Pumpkins, once a staple crop of the American Indians, today have triple value: They make delicious pies, have tasty seeds and are a popular Halloween ornament.
Because they quickly outgrow containers, pumpkin plants usually aren’t found in the nursery, but must be grown from seed, says Sharon Kaszan of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a mail-order seed company in Warminster, Pa.
“Plant pumpkinseeds before the end of June, and you’ll have pumpkins for Halloween,” she says.
Pumpkinseeds can be bought at nurseries and through catalogs. Besides the traditional 8- to 10-pound orange pumpkin you see every October, you’ll find unusual varieties, including ‘Lumina,’ an 8- to 10-pound pumpkin with ghostly white skin and an orange interior.
Other interesting types include ‘Jack Be Little,’ a miniature orange pumpkin that is just 3 inches high and 2 inches in diameter, and ‘Baby Boo’ pumpkins, which are the same size but white.
There are also giant pumpkins, some capable of reaching hundreds of pounds. ‘Prizewinner’ is an exhibition-size pumpkin that has been known to surpass 450 pounds. Generally growing 100 to 200 pounds, it has smooth, glossy, bright reddish-orange skin.Other pumpkins are medium-sized and make good pies, and some have smooth surfaces perfect for face-painting.
To have success growing pumpkins, keep the following tips in mind:
* Choose a sunny location with plenty of space. Giant pumpkins can grow vines that are 25 feet long, so they require a lot of room to roam. Give the larger types five feet in each direction in which to spread. Small pumpkins need the least space. They can be grown on trellises with some training.
* Pumpkins like a rich soil and good drainage. Amend by 50% with homemade or bagged compost.
* Once pumpkin plants are growing, it is impossible to weed around them without causing the plants to die back. To prevent weeds from growing and to conserve moisture, apply a 2- to 3-inch-thick compost mulch around the plants.
* Keep the pumpkin plant well watered; inadequate watering will cause it to grow slowly and become weak. Once established, most plants need a good, thorough soaking once a week.
* Feed the plant regularly with a slow-release, all-purpose vegetable fertilizer such as a 5-5-5. Don’t use fertilizers with higher numbers, because they will cause rapid leaf growth at the expense of vegetable development.
Fertilize when the plant starts growing, when it starts to vine, when it blossoms and when the blossoms set fruit.
* If you’d like to grow pumpkins in containers, your only choice is the baby pumpkins. Plant one vine in a half barrel and provide a trellis for support. Also expect a smaller yield than if you plant in the ground.
* Pumpkins are ready for harvest when the vine dies back. The longer a pumpkin is left on the vine, the sweeter it will be.
Companies that carry pumpkinseed:
* Bountiful Gardens (carries seed of pumpkins from other countries), (707) 459-6410
* W. Atlee Burpee & Co., (800) 888-1447
* Park Seed, (800) 845-3369
* Nichols Garden Nursery, (541) 928-9280
