News Article for July 7, 2008:
The 4th of July watermelons that you enjoyed took a lot of planning on some farmer’s part to have them ready in time for your celebration. The same is true for having pumpkins ready in time for Halloween.
Now is the time to begin the planting process if you want to have the pumpkins ready for the end of October. Pumpkins require approximately 90 – 100 days from planting to harvest, depending on the variety.
I would start by making up my rows with 3-5 pounds of 8-24-24 pounds of fertilizer per 100 feet of row. Pumpkin vines need some room to grow so leave about 6-8 feet between rows. Within the row plant 5-6 seeds per hill and make your hills 5 feet apart.
Sidedress the pumpkins with 1 pound of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row when the vines begin to run.
There are a lot of different varieties from which to choose. You only need to decide how big your pumpkin needs to be. If you want a giant pumpkin then plant Big Moon, Full Moon, Atlantic Giant or Prize Winner. Thin the fruit to one per plant to obtain maximum size.
Large pumpkins (10-30 lbs) that are great for Halloween carving include Howden, Biggie, Big Autumn and Connecticut Field.
Medium sized pumpkin (5-10 lbs) include Autumn Gold, Spirit, Lumina, Howdy Doody, Small Sugar, Oz, and Gold Bullion.
There are several varieties that are semi bush, which means their vines are not as long and less space is required to grow them. They may be more appropriate for the backyard. Those varieties include Frosty, Big Autumn, Aspen, Magic Lantern and Neon.
There are also ornamental pumpkins that are used for decorations such as Baby Boo, Jack-Be-Little, Munchkin, Baby Bear and Lil Ironsides. These are also edible.
Cushaw is a non-traditional pumpkin that is green and white striped and more gourd shaped. They make excellent pies.
Pumpkins are in the cucurbit family, just like cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe and watermelons. One characteristic of this family is monecious flowers. This means that they have both male and female blooms and bees are needed to carry the pollen over for fertilization. Apply any needed insecticides late in the evening after the bees have left the field.
Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the color has fully developed and the rind is hard to penetrate with your thumbnail. The vines will also begin to yellow.
For more information on these or related topics contact Kenny at 686-3020.