Pumpkin Plant Profile

 

Pumpkin Plant Profile

Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) are a summer squash that is used for a fall decoration and baking pies.

They are native to North and Central America. They are hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9.

Pumpkins are easy to grow from seed. Wait until the soil has warmed to 65 degrees in the spring and then form a mound of soil and plant 3 seeds in the top of it.

If all three seeds emerge, you can thin them to the strongest one or two seedlings. I place a small wire cage on top of the seedlings until they are several inches high to protect them from birds plucking them out.

Pumpkin vines need lots of space to sprawl and should be planted in full sun. Spread straw or other mulch around the mound as the vines expand to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.

They need consistent watering of 1-2 inches per week. Fertilize them weekly.

Avoid overhead watering which will wet leaves as humidity breeds mildew.

Another tip is to make sure your vine grows away from your pumpkin, so your pumpkin will not grow over the vine and snap off the stem.

When you see a pumpkin forming on the vine, put a piece of cardboard or thin board underneath it so it doesn’t sit in moist soil and rot. This also helps discourage mice and other creatures from chewing a hole and moving in.

If you are looking to grow a giant pumpkin, you need to source seeds for the Atlantic Giant variety. You then need to start with soil preparation in the fall, by preparing the soil with compost and testing the soil conditions to see if they need amending

Smaller varieties of pumpkins can be grown in containers and trained on a trellis. They do not require the heavy watering and feeding that the large pumpkins do.

To harvest a pumpkin, wait until it reaches its mature size and fully colors up and the stem starts to harden. Then cut the stem about 3 inches above the pumpkin. Then set the pumpkin in a sunny spot to cure for about 10 days before storing it in a root cellar or basement.

Pumpkins: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Ellen Isaacson

 

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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Cucumber Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/07/plant-profile-cucumbers.html

~ Collard Greens Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/12/collard-greens-plant-profile.html

~ Radish Plant Profile

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/04/plant-profile-radishes.html

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GardenDC Podcast Episode 212: Pumpkins and Squash

In this episode, we talk with food historian and author Dr. William Woys Weaver, about pumpkins and squash. The plant profile is on Closed Bottle Gentian and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Purring Among Petals from Christy Page of Green Prints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 152: Heritage Seeds

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-152-heritage.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 25: Heirloom Tomatoes

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-26-heirloom.html

This episode is archived at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Pumpkins-and-Squash-e2ovs66

SHOW NOTES: 01:10 - Welcome William Woys Weaver, internationally known food historian and author 01:32 - William talks about his childhood gardening experience 02:15 - William discusses his memories with his grandfather 03:08 - The reintroduction of the Fish Pepper 03:55 - The Roughwood Seed Collection 05:21 - William describes the geography/growing conditions of his area in PA 06:27 - Climate change is affecting gardening 07:04 - William goes over the basics of squash/pumpkins 08:56 - What are the best conditions for storing squash? 10:52 - Eating squash at their green stage 12:33 - William gives his thoughts on pruning squash vines 14:16 - Ideal conditions for growing squash, and advice for someone who’s never grown squash 18:17 - William and Kathy discuss hand-pollination 20:38 - William talks about squash needing a lot of water 21:21 - How can drought affect the flavor of squash? 23:23 - Squash seed saving techniques 26:38 - How can you prevent heirloom pumpkins and squash from crossing? 29:28 - William talks about the Boston Marrow Squash 31:30 - Pumpkin pie vs. Squash pie 32:15 - Long Island Cheese Pumpkin 33:34 - Delicata Squash 34:44 - Finger Squash 36:24 - Hubbard Squash 37:33 - Patty Pan Squash 40:17 - Squash as an art form/decoration 41:13 - William discusses the Cybling Squash 41:56 - Quaker Pie Pumpkin 42:20 - William shares some of the harder-to-grow squashes 43:54 - Are there any squashes you can grow in a shady garden without full sun? 45:17 - William discusses the Turban Squash 47:03 - Should you wipe down your squash with a light bleach solution for storage? 48:15 - Any final favorite squashes of William’s? 48:54 - Where to buy heirloom seeds from William? - https://www.seedways.org/ 49:43 - Final advice from William - Grow squash as an arrangement for your dinner table and look for the warty squash 52:08 - Closed Bottle Gentian Plant Profile 53:18 - What’s new in the garden this week? The toad lilies are starting to bloom 53: 37 - Garden tips of the week: Proper way to pick an apple and symptoms of aster yellows 54:16 - Ladies in the Landscape scholarship 54:55 - Upcoming local gardening events: Ujamaa Fall 2024 Workshop & Convening and 2024 Eco-Savvy Gardening Faire 56:31 - A story about Purring Among Petals 59:07 - Thank you for listening! Become a supporter

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Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit and Show Notes: Zachary Intrater

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Fenton Friday: Picking the Pumpkin

The big news this week is that the garden is getting a new deer fence. The old one was there for 11 years now and was really very patchy/saggy, so this was overdue. I've been trying not to look out and watch the workers installing the new one over the last few days as it is really quite distressing. They leave whole sections of fencing down overnight or on their breaks so that anyone can just stroll on in -- deer or human. There is not much to steal at this point, but I DID have my one big prize pumpkin still growing and I was so paranoid about it getting taken by someone or damaged by a marauding buck, so I went today and brought it home. It is still green on the bottom, but I think it will cure okay inside my sunroom. I tried to weight it, but I forgot I gave away my bathroom scale! It is very dense and heavy and comparing it to my cats, I'm guessing it is 15-20 pounds. Pictured above are my two 6-month old kittens, Kimba and Fancy, checking it out. I'm very pleased with the pumpkin considering we planted it so late in the season (mid-July!). The variety is is Rouge Vif d'Etampes, a French heirloom. I got the seeds from Renee's Garden.

For size-comparison, those white kitty litter jugs hold about 14 pounds.

It was a VERY rainy week thanks to Hurricane Ian's remnants here. I finally got over to the plot today and all the  cool-season seedlings put on good growth again this week -- that includes the Golden Chard, Kale, Broccoli, 'Round Black Spanish' Radish, Bauer' Lettuce, and 'Snak Hero' Snap Peas.

We are still picking a few handfuls a week from the Cucamelons (Melothria scabra), cherry tomatoes, okra, and peppers -- along with cutting small bouquets of the Dahlias, Zinnias, Celosia, Marigolds, and Tithonia. 

The Holy Basil is now splitting and resting on the ground so I will collect the seeds and yank it out soon.

I plan to pull the Tomatoes soon and sow a cover crop in that bed. Soon it will also be time to pull the Peppers and okra and plant the Garlic.

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Pumpkin Gone Wild

So I planted the pumpkin seeds late - very late, but I still have hopes for some decent pumpkins as several are forming in the vines now as well as dozens of additional flowers that may still be fertilized. And speaking of those fertile vines, they are taking over the entire plot! Everyday I go over and bend them back from off the pathways and back into the beds. It is insane how crazy fast they grow -- several feet a day!

Elsewhere in the plot, I'm still picking lots of cherry tomatoes, peppers, okra, and flowers. The blackberry has a few branches with more fruits forming and the basil is looking a bit tired, but is still growing.

We are prepping to start several cool season edible plants next week, so I need to decide what to pull out now to make room for them.

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

DIY: Pumpkin Succulent Arrangement

 

I love Halloween! Sometimes though, I don't feel like going to all the trouble and mess of cleaning out and carving a pumpkin. This year, I thought I'd try creating a succulent-topped pumpkin. You can use this for fall displays both indoors and out and keep it through Thanksgiving for a table centerpiece. 

Note that the project is easy, but I would not recommend it for small children as the hot glue gun can cause minor burns.

Level: easy   Cost: inexpensive   Use: gardening/holiday decor 

Materials:

- pumpkin

- succulent plants

- Spanish moss or reindeer moss

- hot glue gun and extra glue sticks

Step 1: Gather your supplies and plug in your hot glue gun. Make sure your pumpkin is clean and dry.

Step 2: Break/cut the stem off the top of the pumpkin and then drizzle a circle of hot glue around the stem area. Working quickly, press the moss down on the hot glue. Be careful not to directly touch the glue yourself.

Step 3: Trim branches off the succulent plants and strip the lower leaves off. Starting with the larger succulents first, then work to fill in around them. Place them around the moss area first before gluing them in to see the effect. Re-arrange as desired. 

Step 4: Finally, glue down each succulent into the moss layer. You can then evaluate and fill in any bare spots you might see. Be sure to step back occasionally to look at the arrangement from above and all angles for balance and even distribution.

You can also watch a quick video how-to of this project on TikTok.

Tips and Care:

• The trimmed-off lower leaves from the succulent plants can be use to propagate more plants by laying them on top of slightly-moistened soil in a small spot placed in a sunny window.
• After you are done displaying the pumpkin, you can carefully peal off the succulent cuttings and stick them in soil. Not all will successfully root, but many should.
• The pumpkin can be broken down afterwards for its seeds and flesh for making pies, puree, etc. or you can just compost it.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

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DIY: Decorated Pumpkins 3 Ways

Decorating just the surface of your pumpkins, rather than carving them, allows them to be left intact for eating later. 

These three methods also use more delicate designs in various botanical themes than most home crafters could accomplish with carving kits.

Here are three quick and easy ways to decorate your pumpkins this season.

Materials:

• pumpkins (grow your own or buy them from a farmer's market)
• brushes
• sealer
• flexible stencils
• acrylic paint
• chalkboard paint and chalk
• rub-on sheets of botanical art

Steps:

Cover your work surface with newspapers and gather your materials.

Method 1: Lay the stencil on your pumpkin and dab gently inside the stencil with black paint using a foam brush. Go slowly and carefully. Pick up the stencil and wipe off any excess paint outside your design with a damp paper towel.

Method 2: Cut out the designs you like from the stencil sheets and lay them on the pumpkin. Use a popsicle stick to rub the design on to the surface. It can take a while to get all the edges and fine details adhered. Carefully lift off. Continue all around the pumpkin as desired.

Method 3: Use painter's tape to mask off a square or rectangle area on your pumpkin. Paint inside the area with chalkboard paint and let dry. Then do a second coat. Wait until that coat is full dry, then write a message in chalk.


Tip: Don't carry your pumpkin by the stem as it can snap off. Carry it from the bottom.

Optional: Paint on a coat of sealer before your designs and then after they are dry so another coat of sealer. This will help your designs last, especially the chalkboard paint, which is a very fragile layer on the pumpkin's surface.






This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.