Growing pumpkins is a great activity for the
whole family. It's easy to be a successful gardener growing
pumpkins, all you need is seeds. Pumpkins are a
long-season crop you can grow anywhere from southern Canada (USDA
Zone 3), south into the tropics. Almost any pumpkin seed ultimately
will produce pumpkins.
Pumpkins come in a wide number of varieties from the traditional
Jack O'Lantern variety known as the Connecticut Field Pumpkin which
is the one produced by most commercial growers to more exotic
varieties; Baby Boo, Munchkin, Spooktacular, Big Max, Cinderella,
Lumina, Atlantic Giant and many more. Pumpkin varieties come in a
wide range of potential sizes (from a few ounces to over 500
pounds) and in several colors (ranging from white to pink to red to
traditional orange). The big ones require more garden space, but
the leaves and flowers of the different types look remarkably
similar. If your goal is to have the biggest pumpkin on the block,
plant 'Atlantic Giant'. These pumpkins regularly weigh in at 200
lbs. and up. Growing giant pumpkins can be a fascinating
experience. Before you can master the art of growing a giant,
however, you must be familiar with the basic principles of
growing pumpkins. Once you have become familiar
with this information, you are ready to try your hand at
growing pumpkins that are GIANTS!
Because so many plants grow well in pots, the
possibilities for container gardening are almost
endless. Using your imagination is the key to container
gardening, finding unique ways to grow and display your
favorite plants. Just think about what you want to grow, apply a
little basic gardening sense and use our products, and you'll have
a bountiful harvest or beautiful patio!
Pumpkin Growing Package:
We have the tools to help you grow GIANT pumpkins. SoilSyrup conditions the potting soil and
maintain soil humus levels. AquaRocks
and AquaSpikes make watering
container gardens a lot easier. Algoflash is a safe, non-burning plant food
you can use every time you water. And MegaGro is the secret
professional growers use to produce big, beautiful pumpkins. So if
you want the secret to truly successful pumpkin growing, use
MegaGro.
Our Pumpkin Growing Kit contains everything you need to grow any
type of pumpkin without a lot of work. The Pumpkin Growing
Kit includes:
MegaGro for beautiful blooms and
flowers and bigger fruits and vegetables.
Growing
Pumpkins - Fertilizer and Soil Amendments
Pumpkins are considered "heavy feeders" and do well with a
little extra nourishment. Growing pumpkins are also
nitrogen lovers.
Algoflash is a great balanced fertilizer for
growing pumpkins that provides all the nutrients
your growing pumpkins will need. Add Algoflash and
SoilSyrup to your watering mix and water each pumpkin mound every
three to four weeks. It is definitely a power booster. Providing
proper nutrients throughout the growing season will insure
healthy, vigorous vines, and growing
pumpkins. Follow label directions and continue
application throughout the growing season. Also, avoid wetting
leaves when watering. Use soaker hoses or try AquaSpikes for each plant to get water
directly to the plant's roots..
If you're growing Giant pumpkins remember they
will require a lot more fertilizer. Giant pumpkin vines require
approximately 2 pounds nitrogen (N), 3 pounds phosphorous (P2O2)
and 6 pounds potash (K2O) per 1,000 square feet of growing space.
The addition of organic matter to the garden is important to
establish good soil tilth, which can be easily done by adding
SoilSyrup to your feeding regimen and as a
soil treatment.
When planting your pumpkin seeds, directions usually specify to
plant in rich soil. But is it rich enough? Soil, can always be
improved and if you want to get the most out of your
growing pumpkins, use SoilSyrup to boost organic
matter and make your fertilizing more effective. Feed plants with
SoilSyrup every two to three weeks or add a little every time you
water.
If you haven't applied fertilizer at all, definitely make sure
you start a feeding program after pollination and fruit set have
occurred to get the most out of your harvest. Again, Algoflash is great to help boost your pumpkin
yields. And for a truly bountiful harvest and bigger pumpkins, use
MegaGro for growing
pumpkins.
Growing Pumpkins - Where, When, and How to Plant
Buy pumpkin plants at the nursery. Otherwise, start seeds
indoors about three weeks before the last expected frost. If your
growing season is long and warm, sow seeds directly in the garden
when the soil temperature has reached 60 degrees F.
Where: Pumpkins love a sunny spot -- the more sun the better.
Choose a place that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every
day. Choose a site that gets full sun and has soil with a pH of 6.0
to 6.8. Pumpkins need light, very rich soil that drains well. Add
plenty of SoilSyrup to your garden to ensure the right
combination. Till your pumpkin patch deep and wide: both roots and
vines can spread as far as 15 feet in all directions. To help prep
the soil further, you can mix in AquaRocks, water absorbing crystals to help
hold moisture. You'll water your growing pumpkins
less throughout the growing season.
When: Seeds can be planted directly in the garden when the days
consistently reach into the low 70's and the spring rains have
tapered off. In colder climates, the seeds can be started indoors
using SpeedSprout or by
Soaking the seeds with MegaGro the night before planting.
Soaking seeds will soften the outer shell and make sprouting easier
and faster. Most pumpkins require 110 to 140 frost-free growing
days. The amount of time depends mainly on the variety, the
climate, and the number of daylight hours during the summer days.
Harden off the seedlings, whether store-bought or homegrown, and
transfer them to the garden when all danger of frost has
passed.
Growing giant pumpkins requires an early start.
Seeds should be sown individually and started indoors with
SpeedSprout or MegaGro.
How: Pumpkin seeds typically are planted in the
middle of small hills or mounds that are about three feet in
diameter. Surround each hill with a moat (about 4 inches wide and 4
inches deep) to help contain water around the roots. Plant 4 to 5
seeds in a circle in the middle of the hill, and space the seeds
about 6 to 8 inches apart. Plant them in hills, setting them at
least as deep as they were in the pots. In general allow at least 5
feet between plants in each direction. If you are planting more
than one hill of pumpkins, the hills should be 10 feet apart. Cover
the seeds with about an inch of soil to block out light and hide
them from hungry birds. The soil should be loosely packed and kept
moist but not wet. During the seed stage, water gently with a
sprinkling can to avoid washing away the covering soil. After 7 to
14 days, the seed sprout cracks the soil.
Pumpkin plants are vigorous vines and love to sprawl. A single
vine can grow as long as 30 feet, sending out many vine shoots all
along the way. This doesn't mean you can't be growing
pumpkins along with other fruit and vegetables. Pumpkin
vines can be pruned, trained, and redirected to live harmoniously
with other plants. Pumpkins are often planted at the edges of a
corn and bean patch.
Once the seedlings are established (two weeks after they have
sprouted), thin to two or three of the strongest and largest young
plants per hill. For Giant Pumpkins, growing space in the garden is
important. Each plant should be allowed approximately 2,500 square
feet. This area may sound quite large, but it is essential for vine
growth. Pumpkins prefer long hours of sunlight, so select your
garden site accordingly. Avoid shaded areas and select an area with
good surface and internal drainage.
Growing Pumpkins - Watering and Irrigation
Between 80 to 90% of every pumpkin is water; and water is an
essential medium for bringing nourishment to the entire plant.
Pumpkins are shallow rooted, so water slowly with at least one inch
of water per week if rainfall is not adequate. More water may be
required during hot windy summer days for vigorously
growing pumpkins. Water during morning or early
afternoon hours so foliage dries by evening. This helps prevent the
spread of leaf diseases. It is best to water the plant at the roots
rather than sprinkling from above. Trickle irrigation is best, but
soaker hoses also work well. Avoid getting the foliage wet, as wet
foliage increases the chance of disease, especially mildew. Try
using our AquaSpikesfor an efficient,
inexpensive, and easy-to-use drip irrigation system for your
growing pumpkins. AquaSpikes can
create a deep root watering system that will help prevent weed
growth and help you fertilize your growing pumpkin
plants more effectively. Make sure the plants get 1 to 2 inches of
water per week, especially when they're blooming and setting
fruit.
Growing Pumpkins - Pruning
Pumpkin plants are vigorous growers. Pumpkin vines withstand
pruning quite well. Properly done, it strengthens the plant and
helps it thrive. Every pumpkin plant has a main and a secondary
vine that usually grow in opposite directions. Each of these two
vines produces shoots (or tertiary vines) which can be selectively
pruned as the plant develops. It is best to clip when these new
side shoots begin to develop. The plant will leak or bleed a little
when it is clipped, but it seals over quickly. The amount of
pruning usually depends on how much garden space is available. The
harsh truth is that not every tiny pumpkin is destined to make it
to the end of the season.
Growing Pumpkins - Flowering and Fruiting
About a week after the two baby leaves appear, the first "true"
leaf, sporting jagged edges, starts to grow from the center of the
young sprout, providing a glimpse of the plant to come. After three
true leaves are established, the pumpkin plant moves into wild and
crazy leaf and root development that lasts about eight weeks. At
its peak, the vine can grow as much as 6" a day. Ten weeks after
planting, the first flowers suddenly appear between leaves and
tendrils.
To help force fruiting, spray your flowers with MegaGro to boost flower set. If you spray
the buds, you won't be able to tell which are male or female, but
that's okay. You can spray the female flowers again once they have
started to blossom and you can tell them apart.
Each flower blooms for only one day. Every pumpkin plant has two
kinds of flowers -- male and female. The male flowers, which appear
first, sit on long thin stems and are more plentiful than females.
The females sit closer to the vine. Hand pollination is the
preferred method to fruit setting, but you can let things happen
naturally by letting bees do their thing. To
ensure better fruit set and get larger pumpkins, use MegaGro.
Simply spray the blossom to help force flower set.
Pumpkin population control concentrates the energy of the plant
and yields larger but fewer pumpkins. Wait for the pumpkins to
reach grapefruit size before pruning. Even without selective
pruning, all baby pumpkins do not necessarily grow to maturity and
may suddenly yellow and shrivel on the vine. Perhaps they were not
fully pollinated or maybe they were poorly located on the vine,
competing for nourishment with a more developed neighbor. To grow
giant pumpkins, allow only 4 to 6 pumpkins per plant. Once
growing pumpkins reach volleyball size, trim back
to one pumpkin. The more you reduce the competition for nutrients,
the greater your success rate will be for achieving a giant-size
pumpkin.
Growing Pumpkins - Caring For The Fruit
The basic rule for taking care of the growing
pumpkins is to handle the fruit as little as possible. At
the same time, there are a few widely practiced conventions. Pinch
vines back to limit their growth once fruits appear. Rotate
growing pumpkins once in a while to keep them
symmetrical, but take care to move them only a little at a
time to avoid breaking the brittle vines. Place boards under large
pumpkins to keep them from rotting. This prevents scarring or
bruising as the pumpkin grows and rotting if the soil becomes too
soggy. Wear gloves; those vines are prickly; and take care not to
crease or snap the vine.
With Giant Pumpkins, their size and fast growth makes training
vines and root pruning very important. When the growing
pumpkin is basketball size, curve the vine 80 to 90
degrees away from the fruit. About 3 feet out from the fruit, curve
the vine back in the general direction it was headed. Clip roots 3
feet out on the vine. This will allow the vine to easily move
upward as the pumpkin grows. Pumpkins long in shape tend to push
the vine forward, resulting in a kink. If this happens, slide the
pumpkin back about 4 to 5 inches - this is usually necessary when
the pumpkin is about 300 pounds. Pumpkins round in shape are
difficult to rotate without damaging the stem. To protect the Giant
Pumpkins from direct sunlight, construct a shade out of burlap or
other lightweight material. This will prevent premature
hardening of the outer skin and will allow the growing pumpkin to
reach its full genetic potential in terms of physical
size.
Growing Pumpkins - When To Pick
By late August, the days and nights grow colder and the green
pumpkins begin to change colors like the fall leaves.
Growing pumpkins should be harvested when
they have a deep solid color and the rind is hard. The vines are
usually dying back at this time. Harvest orange pumpkins after the
vines have shriveled and died, but before the first hard freeze.
Cut white varieties when their skins are still streaked with green
(if they're allowed to ripen outdoors, their shells turn pale
yellow). Leave several inches of stem -- it helps them stay fresh
-- and let them cure in the sun for 10 days. Cover during a light
frost and avoid leaving pumpkins out during a hard freeze to
prevent softening. Then, store the harvest in a dry cool place.
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