Perfect Pumpkins
Plan ahead and sow some pumpkins this month so you have pumpkins to carve for Halloween
- Season
- Autumn
- Name
- Pumpkins
- Common Name
- Pumpkins
- Description
Pumpkins come in lots of amazing shapes, colours and sizes, from small to very large; some of the giant pumpkins can weigh more than 400kg.
- Interesting Facts
Pumpkin pie is a traditional sweet dish cooked in America as part of their Thanksgiving Day celebrations.
Growing Tips
Growing conditions:
Pumpkins like a sunny place to grow, somewhere out of cold winds.
When to grow:
Pumpkins can be started off in pots inside or in a greenhouse in April and early May and then planted outside in May or early June in colder regions.
You will need:
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Small 8cm pots
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Compost
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Packet of pumpkin seeds – look in your local garden centre to decide what variety you would like to grow. If you grow bigger pumpkins, then you can carve them in October.
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Plant label and pencil
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Clear plastic drinks bottles (2L) cut in half
How to grow:
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Fill the pot with compost loosely to the top of the pot.
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Tap the pot three times on the table and then make a hole with your finger to a depth of 2cm.
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Place a pumpkin seed on its side in the hole and cover with compost.
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Write or make a plant label and place it at the side of the pot.
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You can make a mini cloche out of a clear, large plastic drinks bottle to put over the seedlings, remember to remove it before the plants get too large.
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Transplant the young plants outside in to a weed free space at the end of May, protect with the cloches or horticultural fleece until the risk of frosts have passed.
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For the biggest fruits make sure that the pumpkins are well watered and protect the young plants from slugs and snails – they like to eat them.
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Check the seed packet for when to harvest your pumpkin variety and have fun carving a pumpkin in to a lantern for Halloween.
