GROW THE PERFECT PUMPKIN FOR HALLOWEEN
WITH Halloween a few months away, there’s still time to plant pumpkin seeds in preparation for harvesting by October 31.
Homebase seed buyer David Gillespie has some top tips for growing your own this year.
PICK A SUNNY, SPACIOUS SPOT
Choose a location with space and direct sunlight. If you’re short on space, you can grow pumpkins in a 40ltr bucket.
SOW SEEDS IN WARM SOIL
Prepare your patch, ensuring you have rich, well-drained soil, and mix in lots of compost.
Pumpkin seeds are sensitive to the cold, so make sure the soil is as close to 30°C as possible before planting.
To help soil warm quickly in the sun, create a small mound a few inches high and plant three to five seeds around the sides. Seeds are better sown on their side, direct into the compost.
TRAIN PLANTS TO GROW UP TRELLIS
Once the pumpkins germinate and grow to about two or three inches tall, you can train them to grow in the direction you want. If you don’t have a lot of space, train your vines to grow up a trellis.
KEEP THEM MOIST
Water pumpkins regularly; they need about an inch of water per week, and this increases during flowering season. Avoid getting the fruit and flowers too wet or it will increase the chance of rot. Pumpkins love food, so feed regularly with a water/compost mixture, or use manure.
AT LATER STAGES, PRUNE UNRULY VINES
Pinch off the fuzzy ends of each vine after a few pumpkins have formed to stop vines growing.
You should also prune unruly vines to preserve the energy for fruit growth. As the fruit develops, they should be turned – make sure the vines aren’t damaged when doing this – to encourage an even shape.
GET YOUR TIMING RIGHT
Most pumpkin varieties take 85 to 125 days to mature so time your sowing to ensure yours is ready for Halloween.
HARVEST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
Finally, harvest your pumpkin just before Halloween and carve it into a suitably scary face.
Grow spooktacular pumpkins with the seeds Grow My Own – Pumpkin Halloween Heads available from Homebase.
BY HANNAH STEPHENSON