Pumpkin Growing Tips for next Halloween
You can sow pumpkin seeds indoors from April onwards, so have your seed trays or containers ready when the springtime arrives; you can also grow one or two pumpkins in a grow bag, or one each in larger outdoor containers. Alternatively, if space is limited, pumpkins can be trained onto supports, or twined around wire obelisks or metal loops.
The seeds need warmer weather, so you won't want to plant them outside until at least May, and those that have been started off indoors should be acclimatised to the outdoor conditions, ideally with a week or two in a cold frame, or in a sheltered outside spot.
Your business should take a couple of weeks to prepare planting pockets in your soil too, by digging out a spade-sized hole and filling it with good compost or manure mixed into normal soil, and fertilising the surface of the soil too. Plant only one pumpkin seed or germinated plant in each pocket, which should be sheltered from wind but in strong sunlight, and in soil that retains moisture well - you can enhance this by planting an empty pot alongside each pumpkin, and watering them through this to feed the roots without rotting the fruit. Pumpkins are very deep rooted, so you should only need to water them when the weather is exceptionally dry.
Every ten days to two weeks, add liquid fertiliser once the fruit starts to appear, and make sure you support the pumpkins using a piece of tile so the flesh is not left in contact with wet soil to rot.
Pumpkin growing can be rewarding and fun and especially so when families visit your business to choose ones ready for their Halloween festivities.
For more information on any of the supplies needed to assist you when growing your pumpkins, do not hesitate to visit our website www.jfhhorticultural.com or contact our team on 01270 212726.