Pumpkin can be cooked into a sweet or savory dish, and it also has seeds that can be roasted. Pumpkins are usually used as an attractive decoration as Halloween approaches in the fall. Growing pumpkins is easy and inexpensive, especially since pumpkins grow in many different areas of the hemisphere. This article will provide you with information on choosing the type of pumpkin you can grow, determining where to plant pumpkins so that they grow well, and also how to raise and harvest pumpkins.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Preparation for Planting Pumpkins
Step 1. Find out when it's a good time to plant pumpkins in your area
Pumpkin seeds don't grow in cold soil, so make sure you plant them when winter is over. Plan to plant in late spring or early dry season so you can harvest the pumpkins next fall.
If you want to use pumpkins for Halloween, plant them in the middle or end of the dry season, because if you plant them in late spring, you may be harvesting them too early for Halloween
Step 2. Determine the planting location and prepare the soil for planting pumpkins
Pumpkin plants grow vines and need a large enough place to grow. Choose a location on your page with the following requirements:
- Empty land 6 to 9 meters long. You don't need to grow a whole yard of pumpkin. You can plant pumpkins along the side of your house, or along the ground behind your backyard fence.
- Choose an area that is not shaded at all. Pumpkins need full sun throughout the day, do not choose an area that is shaded by buildings or trees.
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Use soil that absorbs well. Soils with a high clay content do not absorb water well, so they are not conducive to pumpkin growth. Plant pumpkins in areas with highly absorbent soil, so they don't leave standing water for a long time after it rains.
To make pumpkins grow faster, fertilize the soil with compost a few days before you plant your pumpkins. Dig a large hole where you will plant the pumpkin, then fill the hole with a compost mixture
Step 3. Select pumpkin seeds
Go to a local nursery or order at an online seed shop to get pumpkin seeds for planting. There are many types of pumpkins available, but basically there are only 3 types that are most commonly grown by home gardeners:
- Pumpkin pie, for consumption.
- Large decorative pumpkins that can be carved for Halooween purposes. The flesh on this pumpkin is not very flavorful, and the seeds contained in it are edible.
- Small decorative pumpkins, often also called mini pumpkins.
Method 2 of 4: Growing Pumpkins
Step 1. Plant the pumpkin on a sloping land
Make a pile of soil and plant pumpkin seeds 2-5 cm deep. This sloping land will help facilitate the flow of water so that the sun's rays can warm up faster and accelerate the germination of pumpkin seeds.
- Plant 2 or 3 seedlings at each planting point with a distance of several cm from each other, this is done to anticipate if a seed does not grow when planted.
- You don't need to pay attention to the direction your seed is facing. Pumpkin stems will still sprout out of the ground no matter which way the seeds are facing when planted.
Step 2. Leave enough space between rows of pumpkin plants
Depending on the size, if the pumpkin variety you choose has creeping vines, leave about 3.5 meters between each row. Bush gourd varieties that grow with shorter tendrils should be spaced about 2.5 m on all sides.
Step 3. Cover the planted seedlings with compost
If you have mixed the soil with compost before planting the seeds, you can skip this step. If you haven't already, coat the top of the soil where the seedlings are planted with compost or straw. Compost will prevent the growth of weeds and also fertilize the seeds you plant.
With good care, pumpkins should be visible starting to grow out in about 1 week
Method 3 of 4: Caring for Pumpkin Plants
Step 1. Water the pumpkin plant when the soil starts to look dry
Pumpkin plants need lots of water, but not too much. Get in the habit of watering when the soil looks a little dry, and don't water it if the soil looks still damp and wet.
- When you water your pumpkin plant, water it until the soil is completely wet. Pumpkin roots reach up to a few inches into the soil, depending on the stage of growth of the pumpkin plant, and make sure that the water reaches all the roots of your pumpkin plant.
- Do not touch the leaves of the plant when you water it. This can lead to the growth of a fungus called powdery mildew, which can cause the leaves to wilt or even kill the pumpkin plant. Water the pumpkin plant in the morning, so that the remaining water on the leaves will evaporate during the day.
- When the pumpkins start to grow and turn orange, reduce the amount of water you use for watering. Stop watering about a week before you harvest the pumpkins.
Step 2. Apply fertilizer to pumpkin plants
When buds begin to appear, apply fertilizer to prevent weeds from growing and encourage pumpkin growth. Go to a local nursery and ask about fertilizers that are suitable for you to use in your pumpkin fields.
Step 3. Control pests and weeds
In order for the pumpkin to be fresh, you need to take good care of it and monitor it during the growing process.
- Get rid of weeds as often as possible. Don't let weeds take away the nutrients your pumpkin plant needs. Take a few times a week to eradicate the weeds around your plants.
- Check for beetles on pumpkin leaves and flowers. The beetles feed on the tissue on the pumpkin plant and will cause the pumpkin plant to die. Look for and get rid of the beetles on your plants several times a week.
- Apply mulch around pumpkin plants to suppress weed growth while retaining soil moisture.
- Aphids are pests that are very harmful to plants in plantations. Usually aphids can be found on the undersides of plant leaves, and if you don't get rid of them, they will kill your plant in no time. You can repel aphids by spraying them in the morning, so the water remaining on the leaves can evaporate.
- Use organic pesticides if necessary. Look for organic pesticide products at your local garden store.
Method 4 of 4: Harvesting Pumpkins
Step 1. Make sure that the pumpkin is ready to be harvested
The pumpkin should be a light orange color with a firm skin. The pumpkin stems should start to look dry and begin to wilt. In some cases, even the pumpkin plant as a whole, especially the vines will start to look wilted.
Step 2. Do not harvest pumpkins that are still mushy
Pumpkins that are not ripe enough will rot in just a few days.
Step 3. Cut the pumpkin stems
Use scissors to cut the stems that are attached to the pumpkin, leaving only a few inches of the stem remaining on top of the pumpkin. Do not break the pumpkin stems, as this can cause the pumpkin to rot.
Step 4. Store the pumpkin in a dry, sunny place
Do not store pumpkin in damp and wet places. Pumpkins don't need a cold place, especially a refrigerator. Pumpkins can last up to several months after being harvested.
Washing pumpkins in a diluted chlorine solution before storing can help prevent mold growth. Use a mixture of 1 cup (240 ml) of regular chlorine bleach and about 20 liters of cold water
Tips
- The pumpkin plant is a fairly hardy plant, there isn't much of a problem that insects can cause it.
- Water the pumpkin well, but don't overdo it as this can cause the stems to rot.
- Once harvested, you can store pumpkins outside for a long period of time, or in your cellar if you are in winter. In hot weather, you can store pumpkins in a barn, rooftop shed, or even in sacks.
Warning
- Pumpkin plants can propagate even up to trees or walls. There has been an incident when a pumpkin grew on the roof of a house.
- Pumpkin plants grow as they please - pumpkins usually dominate the plot of land in which they are planted. Separate pumpkin plants from other plants so that pumpkins can grow freely in large areas of land. Other plants in the vicinity of the pumpkin will be damaged when the pumpkin begins to grow and continues to propagate - monitor the progress of the pumpkin plant, and move the pumpkin stalks to another planting point if they start to damage other plants. Sometimes pumpkin plants destroy each other to seize territory so they can continue to propagate.
The Things You Need
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin seeds
- Shovel, hoe, hand shovel
- Decent land and large area
- Regular watering
- Organic pesticides (not mandatory)
