How to Grow Pumpkins

For those just starting out with their very own garden, learning how to grow pumpkins can be easy for even a beginner when choosing this vegetable as part of your crop. Almost every single seed from a pumpkin will yield a wonderfully mature vegetable for you and your family with minimal effort. The process on how to grow pumpkins is one that is very simple and can be passed down to others in your family for generations to come.

There are quite a variety of pumpkins to select when learning how to grow pumpkins and figuring out which types you would like for your new crop. No matter what size your garden is, you can find a type of pumpkin to grow anywhere from a few ounces up to almost 500 pounds. Pumpkins can come in a wide range of shapes and colors depending on the type you select for your garden. Traditionally pumpkins are known to be bright orange and range in size between 10 and 20 pounds.

When choosing a spot for your new patch of pumpkins you will want to situate them in as much direct sunlight as possible. The more sunlight they receive, the better they will grow for you. With at least 6 straight hours of sunlight, your pumpkins will thrive and be the envy of all of your friends. This step is one of the most important when you are learning how to grow pumpkins.

One of the major benefits of using pumpkins in your garden is that they can be started indoors first, especially when you are located in climates when the spring temperatures are cooler. For those learning how to grow pumpkins, once it has warmed up outside and the spring melt off has leveled out, you can transplant the seedlings in your waiting garden. One tip that you can keep in mind before planting would be to soak the pumpkin seeds in water the night before you are planning on planting them. This helps the sprouting process by making the shell easier to break through.

You will want to place anywhere from 4-5 pumpkin seeds you have into the center of small mounds that are approximately 3 feet in diameter. If you are planning on having more than one mound to produce these pumpkins, you will want to give them lots of space, anywhere up to 10 feet apart. Digging a moat around these mounds to help keep a water reservoir around the roots of your pumpkin plant will aid in the growth of your new crop.

Cover your seeds lightly with soil that is approximately 1 inch thick in order to block out the sunlight and keep them from predators such as hungry birds in the area. Learning how to grow pumpkins can be one of the easiest plants to produce yearly and one of the most enjoyable types. The vines of a pumpkin plant are lush and green in order to absorb as much sunlight as possible for their development. Pumpkins can grow steadily in a variety of locations as well as being neighbors with other harvest vegetables. Once you have developed the knack of how to grow pumpkins, you are sure to be proud of all that you have produced.

Tracy Ballisager is a stay at home mum and provide info on gardening online. See her website for tips on tomato and how to grow vegetables and more.