Vegetable Gardening: How to Grow a Big Pumpkin
Atlantic pumpkins are the variety of squash that is usually grown to produce the gourds that require a truck to move. They are featured every fall in magazines, newspapers and the local news. Those monster pumpkins fuel our imaginations and make us wonder if we could grow one. Giant pumpkins need four months of warm growing weather, so they need to be started early. You need to provide plenty of nutrition, because these big boys are heavy feeders; supplemental water is also needed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Atlantic pumpkin seeds
- Paper towel
- Baggie
- Spray bottle with water
- 4 inch pots
- Seeding mix
- Seed heat mat
- Heater
- Compost
- All-purpose slow release fertilizer
- Shovel
- Garden cloche or water wall
- Garden shears
- 15-30-15 fertilizer
- Stakes
- Shade or soil fabric
- Manure
- Balanced fertilizer (20-20-20)
- High potassium fertilizer (15-11-29)
Instructions
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Start your pumpkin indoors to develop a healthy seedling well before the usual planting date of May or June. Moisten a paper towel and wrap the seeds inside. Put the towel in a baggie and seal it. Leave it in a warm location for a day. Fill the pots with seed mixture and dampen it. Push the seeds in 2 to 3 inches deep and lightly brush soil over them.
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2
Place the pots on a seed mat set to 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This will warm the soil, but you need to use a heater to keep the room where you are growing the pumpkins at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the soil evenly moist, which may require daily watering. Do not leave the soil soggy and dripping. Stick a finger in the soil to assess the moisture level. Damp is what you are looking for.
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3
Prepare the garden bed. You need full sun but will have to provide some shade for the giants later as they form. Amend the bed by digging in 4 to 5 inches of compost and 1/2 pound of all-purpose slow release fertilizer.
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Transplant the seedlings to the garden bed after the soil is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and they have their first set of true leaves. Dig holes deep enough to hold their roots and gently place the plants into the depressions. Cover with soil just up to the first leaves. Water the plants in until the soil is wet 6 inches down.
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Create a protective shield around the pumpkin babies. A garden cloche or water wall will provide extra heat and wind protection and allow sunlight in. The plants need to be protected until the stems are sturdy. Fertilize with a 15-30-15 high phosphorus fertilizer in water once a week until fruits are set. Follow the package instructions for rates and application information.
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Hand pollinate the best female flowers. The females have a bump at the base of the flower which will form the fruit. Pick a male flower and strip it of its petals. Use the flower to swab open female flowers. Pollinate just a few females and snip off the rest. You want the plant to put its energy into the biggest and best flowers.
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Make a wind shield around your plants. You can use stakes and soil or shade fabric. Wrap the fabric around the stakes and set up a corral for the pumpkins. Spread 3 to 4 inches of manure around the base of the plants and under the vine. This will prevent weeds and provide nutrition to the plant. Remove any competing weeds that appear.
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Keep the pumpkins at a perpendicular angle to the vine. This will require daily checking and repositioning. You need to chose the best vine and abort the rest at this point. It's a tough choice, but all the energy and nutrition in the soil should be directed to one or two fruits to achieve maximum size. Remove the ones that are not as strong.
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Fertilize the fruits with balanced fertilizer such as a 20-20-20 in dilution once weekly according to the instructions. In July switch to the high potassium fertilizer. Continue to water the plant and turn the pumpkin as needed. Harvest it when the vine dies back.
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References
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