How to grow pumpkins #Organic_Gardening

How to plant pumpkins:

• Pumpkins do best when the seeds are directly planted in the ground. However, if your growing season is very short, seed indoors in peat pots about 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost. Be sure to harden off before transplanting.

• The soil must be thoroughly warmed. Minimum soil temperature for germination is 70ºF. Optimum soil temperature is 95ºF. Pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold.

• Pick a site with full sun (to light shade).

• Pumpkins are big greedy feeders. They prefer very rich soil that is well-drained and not too soggy. Mix lots of compost and aged mature into the planting site before you sow seeds or tranplant.

• Select a site with lots of space for the sprawling vines. Vine varieties need 50 to 100 square feet per hill.

• You plant seeds in rows or "pumpkin hills" which are the size of small pitcher mounds. With hills, the soil will warm more quickly and the seeds will germinate faster. This also helps with drainage and pest control.

• Prepare the hills in advance with an abundance of old manure dug deep into the ground (12 to 15 inches). If you don't have manure, loosen the soil and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.

• Plant the seeds 1 inch deep into the hills (4 to 5 seeds per hill). Space hills 4 to 8 feet apart.

• When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill by snipping off unwanted plants without disturbing the roots of the remaining ones.

How to care for pumpkins:

• Use row covers to protect plants early in the season and to prevent insect problems. However, remember to remove covers before flowering to allow pollination by insects!

• Pumpkins are very thirsty plants and need lots of water. Water one inch per week. Water deeply, especially during fruit set.

• When watering: Try to keep foliage and fruit dry unless it’s a sunny day. Dampness will make rot more likely.

• Add mulch around your pumpkins to keep in moisture, suppress weeks, and discourage pests.

• Pumpkins need lots of nutrients. A regular treatment of manure or compost mixed with water will sustain good growth.

• Fertilize on a regular basis. Use a high nitrogen formula in early plant growth. Fertilize when plants are about one foot tall, just before vines begin to run. Switch over to a fertilizer high in phosphorous just before the blooming period.

• Remember that pumpkins are tender from planting to harvest. Control weeds with mulch. Do not overcultivate, or their very shallow roots may be damaged.

How to Harvest pumpkins:

• Your best bet is to harvest pumpkins when they are mature. They will keep best this way. Do not pick pumpkins off the vine because they have reached your desired size. If you want small pumpkins, buy a small variety.

• A pumpkin is ripening when its skin turns a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties).

• When you thumb the pumpkin, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow. Press your nail into the pumpkin's skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe.

• To harvest the pumpkin, cut the fruit off the vine carefully with a sharp knife or pruners; do not tear. Be sure not to cut too close to the pumpkin; a liberal amount of stem (3 to 4 inches) will increase the pumpkin's keeping time.