Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Pumpkins

Q. I have a package of field pumpkin seeds, but no planting instructions. We're in Houston, TX, so it is already pretty warm. We'd like to harvest by Halloween. Is it too late?

A. No, go for it right now. You can directly sow your pumpkin seed into the garden in most areas [Northern areas the seeds need to be started indoors for a full season and to reach a huge size]. You need about 120 days for most varieties of pumpkins.

Giant pumpkins and other giant varieties require 130 to 150 days. People with short growing seasons, or growers pursuing 'the big one', will need to get a jump start on the season by planting indoors. In addition, if you are growing Atlantic Giants, Big Macs, Prize Winner Hybrids, or other giant pumpkins, the seed coat is quite hard and thick. It makes germination a little more tricky.

File the edges of the seed lightly with a nail file. File all edges except the pointed end. This allows moisture into the seed easier. Most importantly, filing your seeds makes it easier for the leaves to emerge from the shell without damage. The shell of giant pumpkin seeds are very thick, and the leaves sometimes have difficulty splitting open the shell. To avoid pinched or damaged primary leaves, we recommend filing the edges of the seeds for all giant pumpkins. As a matter of fact, it will aid germination and seedling emergence for any hard shelled pumpkin seed or other seeds. Soak the seeds in warm (not hot) water for an hour or two.

Place the seed on its side. Add 1 to 1 1/2 inches soil to cover. Water thoroughly.

In 4-6 days, the seedling will emerge from the soil. Healthy plants will all but explode from the soil, growing at a fast pace even as a seedling. Coating the seeds with a fungicide will offer protection against mold and fungus growth.

The newborn pumpkin seedling immediately needs light, as much and as direct as possible. First, the sun is not up as long in the spring as it is in the summer. Second, there are many rainy spring days with little or no direct sun.

Provide water to the pumpkin every couple of days. You do not, and should, not soak the soil each day. Overly wet soil is one of the basic ingredients for damping off disease. Let the soil dry out a little on the top first, then water thoroughly.

The seedling does not need a lot of extra nutrients in the first few days of its life. The seed has some stored inside of it. After several days, add a little liquid fertilizer to the water, but you do not need to give it full strength.

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/germinat.htm