How to Plant Pumpkins

I got up at 5:30 and was able to plant a whole row of pumpkins. I wanted to get them in the ground before it rained this afternoon.

  
Step 1: Use your shovel and make a mound about 3′ in diameter. Break it up and smooth it out with your rake.
Step 2: Use your rake handle to press some holes into the soil. Make about 8 holes like your cutting a pizza and 1 in the middle

  
Step 3: place a pumpkin seed in each hole. These are Howden pumpkin seeds, Consistent excellent qualities that take about 105 Days to Maturity. I also planted some Jack Be Little pumpkin seeds Flattened, mini-pumpkins that take 90 Days to Maturity.
Step 4: Cover the seeds up with earth.

  
Step 5: Pumpkins are considered “heavy feeders” and do well with a little extra nourishment. One nutrient source that works well and is reasonably priced has the dismaying name “fish emulsion”. It is a concentrate of fishy by-products, rich in minerals, that smells a little like low tide. Spread a handful onto the top of the mound. The rain will break it down and push it tnto the roots.
Step 6: Take a picture of your foot to show the size of the mound. That’s a size 10 Addidas.

  
Step 7: Water and wait for the seedlings to pop up. Once they do, you can thin them out keeping the strongest vines.
Step 8: Coming soon, you’re going to want to put some more fish emulsion on them and make sure they’re pollinated.

Stay Tuned! In a few months they’ll look like this:

  

Howden and Mini Pumpkins

Read Full Post »