If your family enjoys grinning Jack O’ Lanterns at Halloween, why not get them all involved in growing their own pumpkins? The seeds are large, and easy for small hands to plant. A little help from the adults in preparing the bed and soil, and even young children can have the fun of watching the entire process from plant, to blossom to pumpkin.
Preparing the bed is your first step, and many pumpkin aficionados suggest doing this in the Fall. Depending on the size of plot you are going to use, this can involve everything from tilling and planting a fall cover crop to be tilled into the ground come Spring, or simply tilling in a good portion of well aged compost. The ration of compost to soil is a subject of much debate, and best researched according to your local garden center or pumpkin expert. Work in some moss as well, to keep the bed light and fluffy, and easily navigated by the root system.
Make sure the pumpkin patch gets full sunlight, all day if possible. Not only do the plants need it for the photosynthesis process, but the early sun and evening rays will keep the plants free of dew that can linger and breed mildew and other conditions that will kill off your crop. Remember too, that this is a vine plant that is going to grow, and grow. If you have only a small yard, you will need to “train" the vines to grow along the edge of the yard or fence, so that you can still mow without destroying your crop.
Like many other crops, pumpkins are often planted on mounds or hills. This has a dual purpose, which is to keep the roots out of water that lies on the ground, particularly in early Spring, and also to allow the early root system to be heated easier and faster. You can either create a mound the length of the row where you are planting, or make individual hills for each seed/plant. To retain moisture in the mounds, growers will often cover the length of it in black plastic, staking it down periodically, and creating holes in which to put the seedlings. This will also help to keep heat in the ground around the new plants.
Your options for planting, are to plant directly in the ground, start seeds indoors, or buy garden center seedlings. The problems with ground planting, are that weather variables can delay your crop, according to weather conditions, and you could end up with fruit that does not mature before frost hits in the autumn. A more mature seedling planted after the first frost, does give you a big head start. Some enthusiasts really like to jump the gun, by planting seeds outdoors a month before the last frost, and then creating a “cold frame", or plastic covered frame to fit over the seedling area. Those dedicated to getting a bigger, better, and fully ripe pumpkin, will even run an electrical system through the box to keep the air heated at night.
If you have composted well, the soil should be full of nutrients. But it’s also a good idea to start your new plants out with a feed that is heavy to the phosphorous side, to promote lots of good root growth. Move gradually to a higher nitrogen content until your fruit is about set. At that time, you’ll need a high potassium fertilizer to produce large, luscious pumpkins. Water well, as pumpkins will take it up through the roots and pass it down the vines.
Once the plants are blooming, you might want to try your hand at helping pollinate the blossoms, so you have more to choose from when narrowing down the fruits on your vines. Female flowers develop fruit directly underneath them. Male flowers grow at the end of a long, thin stem. Use a soft bristled artists brush to collect pollen from the male stamen, and brush it in along the female’s stigma. Then watch as your fruits develop. For larger, sturdier pumpkins, select the biggest and healthiest on a vine, and remove the others, leaving only 2-3 per branch. By Halloween you should have enough potential Jack O’ Lanterns to share with your neighbors and friends.
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