Don’t just chop them up at Halloween, used in soups, pies, and stuffed, pumpkins make a delicious addition to our autumn menus. Fiona Lawrenson spills the beans
I’ve seen grown men cry over the sight of a giant pumpkin, and serious money can be won and lost on these amazing vegetables. If you don’t feel up to growing show-standard pumpkins, but fancy making your own Halloween lantern or, more in my line, a delicious, hearty soup, then take note. Pumpkins are cool and in vogue.
Firstly, these giant vegetables are not hardy, so plant out after all risk of frost has passed. Find yourself an open and sunny site with soil that is moisture retentive, well-drained, has a neutral to slightly acidic pH level, and is rich in nutrients (so plenty of well-rotted manure dug in).
Pumpkins are not the easiest vegetables to grow from seed indoors as they can be difficult to transplant, so sow in situ a couple of weeks before the last expected frosts. A tip: to encourage fast germination, soak the seeds in water overnight then place two to three seeds, in the same location, at a depth of one inch. Raise a circular ridge of soil around them, as this will enable the water to be retained in the surrounding hollow. Place a jam jar over the seeds to act as a mini greenhouse. Once these have germinated, thin to one seedling. Pumpkins are thirsty plants and need plenty of water for the flowers to set and the fruits to swell.
Good soil preparation should provide enough food, but if you feel still that it lacks nourishment add a liquid feed during the time that the plants are swelling. Also, mulch around the plants as they grow to conserve moisture and suppress any weeds.
Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the skins are hard and sound hollow when
Read more on backyardgardener.com