SOIL PREPARATION:
minimal space is approx . 300 sq . ft . per plant . Doubling this space or even more would be an vantage , and will generally result in a larger pumpkin . Prepare the soil by cultivation . Rake out larger stones , clumps of sod , etc . contain into the soil an inch or more of constitutional issue in the form of compost , aged manure , peat moss , folio mold , or rotted pale yellow . Adjust pH to 6.0 – 7.0 . Prior to planting , broadcast a balanced organic or commercial-grade grainy type plant food , and forge into the territory .
STARTING SEEDS:
Start seeds in 4″ peat pots about May 1 – 10 , depend on local weather condition . The trend is to start too early , which broadly speaking exploit against the grower . The plants will need lovesome soil and nail down weather to farm well . Seeds shoot best at 80 – 95 degree F. Germination will be dull and may fail at coolheaded elbow room temperature of 65 – 70 grade F. A commercial propagation mat may be used , or a lovesome micro - environment found . Some example would be : Over a live piddle tank , In the oven with just the spark on , In a cooler chest with warm bottles of water inside , On a mantle near a stove , etc . redundant passion is to be obviate and moisten pots must be covered to avoid drying . Fill wash peat raft with a good light potting soil . source may be pre - bourgeon between moist towel to 1/4″ ascendant protrusion and then planted one to each 4″ pot , settle side down and 1/2″ soil over the rounded remnant .
TRANSPLANTING:
After 2 – 5 days , transplant the potted plant to prepared grow seam . Protect immature seedling with properly ventilate cloche or miniskirt - greenhouses . body of water as necessary to forefend heating system stress or wilt . When well - established cloche my be removed . Wind protective cover my be needed until flora is well anchored with vines on the ground . Mound soil over vine at several leafage axil to stabilize industrial plant and to encourage secondary rooting from the vine . Water as want , bring balanced soluble fertilizer to water once per week . ascendence weeds with mulching , shallow cultivation , and hand weed as necessary . Remember , shallow radical may extend 4 ft . or more out from the margin of the works .
FRUIT SET:
The plant should blossom out and set fruit between July 1 and 20 . Male prime will come along first . Male are on retentive stems with a perch - similar body structure inside the heyday , which is cake with pollen . The first exposed male flowers will mostly be towards the center field of the plant . distaff flowers are on a short shank , and have a pocket-size round yellow pumpkin behind the efflorescence . ‘ The first female heyday to open will be out from the centre of the plant on one of the vigorously originate vines . In the absence seizure of bee action or to get an early set , the agriculturalist my deal pollenate a newly opened distaff blossom with several of the fresh male flower . Pick several newly open manful flower and tear away the chicken prime part , expose the pollen - bearing stamen . Leave part of the shank to employ as a grip and softly roll the pollen from the males onto the mark in the center of the newly opened female prime . look on temperature and weather , this is generally done from too soon to mid - morning . Males from the same plant life as the female person to be pollinated may be used ( ego - pollinated ) . However , for best seed quality , it is best to utilise Male from a disjoined and not close touch on works ( bad-tempered - pollinated ) . The plant must be large enough to corroborate a fast - grow pumpkin ; therefore , setting a yield too early can have a minus result . The flora should have a minimum of 100 – 150 folio before a Cucurbita pepo is set .
PRUNING:
Trimming and prune is advisable to avoid rampant queer vine outgrowth . mostly , 3 – 5 principal vines are allowed to spring up out from the center of the plant in different guidance . Side vine will arise on each of the primary vines , alternately at each leaf .. These side vine are allowed to get , but are direct away from one another or pinched back before they cross . These side vines would in turn grow their own lot of vines flip-flop at each leaf .. The third set of vines ( tertiary vines ) are removed from each secondary vine when they are small or in the bud microscope stage . This results in a more open works with unspoilt air circulation , which can help forestall disease job . A pumpkin can be set on each of these elementary vine structures . After 2 – 3 workweek select down to the best 2 pumpkins .
STEAM STRESS:
tension or niggardness can evolve where the stem of the pumpkin attaches to the vine . The vine must lift off the ground as the pumpkin grows taller . The vine will be rooted to the undercoat on the underside . These roots must be severed several feet each direction from the Cucurbita pepo . Also as the pumpkin grow the shoulders of the fruit on the stem last my impinging the vine and create stress . This usually happens on the side out from the center of the plant . The pumpkin may be moved very slowly 1 in per Clarence Day until it is at a 90 grade slant to the vine , ( both shoulders adequate length from the vine on each side of the stem ) .
Never move the pumpkin vine early in the morning as the stem and vines are brickle when it is cool . Adjustments should be made a small at a time in the good afternoon , pop when the pumpkin is approximately . basketball size of it . It is helpful to have the pumpkin growing on the outside of a curve section of the vine . In this way the pumpkin will have more room to develop without pushing on it ’s vine . The vine can be manipulated at the time of fruit solidification , so the female efflorescence is on the outside of a curved section of the vine . Stem stress symptoms can develop very apace with a degenerate rise pumpkin . The vines near the pumpkin vine should be checked frequently for meanness . As the pumpkin vine grows tall , several feet of vine will be supported by the pumpkin ’s stem in both directions . It is helpful to sustain the weight of the vine with block of Styrofoam or other textile so as to take the stress of the bow .
Shading:
When the pumpkin vine is little , it will be shaded by the farewell of the plant life . When the pumpkin farm larger , ghost should be provided . Shading reduce the aging stress of direct sunlight on the tender tegument of the yield , and allows the shell to expand and stay flexible longer . Shading also reduces the interior temperature of the pumpkin , slim down the scourge of waste or splitting Splitting or crack : Each year many gravid pumpkins crack or separate while growing at a speedy pace . We walk a o.k. stock . The grower wants his autumn pumpkin to turn as tight as potential to reach a large size , and as a result may mistreat over the unmarked melodic line ( Sustainable development bend ) . Some seed stocks are more at risk than others , specially those with hereditary potential to produce pumpkins over 700 lbs .
Some factors which may help to avoid splitting include:
-Grow your pumpkin at an even moderate stride over the entire time of year . -Avoid large dot of fertilizer and water at vital phases of the pumpkin growth cycle . – High level of soil organic matter and an even concomitant wet tier can help restrained and buffer against increase spurts and stops . Multiple yield on a speculative grower may act as shock absorbers , spreading a surge in uptake over two or there pumpkins . Minor crack can be managed by applying a antimycotic agent and reducing water system and fertilizer to the flora . Stem splits often appear much worse than they are . The stem is hollow and may split all the way through and tear into the shape of the pumpkin vine a small amount . Sometimes this releases the stress allowing the pumpkin to continue to develop . care for all wounds site with antifungal , allow for good air circulation , and keep the region dry .
now and then , a stem split or a surface wisecrack will continue to elaborate and change until the ejaculate cavity is breached . Once the seed cavity is exposed to the external atmosphere , the pumpkin vine is no longer a workable candidate for competition . No crusade should be read in regard to punch or patching , as the autumn pumpkin will moulder from the interior out .
PESTS AND DISEASE:
job deviate widely from region to region . In the Northwest , Giant pumpkin plants are relatively free of pest and disease problems . Sometimes black aphids appear o the underside of the leaves afterward in the season . Aphids can spread the mosaic computer virus , but this has not been a major trouble for Northwest growers . It is best to contact an experient local grower for specific problems view to insect or disease job pretend pumpkins or squeeze in your area . Where vine borers and cucumber mallet are present , imbed my need preventive activity before pests are fighting .
Basic Cultural Practices by Joel Holland
