The month of October brings such beautiful color in our environment. Have you noticed that everywhere you look, there are pumpkins? Whether you use them for carving or cooking, pumpkins do not disappoint. So, how about saving a few seeds from this year’s jack-o-lantern and try your hand at growing your own, next year. Here are a few helpful tips to ensure your success . . .
First, understand that pumpkins require a lot of food and a long growing season (generally from 75 to 100 frost-free days) so you need to plant them by late May in northern locations. Do not plant this tender vegetable until all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warmed, as the seedlings will be injured or rot.
Pumpkins are pretty easy to maintain if you have enough space for them. Be sure to pick a site with full sun and lots of space for the sprawling vines. Vines generally need 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Pumpkins do best when the seeds are directly planted in the ground so plant seeds in rows or “pumpkin hills” which are the size of small pitcher mounds. Pumpkin hills help the soil to warm more quickly and the seeds to germinate faster, as well as help with drainage and pest control. Plant the seeds one (1) inch deep into the hills, 4 or 5 seeds per hill and space the hills 4 to 8 feet apart.
Your plants should germinate in less than a week with the right soil temperature (70 degrees F) and emerge in 5 to 10 days. Pumpkins are very thirsty plants and need lots of water, about one inch per week. Water deeply, especially during fruit set. However, when watering, try to keep foliage and fruit dry unless it’s a sunny day, dampness will make rot more likely.
Bees are essential for pollination, so be mindful when using insecticides to kill pests. If you must use, apply only in late afternoon or early evening when the blossoms are closed for the day.
Finally, your best bet is to harvest pumpkins when they are mature. A pumpkin is ripe when its skin turns a deep, solid color orange, for most varieties, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow when you thump the pumpkin. Press your nail into the pumpkin’s skin, if it resists puncture, it is ripe.
Information gathered from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.