"Growing Pumpkin"
Pumpkin plants grow quickly and are quite spectacular when they get going. No time to get bored!
Pumpkin seeds need a very warm environment to germinate ( 80-85 degrees ), so unless you live in a warm climate with a fairly long growing season, you may want to start your pumpkin seeds off in a greenhouse or other warm place.
Use a rich seed compost and keep the soil moist. Plant seed 1-2 inches deep, and keep warm. Some growers soak the seed for a couple of hours in warm water to help with germination.
When pumpkin seeds germinate, the baby plants almost explode from the earth and grow as you watch them!
At this stage they need plenty of light. Growth will slow down dramatically after two or three days of dull grey weather. They will recover however.
If you are really serious about getting huge pumpkins from your plants, putting them under artificial light at this stage will help keep them growing.
Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure to ensure pumpkins get all the nutrients they need. In a long-growing-season part of the world, growing pumpkin outdoors is easy as pie! Choose a sunny spot and simply plant your seed giving each planting spot about a metre or more free space. Pumpkins grow big! Plant your new seedlings outside as soon as the roots are trying to escape the bottom of the pot, or when the plants have more than 2 'true' leaves ( not the first two leaves ) Keep watered but not waterlogged and watch for pests and disease.
Encourage frogs and toads to your garden. They really do keep slugs under control. And slugs adore young plants, including pumpkins! When the fruits start to grow, place a board underneath each one, to prevent rotting from the earth, and bugs and diseases.
Leave the pumpkins on the vine as long as possible, and cut through the stem with a sharp knife when ready to harvest. The skin should be a good colour and hardened off. Cut when you are almost 100% sure they have stopped growing.
 Storing pumpkin
Pumpkin will store for several months in the right conditions. While growing, your pumpkins needed sun and water. In storage they need a dry dark atmosphere. Bring pumpkin in the house when a frost is expected. They are NOT frost-hardy. Storing in a dry shed or garage is fine - but be wary of rodents... Mice love squashes of all kinds, and one of your prize pumpkins will keep a whole family of mice happy for months. BUT you can deter mice by hanging your pumpkins in nets from the ceiling or roof rafters. Many serious gardeners store their veggies like this.
The same growing rules apply, but instead of storing them for the winter, make halloween lamps, pumpkin pie and all things halloween. Get the kids involved with producing the halloween pumpkins this year!
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Atlantic Giant Seeds have been known to produce pumpkins over 600 lbs in weight.
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