Plant pumpkin yourself - breed with pumpkin seed

Together with my neighbor, I went under the pumpkin farmers. Every week in the winter we put a butternut cheese casserole in the oven every week and kept looking for shops and market stalls selling pumpkin butternut? offered, the idea was obvious: we try in the pumpkin cultivation.

After drying, start sowing

After slicing the pumpkin, you separate the seed from the pulp and let it dry for about two days. Now it is already planting. You can take small bowls that you fill with a few centimeters of earth. It does not have to be a lot of earth. It is important that you add some sand. Now you put the seed about two inches deep, with the sharper side ahead. Give your seedlings a warm and bright place, for example at the windowsill. Within a week you will see that the first scion has made its way. Of course, you can also put the seed directly outside in your bed. I have learned that the birds were very interested in it, so I prefer to grow the pumpkin at home and later only have to take care of the snails.

Find the right location for the pumpkin bed

After the ice saints, in the middle of May, it is time to replant the seedlings. This requires some preparation, as with every move. Pumpkins need space, lots of space! Depending on the variety, one can reach up to ten meters in length alone. Your pumpkin patch should get a lot of light, so that the fruits are pretty big.


Pumpkins on the compost are more than just decoration

Pumpkins like a lush nutrient intake. That's why some plant it directly on the compost. I always thought that this was a fun or a kind of decoration. If you are unsure of your soil for sufficient nutrients you can fertilize it with manure or even compost, maybe you also prefer blue grain or liquid fertilizer. We decided to mulch and lay grass clippings and shredded plant parts on the ground. So the soil does not dry out so quickly and we hope that the weeds do not come up at every nook and cranny.

Bring the pumpkin seedlings into the open air

The time has come, all the preparations for the pumpkin rearing have been completed and you bring your pumpkin seedlings into the open air. To help them with the temperature difference and the change from inside to outside, you pour the roots. Now you plant the seedlings at a distance of at least one meter. Probably the snails will find their way quickly. We use snail grain. But for dealing with slugs you will find enough tips here or you have your own method.

Care of the cucurbitaceae

The earth should always be moist. We already noticed that with our seedlings. As soon as it got too dry they reacted. And that went pretty fast! If you see the first fruits you can cut off the other flowers. The power should go fully concentrated in two or three pumpkins per plant. If your pumpkins have developed, you can put something under them, so that they do not rot on the ground. You do not need to worry about mildew in late summer. It's normal and does not matter to the pumpkin.

In autumn, the pumpkin is harvested

In September or October the time has come: to harvest. If your pumpkin is ripe you will notice when you knock on it: If it sounds hollow, you have reached your goal. If you are not sure, take a look at the stalk. If it is hard and dry, you can go over to the harvest. When cutting off the stem should stay tuned. You can store the pumpkins for about three months at 10 to 12 degrees Celsius.

Thinking about the future

Should you already be thinking about the seeds of your pumpkins in the coming season? Brand self-made? take care that no ornamental gourds grow in the neighborhood. As the fertilization is done over bees, crosses can be made from ornamental gourds. Experts recommend in case of doubt the taste test before cooking by an adult: If the pumpkin meat tastes bitter, spits it out immediately and discards the pumpkin. The bitterness comes from the cucurbitacin, a herbal bitter that causes vomiting and diarrhea and is considered toxic in large quantities.

All About Growing Pumpkins in Minecraft, Part 2 | March 2024