Constant companions for the pumpkin gardener are pruning shears and sharp knives. There are multiple reasons for pruning to optimize pumpkin growth and crop yield. The skilful cut also guarantees carefree consumption and artistic carving. You can read instructions on common cut variants in this tutorial.

Male flowers may or may not be removed

Table of Contents

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  1. Types of cuts and dates
  2. break out flowers
  3. Pruning encourages fruit size
  4. Crop Pruning Guide
  5. Consumption and design cut
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. Types of cuts and dates

    With the beginning of the flowering period, the pumpkin plant confronts the gardener for the first time with the question: cut or not? Another reason to reach for the scissors is in the summer, when the long tendrils bear numerous fruit buds. For a few weeks, the exotic plant is left to grow until the time window for harvest opens in autumn. The season finale marks an expert cut for the preparation of the delicious pulp or the artful transformation into the spooky Halloween face. This table provides an overview of all types of cuts and dates:

    cut type goal/occasion best appointment
    remove flowers improve harvest quality after the flowering period begins
    Cut back, cut out Optimize fruit size June and July
    crop cut harvest ripe fruit Autumn (after knock test)
    crop Cut for consumption and decoration after harvest

    Break out excess flowers

    the number of flowers determines significantly about the fruit size and crop amount. Voluminous pumpkin varieties such as garden pumpkin, Hokkaido or Atlantic Giant deliver the desired fruit sizes if you only leave one flower per tendril. Break off excess flowers. Choose a time for the measure when the first fruit buds are already forming. It would be a shame if the only flower wilted without being pollinated and there were no reserve flowers to hand.

    The measure does not apply to pumpkin varieties with small fruits, such as 'Baby Bear' or 'Small Wonder'. The same applies to popular ornamental gourds, which naturally have small fruit. Blossom bursting makes no appreciable contribution to fruit size, it merely reduces crop yield.

    Cut off male flowers

    The only duty of male flowers is to provide sufficient material for pollination of female flowers. You can then cut off the flowers from the pumpkin plant. Male squash blossoms can be recognized by the fact that they wither, without a fruit set to build. Because these buds don't have any significant energy requirements, you can take your time pruning until you're absolutely sure of the floral gender.

    tips

    If there is uncertainty about the right number of female flowers that should turn into fruit, experience can help. Garden practice has proven that 6 to 8 fruiting flowers per plant, each with 2 to 4 leaves, are just right for a rich pumpkin harvest.

    Pruning optimizes fruit size

    It is not absolutely necessary to cut back pumpkin tendrils. It depends on your assessment and the individual growth of the plant whether and how much you cut off. The most common reason for pruning is the desire for larger berries. Just as often, pumpkin gardeners use scissors because the meter-long shoots spread cheekily throughout the garden. So that a fruit set is not damaged by the pruning, please observe the following procedure:

    • Best time is in June and July
    • Set scissors 2 to 4 leaves behind the last fruit set
    • Only cut when clearly visible, tennis ball-sized berries have formed

    If a pumpkin plant grows all over the garden, pruning is not the only solution. Instead of shortening overly long tendrils, arrange the flexible shoots in a circle around the heart of the plant or parallel to the edge of the bed.

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    Stingy shoots reduce fruit size

    When pumpkin growers strive for extra-large fruit, stingy shoots torpedo the desire. The stinging instinct is the herbaceous counterpart to the woody water shoot or wild instinct in the tree. Both types of shoots are usually sterile and consume a lot of plant energy, which is no longer available for fruit growth. As a result, measly fruits are to be lamented. A stinginess can be seen in its position. In most cases, the unwanted shoot sprout from the leaf axils and should be removed promptly. The easiest way to do this is to grasp the base with your fingers and break off the shoot at the side.

    Harvesting pumpkins - instructions for harvest pruning

    After a warm, dry summer opens end of August the time window for the harvest time and stays open until the first frost. Any squash with a solid, smooth skin and a woody stalk is a candidate for harvest pruning. A knock test dispels any remaining doubts about the harvest maturity. If it sounds hollow and dull from the inside of the fruit, you can harvest the pumpkin.

    You can make the right harvest cut with a sharp, disinfected knife. Leave a piece of the woody fruit stalk at least four inches long.

    Is the frost already knocking at the garden gate, even though your pumpkins are still showing green spots that they are unripe? Then reap the rewards anyway. The hard-shelled giant berries ripen within a few weeks in a warm, bright location.

    Cutting for kitchen and Halloween

    At the sight of ripe, juicy pumpkin fruits, the gourmet's mouth waters. Creative minds immediately philosophize about imaginative carvings for Halloween. As a result, cutting pumpkins does not end with the harvest. The following short instructions sum up how to properly cut the fruit for consumption or as a furious decorative sculpture:

    consumption cut

    • First halve the fruit with a large knife, then quarter it
    • Cut fruit stalk
    • Remove pumpkin seeds with spoon
    • Peel the pumpkin quarters with a kitchen knife or vegetable peeler
    • Prepare the pulp according to your own taste

    Halloween cut

    • Ideally dry the pumpkin beforehand
    • Cut off the top with a saw or knife (leave the fruit stalk)
    • Scoop out the flesh with an ice cream scoop or spoon
    • Sketch scary face on the shell
    • Cut out the outlined shape with a carpet knife

    Only when candlelight mysteriously flickers in the pumpkin is the Halloween grimace complete. To ensure the candles are properly oxygenated, drill or cut a few small holes in the lid.

    digression

    Oven time reduces effort

    For the chef, peeling and slicing pumpkins involves considerable effort. A look into grandmother's bag of tricks reveals how easily the exhausting challenge can be reduced to a tolerable level. To do this, place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and put both in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. At 150 degrees top and bottom heat, the voluminous, hard-skinned fruit becomes noticeably easier to slice. The trick is not recommended for the carving pumpkin because the long heat contact reduces durability.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are there poisonous pumpkin varieties?

    Most pumpkin types and varieties are safe to eat and rich in healthy vitamins. Only a few ornamental gourds are used exclusively for decorative purposes because they contain poisonous cucurbitacin. These concerns apply primarily to crown and claw gourds with well-known varieties such as 'Shenot Crowns' or 'Autumn Wings'. If in doubt, leave pumpkins with bizarre shapes lying around or ask a specialist.

    An early onset of winter forced us to harvest unripe pumpkins. Can the fruits ripen?

    Pumpkin is one of the climacteric plants. In concrete terms, this means that the fruits continue to ripen, comparable to apples, pears and bananas. In any case, it is advisable to store all freshly harvested pumpkins in a warm, bright place for 8 to 14 days, regardless of whether they are ready to harvest or not. The only difference is a slightly longer waiting time until an unripe pumpkin is ready to eat.

    Is pumpkin pulp toxic to dogs?

    Dogs love a little variety in their diet. About a third of the time, fruit and vegetables can be added to meat meals. Most dogs do not disdain the aromatic pulp of pumpkin, especially as a pureed side dish. Ground pumpkin seeds may also be fed, because they strengthen the body's defenses and act as a worm prophylaxis. An exception applies to ornamental gourds of all kinds, which do not do well to your four-legged friend due to a high component of cucurbitacin and cause symptoms of poisoning.

    Is pumpkin a fruit or vegetable?

    This question worries all home gardeners who are striving for a balanced diet plan for themselves and their families. In fact, the topic has long been a matter of controversy among scientists, because pumpkins meet the criteria for both fruits and vegetables alike. A Solomonic solution ended the heated discussions. Pumpkin is defined as a fruit vegetable and thus plays in a league with tomatoes, aubergines and melons.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    Without a pruning in the summer, you will struggle with a lot of tiny little fruits. If you let stinging shoots sprout unhindered, countless leaves and a few pumpkins will thrive. If you cut off the fruit stalk at the base when pruning, you run the risk of rot. This overview draws attention to three common mistakes when cutting pumpkins and gives tips on how to proceed correctly:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    not cut back many small fruits, poor harvest quality cut back long tendrils in June and July
    Stingers not removed bushy growth, lots of leaves, few gourds Break out stinging shoots regularly
    Fruit stalk cut off when harvesting spread of rot leave at least 10 cm of fruit stalk

    tips

    Balcony gardeners don't have to do without harvesting juicy pumpkins from their own cultivation. Numerous delicious varieties thrive on the sun-drenched south-facing balcony. A voluminous bucket with a volume of 60 to 90 liters and an opening in the bottom for water drainage offers the best conditions. Nutrient-rich vegetable soil has everything a squash could want for lush blooms and delicious fruit.

Category:

Vegetable garden