The absolute best place to grow pumpkins is in your backyard. I had a unique experience growing pumpkins recently.
After moving into a new house that had no garden whatsoever, I decided to purchase some raised garden beds.
That was okay, but I needed to fill them with good soil before I could plant anything.
Unfortunately, I chose the wrong supplier to purchase the soil from; it was supposed to be good bedding soil with manure and sand already mixed into it.
How to choose the best place to grow pumpkins
Well, when it arrived, sure, it had manure in it, great clumps that hadn’t been broken down, and the sand content far exceeded the soil content.
I was very disappointed and let the supplier know.
To help try to improve the soil in the bed, I used to bury all my vegetable scraps in it.
Hoping that the worms would do their magic and improve the soil. I unknowingly had some Kent pumpkin seeds mixed in those vegetable scraps.
So after some time, up popped a pumpkin plant.
I was amazed at how quickly it grew and overflowed onto the lawn. Then I noticed a pumpkin growing, so I nurtured it along until it was time to pick it.
So we have been enjoying homegrown pumpkins.
What you need to know about pumpkins
Strangely enough, Pumpkins aren’t classed as a vegetable; they are a fruit.
It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. As well as such a versatile fruit that can be used from soup to desserts. Being high in vitamin A and helps your body maintain healthy skin. It is low in carbohydrates, has no saturated fat or cholesterol.
Dried pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack for the health-conscious.
There are several varieties of pumpkins that are available. However, be aware that if you plant a pumpkin vine, it will take over a lot of area in your backyard.
Seeds can be purchased from any hardware store that sells gardening supplies or from a nursery.
Pumpkin varieties include:
- Kent
- Queensland Blue
- Golden Nugget
- Butternut
To name a few. Sometimes you may have purchased from the supermarket or fruitier a pumpkin that has a really lovely flavour and you can use the seed from it to grow your own.
Tips for the best place to grow pumpkins
Planting schedule
Warm areas: Pumpkins can be grown all year round.
Temperate areas: Make sure the frost season has passed before planting, as they don’t like really cold weather.
Cool to cold areas: After the winter frosts have finished.
Pro Tip: Pumpkins love rich soil with plenty of compost.
Plant in a sunny, sheltered position. Feed them with a good quality liquid feed about once a fortnight.
Do you have space to plant pumpkins?
If you have the space in your backyard to grow more than one vine.
Then loosen the soil and form it into small hills. Plant a few seeds, maybe up to six, spaced 3 to 4 inches apart.
Once they have sprouted up to around 5 to 6 inches in height, remove the weakest ones from the soil to allow the stronger plants to flourish.
As the vine will need room to spread. Mulch the plants with sugar cane mulch.
Watch for diseases and fertilize
Pumpkin leaves are sensitive to disease if they are watered too often. When watering the plant, always water close to the ground.
They are shallow-rooted plants and require regular watering. Try not to put too much water on the leaves.
Fertilise the vine, maybe once or twice a month. Make sure you follow the instructions from the manufacturer of the fertiliser you use.
Everyone has their favourite brand of fertiliser they like to use, and sometimes it depends on where you live as to what fertiliser suits the environment.
Powdery mildew is a disease that loves pumpkin leaves, so treat it immediately with a fungicide that is safe for edible plants.
Wet soil will rot the fruit. Once the pumpkin begins to grow, place a piece of untreated board underneath it to prevent rot, setting in.
How long to they be ready
Pumpkins take from 14 to 20 weeks to maturity, depending on the type of pumpkin. When they are ready to harvest, the vine starts to wither.
Leave a reasonable length of stalk on the pumpkin when you pick it. Allow the pumpkin to sit in the sun for a day or so to harden before using.
Try companion plants with pumpkins
Try planting some companion plants:
- Sunflowers
- Borage
- Lovage
- Nasturtiums
- Peas
- Sweet Corn
- Tansy
- Lemon Balm near or with the pumpkins.
Watch out for natural pests
Be on the lookout for aphids, slugs, and Snails.
How to store grown pumpkins
Store your pumpkin in a well-ventilated area. Heat will cause the pumpkin to age and rot quickly.
Try these yummy recipes
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked pumpkin mashed with 2 tablespoons butter and ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup castor sugar
- ½ cup plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ large tin of Carnation Milk
Method
- Mix all the ingredients, except the pumpkin together. Add the pumpkin and mix well
- Place mixture into a pie dish and bake in a moderate oven (180d) for 45-50 minutes.
- When cooked and cooled, top with whipped cream that is sweetened with icing sugar. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cold mashed pumpkin
- 2 ¼ cups self-rising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar together, add the egg, then the pumpkin.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Turn out onto a floured board.
- Press down lightly, cut into rounds.
- Place on a heated tray and bake in an oven that has been heated to 225 – 250°
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- 1 medium butternut pumpkin cut into wedges. Remove the seeds, but keep the skin on
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
Method
- Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil.
- Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until soft.
- While that is cooking, chop a large brown onion into small pieces.
- Into the slow cooker, put 1 litre of chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons of honey and the onion.
- Remove the pumpkin and sweet potato from the oven. Remove the flesh from the pumpkin skin and add sweet potato and pumpkin flesh to the slow cooker.
- Cook for 4 hours on low.
- Blend mixture with a hand blender or food processor until smooth.
- Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle over finely chopped shallots.
That’s it, not only some great tips for the best place to grow pumpkins. As well as three very tasty recipes you can also cook with what you grow.