Pumpkins are one of those crops that are best grown from seed rather than seedlings since transplanting pumpkin seedlings can be difficult. “Planting seeds directly in the ground works best for pumpkins,” says John Esslinger, a horticulture educator with Penn State Extension.
“Plant seeds approximately an inch to 1.5 inches deep three to five feet apart in full sun. Some gardeners advise growing them on top of a hill or mound of soil, but this isn’t required.”
In the spring, following the last frost date in your location, plant seeds (check with your local university coop extension service for an estimate of that date here). If you want a fall harvest for decorating or baking, plant in early to mid-July.
Read the seed packaging for the “days to maturity” to ensure your crop has enough time to mature before the first frost in the fall.
Then calculate the last date you can plant pumpkin seeds in your area by counting backward from the first forecast frost date (again, your local university coop can assist you with this estimate).
While some pumpkin varieties can reach 20 feet in length, many modern kinds are much shorter. However, “compact” is a relative phrase, and these vines will still need a lot of space.
Smaller varieties require approximately six square feet of ground. Make sure you choose a kind that will work in your garden by reading the package.
Orange Smoothie, Blue Prince, and Pumpkin Pepitas are also good choices for tiny gardens. Although pumpkins have both male and female flowers on the same plant, pollinators (typically bees) are required for fruit sets, hence insecticides should be avoided.
Plant pollinator-friendly plants, such as annuals or perennials, if you don’t already have blooms in your garden to attract them! It’s also beneficial to your pumpkins and other edibles.
Make sure your pumpkin crop is weeded and fed. Keep the space weeded no matter which pumpkin variety you choose to grow. Pumpkins have feeder roots near the surface, and weeding decreases competition for nutrients and water while also improving air circulation, which aids ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ resistance.
According to Esslinger, pumpkins should be fertilized once within a few weeks after planting with a general-purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer.
Make sure they have plenty of water. When the bʟᴏssoms and fruits are forming, pumpkins need a lot of water. Vine wilts and blooms shrink and drop off during dry weather.
“Water deeply once a week if there isn’t any rain. To wet the region, a huge vine requires around three liters of water “Esslinger agrees. “You’re training the roots to be too shallow if you water more frequently and less deeply.”
Keep an eye out for cucumber beetles. The destructive bugs appear around the same time as the newborn pumpkins on the vine.
Cucumber beetles, which are small pale greenish-yellow insects with black stripes or spots and are roughly half the size of the more popularly recognized Jᴀᴘᴀɴese beetle, should be avoided.
“The cucumber beetle carries bacteria in its intestines and feeds on it, leaving it behind. The plants will die in a few weeks, “Esslinger agrees.
Cucumber bugs are difficult to pick by hand, therefore you may need to use pyrethrin, a botanical insecticide. Follow the directions on the packaging and avoid spraying when pollinators are present.
Squash bugs are another typical pumpkin pest that hangs out on the undersides of leaves when the blooms bloom or the fruit develops.
Look for huge aphids with long spider-like legs, or masses of root beer-colored eggs. Adult stink bugs have a similar appearance to stink bugs. Esslinger warns that if you don’t catch them early, they’ll ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏ the plant.
Use spinosad, an organic insecticide manufactured from bacteria that live in the soil. Keep a watch out for any signs of ɪʟʟɴᴇss. The most frequent ailment is powdery mildew, which shows as a nickel-sized greyish dusty patch.
You can either let it alone because it rarely ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇs plants, or control it using a sulfur fungicide for a few weeks. In the fall, almost all pumpkins will grow fungus, so be prepared.
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