Pumpkin is a vegetable that is harvested in the fall. From that season you will have at your disposal the freshest to use as an ingredient for any dish or to carve on Halloween until you get a kind of “grotesque mask”.
Whatever the use you are going to give it, this orange colored vegetable rich in vitamins, fiber, potassium, iron and magnesium is easy to obtain. If you do not want to buy the ones that are on sale in the supermarket, you can grow yours in your own urban garden and obtain a quality product, adjusted to your needs.
Doing so is extremely simple, but to be successful during the process, we invite you to follow a series of recommendations. Afterward, you will see your own harvest flourish, you will be proud of the work you have done and happy to offer your family naturally home grown pumpkins .
What should you know to grow pumpkins in your urban garden?
Because we know that you have thought about growing your own pumpkins at home, here we tell you what you should pay attention to to achieve the best of results.
1. Attentive to the sowing and harvest seasons
For the pumpkins to be ready to harvest between September and October, you must start growing during the spring which are the months of March and April. The sowing of this vegetable will take approximately six months, so it should be ready before the cold season. Otherwise, you may not even have the results you expect.
2. Seeds
You can get the seeds in different ways. One of them is to buy them in specialized stores, because that way they will be ready to be used in your home garden. But you can also use those of another ripe pumpkin that you have at home. If you choose this procedure, you will need to wash and dry the seeds before sowing.
A safe alternative for effective sowing is the use of seedbeds to ensure that the seed germinates and develops without complications. This method can take up to 8 weeks.
3. Soil and site conditions
Both elements are of important consideration for an effective harvest. The place should be quite spacious, remembering that the pumpkin can get a large size. The chosen place must have adequate exposure to the sun, since this type of plant requires solar contact for at least 10 hours a day.
The soil of the home garden must be aerated and have the necessary filtration elements for this type of planting. For the process to be carried out without problems, it is best to rake and fertilize the land prior to sowing.
4. Watering process and other care
Pumpkins are vegetables that require a lot of water during planting, so irrigation must be constant. Although keeping the plant hydrated is important, you have to be careful with waterlogging. And that is why it is essential that the soil has the best possible filtration system.
It is also important that the garden has an effective trellis and tutored system. The intention is that the pumpkin plant can be developed according to the particular needs, with the intention of offering a quality vegetable.
By applying each of these procedures you will have as a result those pumpkins that you need for the preparation of creams, soups or sweets, which guarantee properties to the body such as sweet potato puree .