In very hot, dry weather, increase this to twice a week. Water your pumpkins thoroughly once a week. Firm the soil around the plant and water well.Ĭaring for your pumpkins is essential as they grow. Plant one seedling in each planting pocket. Harden seedlings off for a week before planting, by placing the pots outside during the day and bringing them back in again at night. Allow 1m (3.5ft) between climber-grown pumpkin plants. Make sure the structure is strong, as even small pumpkin plants weigh a lot by harvest time. To train pumpkins as climbers, drive three sturdy poles firmly into the ground around a planting pocket and tie them together at the top to create a tripod or wigwam to support the plants. Pumpkins are hungry plants and need rich, fertile soil to produce good fruits. Allow 2-3m (6.5-10ft) between plants and between rows.įill each hole with compost or well-rotted farmyard manure. Pumpkins won’t grow in the cold, so wait until late May or early June before planting them in a sunny, sheltered position.Ī few weeks before planting, create planting pockets by digging a hole for each plant, approximately 20cm (10in) square x 20cm (10in) deep. Planning when to plant pumpkins depends on the weather. After germination, take the pots out of the propagator or plastic bag and let the seedlings grow on in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill until they are large enough to be planted out.The seeds should germinate in around five to seven days. Water the pots and place them in a propagator or in clear plastic bags in a well-lit position at a temperature of around 20☌ (68☏).Plant the seeds 2.5cm (1in) deep, on their sides.Fill individual 9cm pots with seed compost.Sow pumpkin seeds indoors early in the year, in mid to late April, as the plants have a long growing season. Seed compost such as Levington Seed & Cutting Compost.Here’s what you’ll need for growing perfect pumpkins in your garden. Your essential equipment list for growing pumpkins Pumpkin ‘Queensland Blue’ – an unusual variety with blue-green skin and rich, sweet orange flesh.Pumpkin ‘Munchkin’ – a small variety producing fruits with attractive pleated orange skins.Pumpkin ‘Becky’ – smooth orange fruits around 20cm (10in) across, with very tasty flesh.Pumpkin ‘Evergold’ – the classic pumpkin, perfect for both cooking and carving.It’s safe to say, there’s a pumpkin for every taste! Here are few to look out for: And if you want a change from the traditional orange-skinned pumpkin, there are pumpkins with striped, knobbly or pleated skins, and even white or blue pumpkins. Most pumpkins need space, but if you don’t have a big garden, you can grow smaller varieties as climbers. There’s a wide range of different pumpkins available, from the huge ‘Dill’s Atlantic Giant’, which can produce fruits weighing up to 800kg (around 1750lb) to the tiny ‘Jack Be Little’ which bears miniature pumpkins just 7cm (3in) across. Pumpkins (botanical name Cucurbita pepo) belong to the same family as squash.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |