Growing and Handling Pumpkins

‘Lumina’ is a white variety with an excellent peel for carving that is also wonderful for baking.
Because of its sweet, fine-grained meat, ‘Sugar Pie’ is ideal for pies. This kind may be used in stews and soups.
The name ‘Cinderella’ comes from the deep-ribbed gourd that transforms into Cinderella’s carriage in the famous animated film. It boasts thick, custard-like flesh that works nicely in a variety of recipes.

Pumpkins require a lot of food to grow their long vines and enormous fruit. Feed on a regular (every two weeks) basis, commencing with a high-nitrogen fertilizer whenever the plants are around 30 cm tall to promote healthy leaf growth. To encourage fruit growth, change to a high-phosphorus fertilizer just before the plants begin flowering.

Pumpkins prefer well-drained soil. Before planting, a substantial quantity of natural material, such as compost or peat moss, should be mixed in. The pH of the soil should be somewhat acidic, ranging from 6.0 to 6.8.

Water your crops at least 2 to 5 cm every week, more if they’re blossoming or setting fruit. Rather than watering from above, drip watering or ground-level soaking should be used.

To grow and ripen their fruits, pumpkins (and other squash) require full light.

Pumpkins, like other squash, require a lot of heat to yield healthy fruit. Pumpkins thrive in temperatures ranging from 18 to 35 degrees Celsius. When paired with heat, extremely humid circumstances can enhance the growth of fungus illnesses.

Pumpkins have an extended growing season. Most require about 90 and 110 days to develop. If you reside in a short-season environment, select a species that will have enough time to grow in your garden.
If you hurry the harvest, your pumpkins will not survive long or taste good. Wait until the coloring is consistent and the shell does not dent when touched with your fingertip. The vines should also have started to dry and shrivel at this stage. Keep an eye out for the browning of the tendril nearest to the pumpkin. This is the best time to harvest.
Pumpkins may resist minor colds, but they should always be harvested before a strong frost. With a pruner, cut them from the vines, leaving 5 at 10 cm of stem. This isn’t just a handle; it is there to aid in the cure of the pumpkin and to prevent illness from infiltrating where the stem meets the pumpkin. Make an effort not to cut it off.

Pumpkin soup

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg of pumpkins
• 1 onion
• 3 carrots
• 2 potatoes
• 100 g liquid cream
• 50 g butter
• 1 poultry stock cube
• parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg

Servings

6 people

Prepping time

10 min

Cooking time

40 min