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0:48 Growth & Pollination
4:37 KEY Watering Tip
5:24 Bushing Variety
6:58 Powdery Mildew
8:31 Topping
9:17 Recap
9:41 Growing on a Trellis
We kick things off by checking out some in-ground plants. As you can see right off the bat, some varieties like the sprawl. Vining varieties can take up a lot of space, but you never want to overlook the center of your plant. This plant is on drip irrigation, and there is a plastic landscape edging piece to help retain moisture.
The pumpkin male and female flowers both grow on the vines. You want to recognize your flower types. Female flowers have a fruit growing behind them, and males tend to be longer and have stamen. The pollination process should happen naturally, but you can always do it manually if you are struggling with your fruits not maturing. This applies to all squash plants too!
Even though this is a large plant, you could grow it in a container or raised bed. The roots need space, but the vines can spill out and stretch since they don't take root.
Like many summer crops (especially other types of squash), pumpkins are prone to mildew. To help keep that at bay, you NEVER want to overhead water your plants. Wet leaves will foster powdery or Downy mildew and eventually harm the plant.
Just a few feet over, we have another pumpkin plant. It's much more compact and has several fruits close to the main stalk. This bush variety looks a lot different than the vining kind. It can still take up a fair amount of space, but it definitely has a smaller footprint.
If you want to keep powdery mildew at bay, do what they have done! Once a week, they have been taking preventative measures like spraying with a milk & water solution as well as pruning off old or sickly leaves. Here in San Diego, it's just a matter of time, though. Pruning helps the mildew from spreading, and you should want to throw those leaves away in the trash (NOT in your compost bin).
On the vining plants, you can also prune them at the end of the vine in a similar way you might top peppers or tomatoes. That will stop the plant's growth and send energy back into the fruits. That's how you can end up at the local county fair with a big ol' pumpkin in tow.
As a recap:
-Grow in full sun
-Start in the spring or summer
-Provide adequate water
But what if you don't have the space to let a vine go all over? Well, you can trellis pumpkin plants! Here's a cattle panel arched over, and that allows you to take advantage of vertical space. This can take a little bit of work, though, since you need to train the plant to stay on the trellis and go in the right direction. After the female flower gets pollinated, keep an eye on the fruit as it develops. The last thing you want is a deformed pumpkin caught up in the trellis and getting stuck.
However you decide to grow your pumpkins, be sure to get them in the ground at the right time and give them the love they need!
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