How to Grow Pumpkins in Zone 6
Growing pumpkins is a good gardening project for the entire family. Whether you want to grow a few pumpkins for your own use or a few extra to give away or sell, the process of growing pumpkins is the same for all varieties in zone 6. One thing to remember is that pumpkins take up a great deal of space. Pumpkins grow on vines that have a tendency to spread out all over the garden, so make sure you give them plenty of space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Work with the first frost-free date for planting your pumpkin seeds. In zone 6, this ranges between March 30 and April 30. Plant your seeds as soon as possible, since pumpkins on average take 120 days to mature.
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Count backward from your first frost date if you want to plant other varieties of pumpkins with more or fewer days to maturity. The first frost date ranges from September 30 to October 30, which is perfect for those who want to have pumpkins around Halloween.
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Prepare your soil by spreading a fertilizer or composted manure on top of the area. Turn the soil and mix in the fertilizer using a rototiller.
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Create a hill that measures about three feet in diameter. Create a trench about 4 inches deep around the outside of the hill to collect water.
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Plant two or three seeds or seedlings in the hill. Space the seeds about 12 inches apart.
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Water the plants with at least 2 inches of water per week.
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When pumpkins begin to appear, layer straw around the base of the plants. The straw will keep the pumpkins off the ground and keep them from rotting before they are ripe.
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Harvest the pumpkins when they are completely orange and the vines are beginning to die. The pumpkins should be easy to remove from the vine.
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Tips & Warnings
Pumpkins are heavy feeders. It is a good idea to give them liquid fertilizer during the growing period, as well as fertilizing the soil before you plant. Be careful to put the liquid fertilizer in the soil and not on the leaves of the plant.
Zone 6 has a long enough growing season that you can plant almost any variety of pumpkin. Try different varieties to see which you like best.
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