Growing Perfect Pumpkins

You can have a wonderful time learning how to grow, and care for, pumpkins. They are great fun, especially for kids. They just look neat, to begin with. They make great fall decorations, and treats, also! Growing big pumpkins is basically a matter of starting with the right seeds and providing lots of space, water, and food for the vines—the general principles behind growing any vegetable with success.

Start the Seeds

Pumpkins require a long growing season (115 days or more) and their seeds need warm soil (75–85 degrees Fahrenheit) to germinate, so it’s best to start their seeds indoors. Plant them about two or three weeks before your last expected frost. A pressed fiber or peat pot (preferably four inches in diameter) can be planted into the garden, pot and all, to avoid damage to the delicate roots. Fill the pots with a damp, sterile potting mix to within an inch of the rim, and gently firm it in. Place two seeds, pointed ends down, in each container and cover them with an inch of mix. Set the pots in a warm spot, such as on top of the refrigerator or near a stove. Check the pots daily and water when the mix is dry to the touch. (Hint: Soil Moist) As soon as the seeds sprout—usually in five days or so—place the pots on a bright windowsill, in a greenhouse, or under fluorescent light fixtures. When the first true leaves appear, thin to one plant per pot by cutting off the weaker seedling with scissors.

Prepare the Soil

While the seedlings are growing indoors, prepare the pumpkin patch. Start by choosing a sunny location, protected from strong winds. For really huge pumpkins, the vines need plenty of space; allow at least 20 feet between plants. Next, amend the soil with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost. If possible, cover the entire patch with a three-inch layer of well-rotted manure or compost, plus a sprinkling of fertilizer, such as an organic mix of blood meal, bone meal, and kelp. If you don’t have that much manure or compost on hand, concentrate what you do have into six-foot circles or hills for each plant. Till or dig the amendments into the soil.

Water. Water. Water Some More

80 to 90% of every pumpkin is water. Water is essential for nourishmening the entire plant. A major factor is the kind of soil in the patch. Sandy soil needs more water than soil with high deposits of clay. In either case, the rule of thumb is: turn off the water when puddles appear; and wait till the soil is dry on top before watering again. It is best to water the plant at the roots rather than sprinkling from above. Drip systems and soaker hoses are efficient, reasonably priced, and easy to install.

Pruning

Pumpkin vines withstand pruning quite well. Properly done, it strengthens the plant and helps it thrive. The vines are prickly, so cover your hands, arms, and legs, when pruning. Pruning focuses the energy of the plant and yields larger but, of course, fewer pumpkins. Don't be worried, if you notice that some of the pumpkins suddenly turn yellow, and drop off the vine. This is perfectly natural. It can happen for several reasons. To encourage a round shape, make sure that the pumpkin is sitting perfectly flat on the ground. Be careful not to handle them too much, though.

Have a little fun, with your pumpkin patch! When all the fuzz is gone from the pumpkin, usually around 3-4 weeks old, you can let the kids have some fun. You can scar the pumpkin, as it grows. Your imagination is the limit. Any blunt tool will work. It will run, or ooze, for the first day. After that, the design will become more noticeable, and will grow with the pumpkin.

Harvesting

Somewhere between deep yellow and fiery red, depending on the variety, you can pick your pumpkins. You will notice that the vines, and leaves are starting to look tattered, and worn. When harvesting, leave a few inches of stem. This preserves the freshness. Let them sit in the sun for about ten days. After that, you can store them in the cellar, or any cool dry place. Some people may be able to keep them until spring.

Now, the Fun Part

You can make all sorts of cakes, breads, and pies with pumpkins. If you look through your grocery store, in the produce section, sometimes you will find some good recipes. Possibly the easiest of these is roasted pumpkin seeds.

Here's How:

1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons butter, melted

1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally. Enjoy!

Please share your gardening suggestions, and pumpkin recipes here!

Organic Fertilizer

There is a lot to learn about organic fertilizing. It can be very intimidating for someone who is new to the idea. Most occasional gardeners probably visit their local hardware store, and and come back with whatever they see on the end of the row. If you dig into the subject a little deeper, you will find that there are some very good reasons to look a little further. You may even have to visit a specialty garden center, but the results will be unparallelled.

Here's a good example. This is Don Young, from Ohio. He came in second, for the world record, in pumpkin growing, with a 1,662 pound pumpkin. He uses Neptune's Harvest, OMRI approved, organic fertilizers. There are three varieties: Hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer, Organic Seaweed Fertilizer, and Fish and Seaweed Blend.

You may wonder how to tell what is organic, and what is not. You may also ask yourself why you should be concerned with organic fertilizing. Well, there are lots of good reasons, but we will try to keep it simple, here. Do a little researching, an you will find a wealth of knowledge, on the subject. Many gardeners post their finding, on blogs, like this one, for others to see. There is a lot to learn. Organic fertilizer is made of organic matter, such as kelp, cotton, bone, or manure. Chemical fertilizers are mostly derived from things like petroleum, or some other non-renewable resources. Continued application of chemicals have reduced much of the biological life that contributes to the efficient use of many plant nutrients.

Neptune's Harvest Fish Hydrolysate is made from made from fresh North Atlantic fish, in a cold process that protects the vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and growth hormones. Because no oils or proteins are removed, the nutrients remain in the soil longer. It rebuilds soil and gives excellent plant growth with increased yields. You can see the results of this, in the pictures. Neptune's Harvest Seaweed Plant Food contains over 60 nutrients and amino acids. This gives your plants a color booster, and also allows them to be more resistant to early frost, extreme heat, and dry conditions. Use it when germinating to accelerate development of a healthy root system. It is a great addition to any fertilizer program.

Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend Fertilizer blends

both products into one. Fish and Seaweed are known to build the natural sugar in plants. Flowers and foliage will be stronger and more colorful. Blooms will be more plentiful, fragrant and longer lasting.

Neptune's Harvest is very meticulously filtered, so that you will be able to apply it with a sprayer, with ease. Hopefully this will spark your interest, in organic gardening, and inspire you. It is a great way to make contribution to our environment. If you are a member of a garden club, it is a great topic of discussion. Share your ideas with us!

Protect Your Foilage This Fall

Well, it is that time of year, again. The Fall is here. Winter is on its way, and food will soon be getting scarce, in the forest. That means that the deer, rabbits, and other creatures will be emerging, in search of food. The trees and shrubs that you have worked so hard to grow will be tempting the tastebuds of the woodland creatures. It is hard to protect your foliage, when animals are hungry.

The best way to protect your yard is to use more than one method, at the same time. You may opt for a scent and taste repellent, together.

For example, Tree Guard is a very effective taste repellent. It contains Bitrex. If you are unfamiliar with Bitrex, you may be interested to know that it was developed in the 1950s, and is commonly found in an array of household cleaners, and other items, to discourage children, or pets, from ingesting poisonous contents. It is not dangerous at all, in itself. It is just extremely bitter, and it is hard to get rid of. For use in the garden, you will find that you are training target animals to find another grazing area. Tree Guard is not the least expensive taste repeller, but it is likely the most effective. In addition, you will not find yourself reapplying every other week. It will continue to be effective for the entire season. There is onw drawback; You cannot use it on vegetables, or fruit. It will effect the taste.

If you use a scent repeller in conjunction, you may want to try a urine product. It is a non-toxic method, that tells the target animal that a very dangerous predator is in the area. This is effective because animals are born with an instinctive fear of their predators. It is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years. Urine products are easy to use. Just place 30-day dispensers or scent darts every ten to twelve feet around a perimeter. (All urines are collected naturally from domesticallyraised animals on farms that are controlled by appropriate state and federal agencies.)

Now you are all set, to greet the Fall. Put up your corn patch family. Harvest the pumpkins. Get ready for the festivities to come, and put your foliage in the back of your mind!

We love to hear from YOU!! Share your animal tips, stories, or Fall decorating ideas!