Pumpkin: planting, caring for and harvesting

Hokkaido, butternut and co - pumpkins are currently very popular in beds and kitchens. Planting pumpkins will be easy with these tips.

The cultivation of pumpkins (Cucurbita) is becoming more and more popular in Germany. The exotic vegetables can be bought in all colors and shapes, especially in autumn. The pumpkin originally comes from America and is one of the most diverse vegetables ever. In addition to their large fruits, the sprawling pumpkin plants are also valued for their striking yellow flowers and pumpkin seeds. Even in our latitudes, planting pumpkins is child's play with the right measures.

Plant Pumpkin

Despite its exotic origin, pumpkin cultivation is usually successful here and high yields can be expected. To ensure that everything runs optimally, a few tips should be observed:

The ideal location

The pumpkin is a plant that requires a lot of space. Depending on the type and variety, the pumpkin plant spreads 1.5 to 2 square meters across the bed. Many varieties also tend to climb, such as the popular Hokkaido pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). A pumpkin trellis can be helpful for smaller pumpkin varieties. When planting, for example, a place close to the garden fence where the pumpkin plant can climb is suitable. Larger pumpkins should tend to stay on the ground due to their weight.

Gourds are extremely thermophilic plants. The location for the plant should therefore be sunny and sheltered from the wind. It is also important that the soil warms up early. Light to medium-heavy soils such as sandy loam with good water retention and a high humus content are therefore suitable. Acidic soil does not provide good conditions for growth; the pH should be at least 6. When choosing the location, it is particularly important to consider the crop rotation: pumpkins should never be planted directly after other pumpkin plants (Cucurbitaceae) in the same place. In addition to the pumpkin, the cucurbits also include zucchini, cucumber and even the melon. Potatoes, legumes (legumes) and cabbage are good pre-crops.

These tips should be considered when choosing the location:

• Lots of space (1.5-2 m²), best opportunity for climbing
• Sunny and wind-protected location
• Light to medium soil (e.g. sandy loam/ loamy sand)
• High humus content and water retention capacity
• Non-acid soil (pH> 6)
• No cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) as preceding crops, instead potatoes, legumes or cabbage

If these tips are followed, squash growing is quite easy and you can actually watch the large-leaved plant grow.

Tip: Did you know that squash can be grown well in a mixed culture with corn and beans. You can find out how to create such a Milpa bed in our special article.

Pumpkin Varieties: A Huge Variety

The variations of pumpkins are remarkable - meanwhile over 800 types of pumpkins are known in the most different forms, colors and tastes. However, the species cultivated in Europe are mostly limited to three species: the giant pumpkins (Curcurbita maxima), which also includes the popular Hokkaido pumpkin, musk pumpkins (Curcurbita moschata ), which also includes the Butternut and Muscat de Provence varieties, and the garden squash (Cucurbita pepo). You can find a huge selection of pumpkins in our overview of pumpkin varieties.

The following overview gives a small overview of the most popular varieties:

• Uchiki Kuri: Hokkaido-type variety with small onion-shaped fruits; smooth, bright orange skin; the orange-red flesh tastes deliciously of chestnuts.
• Tiana: variety of butternut squash with a pear shape and light yellow hue; firm and tasty pulp; resistant to powdery mildew; definitely worth growing!
• Muscat de Provence: particularly aromatic squash; has flat-round, deeply ribbed fruits with a light orange/brownish skin; the firm flesh is bright orange in color and very tasty; The variety is also characterized by its long shelf life.
• Vegetable Spaghetti: oblong-oval fruits with pale orange color and light flesh; Italian variety.
• Atlantic Giant: giant squash; can achieve record weights (the breeder Dill won several records with this variety, e.g. European record in 2009 with approx. 650 kilos); yellow flesh of the light orange fruits is very tasty; good toSuitable for canning.

Plant Pumpkin

Pumpkin plants are relatively uncomplicated companions - they are nevertheless sensitive to low temperatures due to their warm origin. There are two methods of planting when growing pumpkins:

Direct sowing: When sowing directly, the pumpkin seeds or seeds are only sown from mid-May after the last frosts of the ice saints are over. Otherwise, below 5 °C it becomes dangerous for the small plants. Temperatures above 14 °C are required for germination. The sowing depth is 2 to 4 cm. Sow at a distance of 0.5 to 1.5 m and a row spacing of 1.5 m.

Preculture: A sensible alternative is preculture in pots. There you can already sow in April and then plant the young plants in the bed from mid-May. When growing in a pot, one seed per pot should be planted 2 to 4 cm deep. The ideal germination temperature is between 20 and 24 °C. As soon as the first one or two leaves (not the cotyledons) have formed and the ice saints are over, the seedlings are planted in the bed with the same spacing as with no-till.

Whether you prefer direct sowing or a preculture should depend on the location. In cooler areas, indoor cultivation is definitely worthwhile! In addition, an earlier harvest can be expected with this method. It is also worth covering the young pumpkin plants with fleece at the beginning to protect them from late frosts. This protection should only be covered in good time before the flowers develop, so that pollination can take place.

Care for pumpkin plants

Overall, caring for the pumpkin is not very time-consuming. Nevertheless, a few notes should be observed:

Watering the pumpkin correctly

It is important that the pumpkin plants are watered regularly. This is particularly important when it comes to fruiting, otherwise the harvest will be smaller. When watering, the following applies: Always pour directly onto the ground and not over the leaves - otherwise there is a risk of rot. This can also occur with fruits that are lying directly on the ground. It is advisable to put something underneath, such as a board.

Fertilize the pumpkin properly

Since pumpkins are heavy feeders, regular fertilization makes sense. Before sowing or planting the young plants, the soil should be treated with a primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizerto get prepared. The fertilizer is then applied again during the growing season.

The pumpkin plant grows quickly and its leaves are very large, so weeds don't have it easy. But before the sprawling plants almost completely cover the ground, the young plants still have to compete with weeds. Weeds should therefore be removed regularly, especially in the beginning, so that the plant has enough light, nutrients and water to grow.

Cut and slice pumpkin

A popular method of caring for pumpkin plants is pinching, i.e. removing new shoots. When growing pumpkins, the more fruits grow, the smaller they become. It can therefore be worthwhile not letting all the fruit grow so that the rest get enough energy and nutrients. It is advisable to max out for the first time in June. To do this, shoots with more than 3 to 5 leaves above the second leaf are shortened. Pruning can be repeated again in July, but then above the fifth leaf. After all female flowers have been pollinated (these can be recognized by the fruit setting), the male flowers should be removed. This also gives the plant more energy for fruit formation.

The following tips should be observed during care:

• Water regularly
• Do not water the plant when watering to avoid rot
• Incorporate compost into the soil before planting out
• Fertilize once a week during the growth phase with a complete fertilizer rich in nitrogen (directly into the irrigation water)
• Remove weeds regularly (especially young plants)
• Pulling out shoots for larger fruits

Diseases and pests in pumpkins

The weather usually has the greatest influence on the pumpkin yield. Heavy damage is caused by hail, for example. Nevertheless, diseases and pests can also make it difficult to grow pumpkins in your own garden. A particularly unpopular guest in the bed is the slug, which, in addition to other types of vegetables, also likes to attack pumpkin plants. They can be a problem, especially in wet springs. Collecting the small animals helps, but unfortunately the pests mostly come out at night to eat. However, you can protect yourself by spreading coffee grounds between the plants, as the snails avoid the powder.

Another danger for pumpkin plants comes from fungal infections. On the one hand, powdery mildew can be a problem, which can be recognized by a mealy-white coating on the leaf surface. Infection with the sac fungus Didymella bryoniae can also occur at very hot temperatures. The fungus causes the so-called stalk smut, which is noticeable by brown leaf spots, necrosis and rubbery stalks. To prevent infection from the two types of fungi in the first place, these tips should be observed:

• Avoid injuring the plant at all costs
• Do not wet the leaves when watering
• Do not overdose on nitrogen fertilizer
• Don't keep stocks too dense

There is no such thing as 100% protection against the pests and diseases mentioned. In the case of a fungal infestation, affected plants can be sprayed with a mixture of baking soda, vegetable oil and curd soap. In an advanced stage, especially in the case of stem burns, the plant should be completely removed from the bed so that it does not spread further. If these instructions are observed, the risk can be reduced and you can look forward to a decent pumpkin harvest.

Harvesting and storing pumpkins

When summer comes to an end, it's time to harvest pumpkins. This means that the he althy vegetables can be used in time for Halloween and the cold season.

Harvest pumpkins correctly

Depending on the variety, the pumpkins start ripening in mid-August at the earliest. However, most varieties are harvested between September and October. Harvesting before the first night frosts is recommended. You can tell whether the pumpkin is ready for harvest by the following characteristics:

• Intense fruit coloring (easily recognizable in orange-red varieties such as the Hokkaido)
• Woody and dry stem
• Leaf Dieback
• It is not possible to scratch the shell with a fingernail
• Hollow sound when tapping the fruit (does not apply to all varieties!)

The best time to harvest is in dry weather. In this case, the pumpkins can dry outside for 2 to 3 days. To harvest the pumpkin, the fruit is cut off the stalk with a sharp knife. But beware: the stalk must remain on the pumpkin!It is therefore more difficult for pathogens to penetrate the fruit and the pumpkin has a longer shelf life. In general, it is important to be very careful when harvesting the pumpkin, because damage to the fruit can lead to rot.

Storage Pumpkin

In general, home-grown pumpkins can be kept for a relatively long time if stored correctly. First, after harvesting, pumpkins should ripen for about 3 weeks at 20 °C in a bright and dry place. It is important that the pumpkin lies on a dry surface such as wood or cardboard and is turned regularly. Post-ripening improves the pumpkin flavor and increases the germinability of the pumpkin seeds, which can be reused next year.

The pumpkins can then be stored for up to 6 months, depending on the type and storage. A dry and dark place is ideal for this. The temperature should ideally be between 12 and 15 °C. Temperatures below these values can lead to rot during storage, temperatures above can negatively affect the taste. If these tips are followed, the pumpkin will allow you to enjoy the cold winter months.

You haven't had enough of pumpkins yet? Then here are our top tips for the perfect pumpkin.