If you have space, learn how to grow pumpkin and other squashes in your home vegetable garden for a great fall harvest.
This year (2009) most of my squashes became infested with powdery mildew but we still got an adequate harvest, although not at all what we expected.Pumpkins and other squashes need space to trail so if you have a small home vegetable garden, you may want to consider growing another crop. But if you do have space or are happy to dedicate a section just for this worthwhile crop, do give it a go.
While this article mentions how to grow pumpkins, please note that all squashes (butternut, hubbard, custard and gem) can all be grown in the same way.
How to grow pumpkins – planting
Squashes are hungry plants, with a big emphasis on HUNGRY! To start off your plants in early spring, make sure you add plenty of compostand well rotted horse or chicken manure. We add lots of Bounce Back to the area instead of manure.
Make little mounds for the seeds about 90cm apart and plant 3 seeds to a hole. After the seeds have germinated, remove the 2 weakest ones and allow the vine to grow.
How to grow pumpkin – long term care
Pests and diseases are the hardest to deal with over the length of the plants lifespan. All squashes suffer from the same pests and can be treated throughorganic pest control by surface watering in the early morning to prevent powdery mildew from forming. You can also mulch the soil with straw to retain moistures. They are also are demanding plants on soil nutrients, so make sure to plan a root vegetable or legumes in this spot once you have harvested the stalk.
When your plants begin to flower, feed them with a high nitrogen liquid feed.
If you notice that the flowers are forming little fruits and then dying, it means you havea pollination problem. You can hand pollinate them with a Q-tip or you can identify the male flower (look for the anthers) and break it off the vine. Rub the anther onto the female stigma and you should see healthy pumpkins develop.
Harvesting pumpkins
8 – 20 weeks after sowing you should be able to harvest your first pumpkins. You will know they are ready when the stalk becomes hard and dry and the vines begin to die back. Cut through the stalk with a sharp knife. Pumpkins can be stored for many months.
Quick Notes
When to plant: Sow into mounds in early spring.
How many plants: 6 plants will give an ample harvest for a family.
How long to harvest: 8 – 20 weeks after sowing.
Successive planting: Probably only get in one large planting.
PUMPKIN RECIPE
Pumpkin can be used in so many different ways. Steamed with cinnamon and sugar, in pumpkin pie, mashed, in soups or in pumpkin fritters. These are just a few ways.
When we had a glut of pumpkin in autumn I roasted the seeds and added them to veggie couscous, made pumpkin bread, sweet potato and pumpkin soup and pumpkin muffins.
For pumpkin muffins you will need:
2 cups of cooked mashed pumpkin
113g butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup sugar
2 cups stoneground flour
3/4 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup of milk
Cream butter and sugar, add the eggs and mix. Add the dry ingredients mix. Add the wet ingredients, mix. Spoon into greased muffin pan and bake for 180 deg Celsius for 30 minutes.
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