Introduction
Pumpkin is a very common fruit and staple for Halloween which comes around every year. Falling into the category of a Winter Squash, it has a smooth thick round shell that contains fruits flesh, and seed. Pumpkins are grown for multiple purposes, including the obvious food, and then decorations, and recreational purposes.
Surprisingly the USA is not at the top of Pumpkin production, coming sixth with China dominating the top with 8.3 million tonnes per year. Now as per the title, this is a complete guide for growing and harvesting Pumpkin. Now strap back for all you need to know.
Necessary knowledge in Planting Pumpkin
hand planting pumpkin seed of marrow in the vegetable
First, you need to know that pumpkins are warm-loving plants. According to that, they require to be planted in the months of July, with soil temperature reaching 15 C and the soil holds water well. Since Pumpkins have a longer growing season, they need warm temperatures throughout.
If in any case the temperature drops, you can transfer the growing Pumpkin indoors until the temperature goes back up. You can also try growing Pumpkin indoors 3 weeks in advance before the weather is ideal. Furthermore, ensure that the young Pumpkin plants receive a lot of sunlight. Make sure that you are spacing out seeds as recommended on the packet.
Furthermore, you can try to make small hills to plant the seeds as the hills will heat up faster than the flat ground. This also would help to make sure that the wines grow downwards. Due to longer seasons, Pumpkin requires a lot of nutrition and soil which is well-drained. Make sure to mix a lot of fertilizer and compost, before you plant the seed or transfer your Pumpkin plant.
Necessary Knowledge in Growing the Pumpkin
Pumpkin plant growth stages infographic elements in flat design. The life cycle of Cucurbita from seeds, sprout to ripe vegetable, plant life cycle isolated on white background vector illustration
Caring for the Pumpkin throughout its growing season is really important and you have made that you tick all the boxes when it comes to Growing on properly. In their early stages, Pumpkin plants are very thirsty plants, requiring a lot of water. Next to care for is to prevent insect problems, which can be avoided with the use of Row Covers. Though, don’t forget to remove these before the flowering starts for pollination by Bees.
Bees are another important part of growing Pumpkins, as they help to pollinate them. As they are necessary for growing Pumpkin, it is recommended to put up a bee house close to where you are growing your Pumpkins. Next is to make sure to care for Pumpkin wines, as if damaged can harm the quality of the fruit.
Necessary Knowledge in Harvesting the Pumpkin
Knowingly you would want to harvest a fully ripped Pumpkin, there are two common ways to check whether the Pumpkin is fully ripped. Since the skin would be hard enough for you to tap on it and it will sound like it is hollow. And the second way is to poke it with a nail, if the nail goes in with difficulty, it is ready to harvest.
While picking a Pumpkin, you have to keep a few things in mind. Only to pick up the Pumpkins after their plant has dried backward and the surface of the fruit is hard. To increase its shelf life, you can leave a few inches of the steam intact with the fruit. Furthermore, don’t pull or tear the fruit, rather cut it properly with a knife.
Additional Information
To store the Pumpkin properly, you should cure them underneath the sun after harvesting them. After 7 to 14 days store the pumpkin in a cool dry place, such as your basement or fridge.
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