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| The perfect pumpkin takes time, planning and managing to grow in your garden. |
Pumpkins have become the Christmas trees of fall festivals, the
Easter bunnies of Halloween. From jack-o’-lanterns to the formal
centerpiece, pumpkins are a focal point of autumn.
But if you want the perfect pumpkin come October, start planning
now. Oh, sure, you could just drive to your local retailer next
fall. But that would take the challenge out of it.
To grow your own Great Pumpkin, first choose the variety you
want, so you can go ahead and order your seed.
All Sizes, Three Vine Types
Pumpkins come in all sizes, ranging from a few ounces to well
over 100 pounds. The world record tops 1,000 pounds.
They also come in three basic vine types: bush, semibush (or
semivine) and vining. If your space is limited, you may want a
bush or semibush type. However, most of these types don’t grow
really large pumpkins.
If you want the blue ribbon at the county fair or a pumpkin you
can carve a small playhouse out of, you’ll probably want to grow
a “Prizewinner” or “Dill’s Atlantic Giant.”
If you’re looking for a large jack-o’-lantern type, try “Harvest
Jack,” “Pro Gold 500,” “Jumpin’ Jack” or “Autumn King.” Good
semivine types in this size are “Appalachian,” “Magic Lantern”
and “Aspen.”
Little Jack-o’-Lanterns
Some of the smaller jack-o’-lantern types also come on semibush
vines. “Wizard” is an excellent choice. Vining types in this size
are “Gold Fever,” “Gold Standard” and “Pro Gold 300.”
If you want something different, try “Lumina,” a white pumpkin.
For the little guys, “Munchkin,” “Jack-be-Little,” “Li’l October”
and “Li’l Goblin” fill the bill.
Now find a site that’s well-drained and gets plenty of sunlight.
The best place is nearby and close to water, with plenty of room.
If you want to incorporate soil amendments such as manure or
composted leaves, work them into the soil when you till it.
Prepare the Soil
Turn the soil first, then till it deep. Incorporate about 1 pound
of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet during your final tilling and
form a well-tilled, smooth seedbed.
The soil pH should be between 6.2 and 6.6. Incorporate lime a few
weeks before planting to adjust soil pH. If you start with low-pH
soil, you’ll be disappointed.
The plant spacing will depend on your vine type. As a rule of
thumb, plant rows of pumpkins 8 to 12 feet apart. With vining
types, plant the hills about 4 feet apart. Space hills at 32
inches for semivine types and 2 feet for bush types.
Schedule Your Planting
Plant so your harvest will begin by mid-October. Southern-grown
pumpkins don’t store well, so planting them early is no real
advantage.
Pumpkin varieties will be ready for harvest in 85 to 120 days.
The hot Georgia climate makes them mature about 10 days faster
than the number on the package. Decide when you want to harvest
and count backward to find the planting time. You may want to
plant a few days earlier than that, just to be safe.
Once they’re in the ground, managing pumpkins is critical. Keep
the area well-watered, but not really wet. After about three
weeks, apply another pound of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet by
scattering around the plants (not right on them). Apply another
pound just before the vines start to run.
Watch for Pests, Diseases
Watch for pests and diseases, and apply appropriate insecticides
or fungicides if they show up. But don’t hurt the bees. Pumpkins
need them for pollination. Keeping the vines dry helps. Water
only when the vines have time to dry before dark.
Unfortunately, a couple of evils can strike that we can’t do a
lot about in the garden. Viruses that affect pumpkins and a
condition called silver leaf are hard to control, especially in
south Georgia.
If one of these hits you, there’s always the local produce
stand.
