Pumpkins are popular this time of year. They can be used as a decoration or enjoyed in many food recipes including pies, cookies, muffins, soups, smoothies, etc and the seeds are also tasty.

 

 A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and native to North and Central America, they have been around for centuries. They were a staple in the diet for the Native Indians, and also the Pilgrims.

 

Pumpkins come in a variety of sizes from the very small pie pumpkins to the largest in the world, weighing over a ton! They also come in different colours ranging from red, white, pink to the very popular orange.

 

Pumpkins are easy to grow but can be a bit of challenge to grow in our Northern climate because they require a long growing season and are a warm season crop. The plants cannot take any frost and need to be planted outdoors after all risk of frost has passed. Most varieties take at least 90 -120 days to mature but this spring we found a variety that only takes 65 days. We grew them in the garden at home and were successful as we managed to get ten bright orange pumpkins weighing around 3 kilograms each. They were ripe in early September and looked very pretty in the garden. We now have them stored in the garage, ready to be used.

 

Pumpkins are started by seed. I recommend to start the seeds indoors, as this gives them a head start. To prevent as little stress as possible on the young seedling, when it comes time to transplant, use either peat pots that can be directly placed in the garden or a pot that the young seedlings can be easily removed from. The seeds are quite large and should be planted at a 2.5-3 cm depth. It takes 7-10 days for seeds to germinate.

 

Plant pumpkins outside after the last spring frost (end of May-beginning of June). They take up a lot of space so it is not a good plant to grow for small gardens. The prickly vines spread and can grow 100-120 cm. Plant them on the edge of the garden or in among the corn and pole beans, where the vines will grow along the ground. This is what we did at home and it worked quite well.

 

The pumpkin plants were placed in mounds, of 2 plants per mound, about 90 cm away from the corn. By the end of the season the pumpkins were growing between the stalks of corn.

 

Pumpkins are heavy feeders and enjoy a well drained soil, rich in compost and manure. They also like lots of sun, but should be sheltered from heavy winds that can destroy the plant. During dry spells they should be given water, but water in the morning and try to water from the bottom using a soaker hose, rather then from an overhead sprinkler. Pumpkins are prone to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew which looks like a white powder on the leaves. If left untreated it will eventually kill the leaves of the plant.

 

After a few weeks the plant will begin to produce flowers. There will be both male and female flowers on the same plant. Female flowers have the immature pumpkin under the flower. In order for the pumpkin to form, the female flower has to be fertilized by the male flower which is done by insects and bees. The flowers only last a day but the plant will continue to produce flowers throughout the season. To help the pumpkins ripen at the end of the season, remove any new blossoms after a few pumpkins have formed and also limit the amount of pumpkins per stem allowing all the plants energy to go towards the remaining pumpkins.

 

When pumpkins are forming they start off green and slowly mature to orange. Pumpkins are ready to be picked when the skin of the pumpkin is hard and cannot be scratched. Use a knife or pruners to cut the pumpkin off the vine. Leave 12-15 cm of stem on the pumpkin and do not pick it up by its stem. Although the vines cannot take any frost the pumpkin itself can take a couple degrees of frost. Only the mature pumpkins can be stored. Store pumpkins in a cool, dry area, where they will last for several weeks.

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.