Giant Vegetable

Start seeds indoors in small pots. Make sure the pointed end of the seed is face down with only one seed planted in each pot.

Place in a warm sunny spot.

You will need to move the seeds outside either when the leaves appear or when the roots begin to grow through the peat pots (normally 7 to 10 days).

The soil needs to be of good quality, use lots of manure, the Ph needs to be between 6.5 – 6.8. Add sulfur to lower the Ph and lime to raise it.

Tip: As a general rule the area should be well-drained, spacious and sunny but in a wind-protected area 💧

Two months after planting your seed you should see female flowers beginning to appear.

The females will have a tiny pumpkin at their base.

Choose a male flower (one without the tiny pumpkin), pick it and remove the flower petals from the outside of it. Use the male to gently swab the female to begin the process.

Interested in teaching your Students about Pollination? Watch Pollination for Kids by Ranger Zak 👨‍🌾

It will take 70 to 90 days before any fruit appears. You could get several pumpkins on one bush. It is recommended that 1 to 3 fruits be left on any one bush and only 1 fruit on any main vine. The more fruit on a vine the more competition there is for food. With only one fruit the idea is that the plant will concentrate all its efforts on feeding this one fruit. Pick the best-shaped Pumpkins and remove the rest.

Tip: Pumpkins that are tall and round tend to grow the best ☀

Prune each vine when they grow to around 10 – 12 feet.

To prevent water loss, bury the ends of the cut vines.

TIP: Wait to cut the main vines until the fruit has developed enough to determine which fruit is the healthiest looking on the vine, then prune the vine to remove weaker pumpkins. Continue to cut the main vine as it grows to allow the plant to put all of its energy into the remaining fruit instead of vine growth 🍃

A 20-20-20 balanced fertilizer formula is ideal for your pumpkins to maintain healthy growth.

Never over-fertilize as pumpkins have and will explode from too-rapid growth. 

Tip: Add cut-up cucumber skins or mushrooms to the soil around your compost for extra phosphorous. Add a cut-up banana peels or melon rinds (honeydew, watermelon, or cantaloupe) for extra potassium. Take a look at Gardening Know How’s Fertilizer for more tips and tricks 🔬

It takes 70 to 90 days before any fruit will appear on the vine and a further 60 days before the fruit is matured. A pumpkin is mature when the skin hardens and falls off, sometimes the colour fades.

A giant pumpkin will only last for about 2 months once it is cut from the vine.

Tip: try not to cut the pumpkin from the vine until it’s near competition time.