Growing pumpkins is not only easy, but trendy at the same time. Pumpkins are just as popular with gourmets and natural food fans as they are with decoration artists or Halloween fans. Find out here all the important building blocks for successful pumpkin culture.

Thanks to cultivation with a head start in the bed

Pumpkin's sensitivity to cold severely limits the window for planting time in the garden. Direct sowing is possible after the Ice Saints at the earliest. Experienced pumpkin gardeners therefore decide to grow them indoors, so that young plants start with a reassuring growth advantage.

  • Start in mid-April with fresh seed from specialist shops
  • soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours
  • plant individually in 6 cm growing pots (€16.68) with seed soil approx. 1 cm deep
  • moisten with a fine shower and cover with foil or glass

At a constant 25 degrees Celsius, the average germination time is 1 week. As a result, place the sowing a little cooler and lighter at 18 degrees Celsius. A cover can now be removed to allow the seedlings to develop unhindered.

Prick and harden - only the strongest get through

If the general conditions are right, the small pumpkin plants will present several pairs of leaves above the cotyledons after 3 to 4 weeks. From this size, the young plants are ready for outdoor use in the bed or on the balcony.

Now gardeners take a look at the calendar. The cold Sophia should have said goodbye as the last ice saint so that the outdoor season for pumpkin plants can begin. If there are several seedlings in a pot, the weaker specimens are sorted out.

After the pricking out, the squash plants go to a sheltered place in the garden for 1 week. Here they spend a period of hardening under outdoor conditions before being planted out in the bed or container.

Plant pumpkin effortlessly

Place the pumpkin plants in humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil in a sunny to partially shaded location. Here's how to do it:

  • enrich loosened bed soil with compost and horn shavings
  • Dig planting holes at least 100 cm apart
  • put each pumpkin plant in the pit together with the potting soil and water well
  • install a climbing aid for climbing species and varieties

The concrete planting distance depends on the favorite variety. Large pumpkin plants may need up to 5 square meters of space to thrive.

Do not let pumpkins thirst or starve

Cucurbits are among the garden's heavy feeders and are as hungry as they are thirsty. Adequate water and nutrient supply is therefore a central component of care. Water and fertilize the plants in beds and tubs regularly.

tips and tricks

Clever hobby gardeners use the following trick so that the pumpkin seedlings in the pot put even more effort into developing their own root system. Spread a thin layer of nutritious compost at the bottom of the nursery pot. The young plants will do everything they can to get there with their delicate roots.

Category:

Vegetable garden