in bright sunlight.
   • If you don't have a yard to save, build a trellis or use a fence to grow the pumpkin vertically. Plant pumpkin seedlings 0.6 m apart and direct the plants onto a trellis.
2. 2 If possible, fertilize the soil with compost during the winter. Aim for a pH value between 5.8 and 6.8.
3. 3 Plant the seedlings when the soil warms up to about 20 ° C.
4. 4 Loosen the soil to a depth of at least 30 cm. Then plant the seedlings on 1 meter mounds, about three saplings per mound. Planting on top of the mound will ensure that the roots will not rot as the pumpkin requires a lot of watering.
   • If you are planting seeds directly on the plot, plant six seeds in the mound. Dive three plants after germination.
   • A winter gourd planted near a fence or trellis should not be on the embankment.

Part 3 of 4: Growing a winter gourd

1. 1 Put mulch around the pumpkin for the first few weeks if you have weed problems. After the wide leaves begin to form, you must regularly pull up the weeds by hand. Large leaves will keep weeds in the shade.
2. 2 Water the pumpkin mounds when the soil begins to dry out. Let the water soak for a few minutes to reach the entire root system. Water below the leaves to avoid powdery mildew and scab.
3. 3 Beware of pumpkin borers that leave “sawdust.” They can be removed by hand. Cover the plants with gauze while they are young if you have problems with flea beetles.

Part 4 of 4: Harvesting the Winter Gourd

1. 1 Check winter squash individually after two to three months. They should have a dark green skin as they approach maturity. When the skin is hard enough that it cannot be pierced with a fingernail, they are ready to be harvested.
2. 2 Cut the pumpkin from the stem, leaving about 3 cm. stem on a pumpkin. Use a pair of sharp kitchen or garden scissors.
3. 3 Rinse and dry the surface of the pumpkin. Find a cool, dry, dark place to store your pumpkin.
4. 4 Do not stack the pumpkin one on top of the other, but lay it side by side. When stored in a less optimal area, pumpkin can last for two to three weeks. When stored in a basement, it can last for several months ..

What do you need

• Winter gourd seeds
• 8 cm pots
• Water
• Indoor plant mixture
• Compost
• Lattice / fence
• Meter garden space
• Mesh / gauze
• Mulch
• Kitchen scissors
• Basement