Garden Calendar

- jobs for January

IF YOUR PUMPKINS are running rampant, here are four things you can do now to ensure a good quality pumpkin harvest.

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You should have a main vine and a secondary one that usually runs in the opposite direction. These will have shoots (laterals) coming off them, which can be pruned back or pinched out. This forces the plant to put its energy into producing fat fruit on the main and secondary vines. Alternatively, to save space, you can prune the main and secondary vines to a certain length which will encourage fruit on the laterals. •

If a pumpkin vine is prolific, remove smaller fruit, so those remaining get larger. Aim for 1.5m of vine per pumpkin.

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Water deep and regularly at the base of the plant. Avoid wetting the leaves and stems, or you’ll encourage fungal diseases.

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Sit pumpkins on a piece of wood or an upside-down pot saucer, so it’s bottom doesn’t get damp and mouldy.