Here’s some of my pumpkin bonanza I learned years ago:
* To grow the biggest pumpkins, remove all but the biggest two fruits from each vine. Give your pumpkins plenty of water- they can grow as much as 8 inches a day!
* If you want a harvest that’ll take your fairy godmother’s breath away, follow these extra steps:
-Rotate Your Pumpkins once in a while to keep them symmetrical, but move them just a little at a time, so you don’t break the vines.
-Put Boards or Heavy Plastic under large pumpkins to keep them from rotting. And,
-Harvest Orange Pumpkins at the same time you take in the rest of your winter squashes, but cut white varieties when their skin is still streaked with green. If they’re allowed to ripen outdoors, the shells turn pale yellow.
-Avoid Harvesting When the Fruit Is Wet, as this will encourage decay. Pick a sunny, dry day.
-Pumpkins With Stems Are Less Likely To Rot.
-Pick Up Your Pumpkin From The Bottom. The stem may not be able to support the weight of the pumpkin.
-Medium pumpkins are best for pumpkin carving. Small pumpkins are better for cooking.
Follow -Up Hints
*Give your pumpkin at least 50 gallons of water a week.
*Shelter your giants from the sun ( which will cause the shells to crack) by building a sunscreen over the monsters.
*Keep your giants on the vine as long as you possibly can. Every few days, go out and measure them to see if they are still growing. You’ll know it’s time to harvest your precious pumpkins when they’ve reached full color and have hardened.
*When removing your pumpkins from the vine, use a sharp knife to cut them free. Don’t damage the vine if other pumpkins are still attached and growing. Then wash them off completely.
Small, but…
Miniature pumpkins are cute – kids love them- but the vines are anything but miniature: They sprawl just as far as their full- size cousins.
Unlike the big bruisers, though, the tiny guys can be trained on trellises to save space, shade tender crops, add vertical interest in an ornamental-edible garden.
Want to know more about pumpkins? Post a question or a comment below, please. And,
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Yours truly for a great garden with berries,veggies and flowers.
Polly-organic gardener
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this excellent article on growing pumpkins. I’d hit on a couple of the tips on my own, but not all. I’m bookmarking this page for next spring.
My daughter is trying to grow pumpkins in a greenhouse,the pumpkins appear to be full size but not orange yet. Is there any way to “force” the pumpkins to ripen and turn orange sooner?
Thank you.
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