Pumpkin

stardrops42

Hi

I'm a novice fruit and veg gardener so please excuse me if I sound stupid:o

I'm wanting to grow a pumpkin just for fun but have no idea how to prepare the soil etc. Any advice gratefully received:D Thanks

ANY_CHANCE

I would love to know how to grow pumkins too, I put seeds in last year and nothing happened and butternut squash was a failure too the plant grew ish but the squash didnt develop, whats the secret to growing these?

Kay_Peel

The secret to growing magnificent pumpkins and squashes is a hot summer that lasts for at least 4 months! We don't get many of them, so I forget about trying to produce big pumpkins and opt for the smaller ones that don't need as much sun as the big beggars (but still look amazing!) The one that always voted the tastiest is called Burgess Buttercup squash and it produces about 5 - 15 medium sized fruit per vine. That's what I'm growing.

It's best to start your squash/pumpkin indoors. Sow one seed in a pot, cover with a plastic bag after watering, put it on a windowsill and the little chap should appear within the week. When he's got four leaves move him to a pot that's a little bit bigger and give him plenty of water Put him outside during the day to toughen him up and bring him in at night.

First week in June and when the frosts are finished, take your pot into the garden. Look for a BIG space because this fellow is going to take over the place if you're not careful. Dig a hole and fill with manure. Use the soil from the hole to make a mound. Plant your pumpkin squash into the mound and water well. protect from slugs.

As the flowers appear and the vines grow longer, keep watering the plant every morning. Don't water in the evening because it doesn't like to have cold wet leaves overnight.

Prepare yourself to do something drastic about the flowers and the vine. When the fruit has set and is starting to swell, pinch out the growing tip. If more flowers grow, pick them off. :eek:
If new shoots appear pinch back the growing tip. Allow the plant to concentrate on the 5 - 15 fruits that have already formed.
It takes courage but someone has to do it! As the fruits swell to the size of a golf ball, place something underneath them - I use slate tiles.

Let them grow until they don't want to grow anymore and before a cold snap. I expect mine to grow to the size of very very large grapefruit, but not as big as a football.

They are things of beauty, always interesting, thuggish and rampant when they get hold and a talking point. Hope you take the plunge and njoy growing them as much as I do. :beer:

stardrops42

Kay Peel - Thanks so much for that brilliant explanation :T Can't wait to give it a go now:D

ALIBOBSY

I agree about the size thing they are HUGE. I planted 2 in a raised bed last year and they filled the bed and grew across the path as well lol. They are pretty plants with big flowers and the kids loved them so will have a go again this year.

ali x

jaxx46

I to am having a go at growing pumpkins this year mainly because my sister makes the most delicious curried pumpkin chutney and I would like to make my own. I have a bed 9' by 3' how many pumpkin plants should I plant in it?

ukbill69

I think I might give it a try this year.

pookiewn

Thank you, a friend is giving me some pumpkin plants and are having a go at some butternut squash.

ANY_CHANCE

Thankyou great info i would love to try and grow them perhaps i am too late now unless i can buy plants ready to put in the ground.

Kay_Peel

It's best to get a young plant. You don't want to waste time waiting for seeds to germinate because you'll miss all this wonderful free sunshine - and pumpkins/squashed need a lot of sunshine.

pink_numbers

We bought pumpkins to eat last autumn. We happily ate the pumpkin, and bokashied the seeds. Once the bokashi bucket matured, we added the lot into the compost bin.

Spring time, we emptied the compost bin and added to our new raised beds.









We've had SIX pumpkin seedlings pop up all around the raised bed this week!!