How to Grow Heirloom Pumpkins

Did you know pumpkins come pastel sherbet tones, silver, dusty blue and white. Even though the old orange pumpkin is our children's jack-o-lantern favorite, it may be time to try something totally different and start enjoying heirloom pumpkins in your fall decor.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Seeds or plants
• Boards or cardboard
• Mulch
• Fertilize
• Pruning shears
• Trowel

Instructions

1. Check out the local heirloom pumpkins this October at your nursery and country farm stand. Pick a few that appeal to you and then ask questions about seeds and whether they were grown locally in your area. Remember their names so you can order the seeds you want from a garden catalog this winter.

2. Choose a planting area this fall that gets good sun and drains well. Start enriching the soil by turning in compost, manure and leaves. Heirloom pumpkins are heavy feeders and like rich, loamy soil.

3. Start indoors three weeks before the last frost date in your area. Before putting the seeds outside harden them off in a protected spot for a few days, especially if the nights are still pretty cool.

4. Plant the seeds in hills about 3 to 5 feet apart and put four to six seeds in each hill. Eventually you'll thin the weaker seedlings out to just two or so. Pumpkins vine and need a lot of space.

5. Fertilize often and mulch heavily with straw or grass clippings to keep the soil moist but not wet. Most heirloom pumpkins mature in 80 to 120 days.

6. Place large growing pumpkins on a board or piece of cardboard if you are worried about dampness and rot. Gently rotate the pumpkins occasionally and they will grow more symmetrical.

7. Pinch back plants a little after pumpkins appear and your pumpkins will grow larger.

8. Watch for pests. Usually squash vine borers and cucumber beetles are the worst. Dust, spray or hand pick them off. Plant petunias, nasturtiums, marigolds or radishes around your heirloom pumpkins to deter insects.

9. Harvest pumpkins before the first hard frost. They will keep a long time in a garden shed or garage. Decorating options are endless and many are quite good to bake with.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the back of your seed packets or catalogue carefully for specific tips and instructions for each variety you choose to grow. Use a sharp knife or pruning sheers to harvest pumpkins leaving the stem intact. The stems add character to your decorating and arrangements. Some beautiful pumpkins to consider are Marblehead, Long Island Cheese, Buttercup, Hungarian and Jarrahdale and a good pie pumpkin is Small Sugar.

• Harvest your pumpkins when the vines start to shrivel and dry. If space is limited, some smaller pumpkin vines can be trained to grow on trellises or let them grow out into the yard for a few weeks.

Resources

• Gourds Squash and Pumpkins
• The Pumpkin Nook!