Topic: Really Basic Pumpkin Question

[newbies]

Hi All,
It's only my 2nd year on the plot, and I was given 2 pumpkin seeds, which have now germinated, and are about 4 inches high.
What do I do with them now? 
Do I transplant them to a bed, or can I grow them on my rotting manure heap through the tarp, I seem to remember reading about that?
I've looked on the threads in the searches, but only seem to find recipes, which are a little optimistic at the moment!
All help gratefully received!
Cheers
Linda

[manicscousers]

hiya, hopefully, jeannine will be along soon, she'll be able to tell you all about pumpkins, they're her passion  ;D

[Tee Gee]

I grow mine on the compost heap but don't bother with the plastic sheet!

See here; http://tinyurl.com/27wzrz

[Jeannine]

Hi ,Tee Gees plan is good if you want to grow on your compost heap. I can't because I grow too many and  my compost bins are all in heavy shade.

I grow mine on open ground, often over black plastic but not always.

Give them room to go, the correct space is 12 feet but few of us have that space to spare. I put 4 across a 22 foot plot and I plant more the  same distance the other way.

Harden them off before you put them out.

I dig a large hole about 1 foot deep and the same across, I put half a bucket of well rotted manure in the hole, fill it up with potting soil and plant in that as my soil is clay. I then use some of  the soil from the hole  over the potting soil and firm the plant ,then  make a wall around the plant  about 6 inches away all round with what is left, the plant then appears to be in a depression but of course it is actually on flat ground. This makes watering and feeding easier.

I don't plant on a mound as some do, but if the ground has very poor drainage I would.

Thay are heavy feeders.

I also try to mulch in the depression and around the plant, this conserves moisture and helps prevent weeds.

Your plant can grow 20 feet so be prepared to train it the way you want it to go.

I personally  don't pinch out my plants except toward the end of the season to enable it to ripen the last fruit, others do, but I just let them go.

That is what I do,  hope this helps.

XX Jeannine

[caroline7758]

Jeannine, I've got pumpkin sugar pie and onion squash seeds from the Barnsdale seedswap. Would you pre-germinate these?

[Jeannine]

No, I never pre germinate my squash seeds, I plant in damp,not wet,potting soil in 3 inch pots.If cold I pop in the airing cupboard till they just disturb the surface,if warm I just leave them in the greenhouse. I have started 67 pots off about10 days ago,each pot with a differnt type, 3 seeds to a pot,and so far all have germinated but 7 pots, and that was just in the greenhouse.

This is not my usual way though I usually only put one seed per pot but I do three  or 4 pots of each type. As I was running ouit of time I did the extra seeds and I am culling them as they pop up.

I never met anyone who pre germinated squash till I came here. It would save the pots of soil, so you were not planting duds but I have very little trouble with germination even on very old seeds, they seem to go on forever.

Just don't have the soil wet and don't let it go totally dry and you should be fine.

Do you want the pumpkin pie recipes that I made up  for Sugar Pie, one has a pastry crust and one a ginger crumb crust .

XX Jeannine

XX Jeannine

[soliphant]

I have put two pumpkin plant in a bed of about 6ft x 12ft, can i not plant anything else in here then?

Also I planted them at one end of the bed, can I train them to travel over the clear side? The leaves went a bit white after I planted them, is this ok or should I abandon them/dig them up?

[caroline7758]

Will certainly get those recipes later, Jeannine- don't want to tempt fate by asking for them before I've even sown the seeds!

[Jeannine]

2 Pumpkins would fill this bed easily, you can train them back on themselves but they are hard to stop once going unless you pinch them out. What did you want to put in the other end?
 XX Jeannine

[soliphant]

Jeannie

I wanted to put a couple of rows of Leeks at the other end, which would leave the Pumpkins about 30 sq Ft to grow in. I remember the last time my kids grew these in a border at home they strayed right across the lawn! How do I, and more importantly what do I, 'pinch out'?

Sorry if it's obvious but I am very much a beginner.

[Jeannine]

Hi, put your leeks in, and keep an eye on the growth of the pumpkins. Personally I don't pinch mime out  but if you need to do it this way.

As the two vines grow, direct them to grow towards the leeks, but at about 3/4 of the distance turn them back on themselves and direct them back the other way, you can even let them go off the bed and let them weave through your paths.  If you have to pinch off, it is the growing tip you remove,but don't do it  unless you have to and wait until you have a couple of healthy sized pumpkins on the plant. Towards the end of the season, remove any very small fruit that are obviously not going to mature and pinch out the tip then, all the energy will go into ripening the ones on the vine.

With a bit off luck, the leeks will be OK as they don't take up much rooms and they grow tall and they will stay there and grow after the pumpkins are gone.

XX Jeannine

[soliphant]

Many thanks Jeannine.  ;D