ok...so I KNOW that i'm too late...but i wanna prepare ahead. I wanna grow pumpkins and I need info....I know NOTHING about them. Please help me. All i know is i love them!
NAMASTE Pumpkins are a favorite of mine.I just love the look and they are so great to make into so many dishes.There are alot of strains of them so that would be the first to go with.Are you looking for ones to cook with and looks then the New Englend Pie Pumpkin is what i go with.Realy sweet flesh and tast.If you want just looks and realy big the jerrsey giant is a winner.But to let you know that you would need a fork lift to move them for they get that big.Another thing i found is when they sit they can get bad spots on them.Try putting straw under the vines after they start there budding.This keeps them off the ground and allows air flow and keeps mold and other probs down.Good luck you will have great fun seeing them grow. In Love and Light Eccofarmer KEEP IT GREEN
^^Thats a good tip. You should remember to turn the hay regularily though, so it dries out. I've also heard this about watermelons... you put a board underneeth(sp) so it does'nt rot in the dirt.
NAMASTE Straw works better than hay.for hay will break down with just the moisture from the ground and straw does not.Yes you can turn the straw but even were i am at with rain that comes off and on i have no problems yet and found after doing this that it did help alot.Infact it can be done with most vine growing plants that have fruit bearing branches that hang low to the ground and that would cause mold.I would love to do it to alot of things on the farm but have to much ground to cover.But with more people coming to the farm who knows it does work great though.
You are about six months outfor pumpkins.If you have good rich soil , you could plant garlic in November.If you really want to grow pumpkins why not grow a green manure crop in the mean time , such as green beens or broad beans. Pumpkins are one of the easiest things to grow.Using the seeds out out of a shop one is a bit unreliable as being members of the gourd family, they hybidize too easily.Best thing is to look for heirloom varieties.The size of the pumpkin is preportional to the nuitrients in the soil.Poor soil will give small pumpkins ; rich soil gives you large pumpkins.
