growing pumpkins from seed
Jul 16th, 2008 by Peter Donegan MI Hort
I hear you… it’s only mid July. No matter. You need them for October - but they have to grow! If you ever want to know when to start growing anything the easiest [cheaters tip!] advice is to check your garden centre once a month - when they’re available by seed - that’s when to start. Easy!
This is from the Johnsons range. I actually thought they’d be difficult to grow? no - easy peezy. really! There’s the packet [left] and the seed just below. I just bought them in my local garden centre.
How? who? what? Take a tray or a small plant pot about the size of a tea cup; fill with clean compost; soak first with water [from the bottom up is better - ie. sit in a basin of water and let in take up the moisture until the compost goes from dry brown to damp black] and then push the seed [it looks like a leprechauns surf board] sideways a little [half an inch] below the height of the compost until you can see it no more.
Jack O lantern [cucurbita pepo] is the more common or the ‘typical’ pumpkin as we know it and the plants will need to be planted about one metre apart outdoors when the roots fill out the tray. As you can see mine [after just two weeks! - click here] have a just little more to go before I allow them into unprotected typical irish weather.
Books and catalogues generally base sowing times on an average/ mean temperatures and as long as I understand what the plant needs to grow then I can work away and pretty much garden away as I please.
The ‘book’ tells me I’m a little late sowing - but the book obviously hasn’t seen the barbados like weather that’s been coming to North Dublin recently!!
UPDATE: here are my plants as of 28th of August as promised:
my pumpkin plants
...and some here
...and some here
i am very late with our pumpkins but just want to ask you can i transplant them out in to grow bags,we have them in our porch they now have 4/5 leaves on each plant,the grow bags i bought take 3 plants would it be better if i only planted 1 or 2p er bag.Also what feed to give them would tomato feed do this is our first time planting them and my 4 year old is minding them like babies.Hope you can help me out thanks for taking the time to read the mail.
Joan
A Chara Joan,
this is qite difficult to explain in writing without actually seeing but… in horticulture i believe you can do anything you like when you like if the understanding is there… here goes!
I think your talking about the tomato ‘grow bags’ which are the long flat plastic ones. For mine I transplanted a few weeks ago. Re yours: with four or five leaves/ in the porch - i assume they’re in pots and therefore should be almost pot bound [depending on pot size of course!]/ have a good root system.
To be honest there’s not much special treatment from me. I put them out in the garden. normal soil. no feed. just keep the weeds away and let nature take its course. They should be fine for October-ish - of course Irelands weather may play havoc with that. I’ll put up a pic of them in the post as updat so you can see.
Any other hassles - you know where I am now!
slan go foill - and enjoy!
peter
ps. was that helpful enough
Wondering is there a pumpkin patch around west of Ireland where I can bring my two little boys to pick our own pumpkins for Haloween? Too late with growing our own AGAIN this year!!!
Thanks for the reply i think i will but 2 in a bag each and dig up some grass for 2 more and transplant 2 to bigger pots and see how that goes.We grew sunflowers this year too,our first time growing anything my son loves the garden so maybe next year we will do more veg (depending on how our pumpkins grow)thanks again
Joan
@bern sweeney
dont know if there is a pumpkin patch around ireland at all. I’ll put the question out there and maybe somebody will let me know - in the meantime if you find one you might let me know here too.
Good luck and many thanks in advance
peter
@Joan Walsh
No problem Joan I hope i was of some help. You might keep me posted on how that works for you this year and next. I think the whole thing about my own is that it works the same as anybody elses getting no special treatment but the use of my knowledge. Sunflowers are brilliant - something my Father used to do with me. Enjoy!
slán agus beannacht
peter
hi, i was just wondering if anyone ever found about an irish pumpkin patch? i’m looking to bring my son to one this autumn but can’t seem to find one anywhere!!
thanks,
amanda
A Chara Amanda,
i think thats brilliant!
it did come up in conversation, a lot! and i *believe* there is one in Lusk/ Rush North Dublin - but, as to whether it is an ‘official pumpkin farm’ [ie open to the general public] I am unsure. That said, and as you can gather… there hasn’t been much of a response [online] as to where one would find pumpkins covering the land.
I wish I knew… but i will put it out on twitter [http://blog.doneganlandscaping.com/2008/10/16/follow-me-on-twitter/] and hope that something comes up! If it does believe me - it will be posted here first.
for the moment - fingers crossed!
peter
well i have just carved some pumpkins and i planted about 7 seeds in a pot. its now nov.4 and it had planted them a few days ago. the point is, will they grow? i live in south carolina and it gets a little cold around now so i put them in my garage and the soil is still cold and clumpy with NO pumpkin sprouts. WILL THEY GROW???
p.s plz reply soon!
A Chara Miss Jess,
firstly my grandmother grew a lemon tree from seed in Dublin years ago… so there are rules to increase chances of how suvvessful a seed is - but sometimes even with perfect conditions it doesn’t work out in ones favour.
That said - the soil is cold and clumpy, it is in the garage and temperatures are on the lower side [?]. Chances of ‘WILL THEY GROW’ at this stage are on the lower side - that nearer to no…
However….
I might suggest, the depth of the seed should be 2 x times its diameter below ’soil’ level.
The ’soil’ is changed to a compost - to make it easier for it to germinate.
The pot is sterilized [in milton baby bottle sterilizing liquid for example/ just a quick wash] to prevent damping off [ie death at seedling stage].
The pot is put on your kitchen window ledge - kitchens are generally warm, humid[er] and south facing.
best of luck
peter
ps.I hope this helps - if it is only a few days ago & in the conditions described the seed should not have started to germinate/ develop yet.
wonderous things have happened!
since yoour letter, I have not cared to check my pot or garden for sprouts. Today, As i was walking my dog around our backyard, i glanced upon my garden! i saw an odd weed (this garden is very messy full of misc. plants that have been dropped their) I dug it up and found on the end, my pumpkin seed! there has been a slight warmth in weather lately but i didnt think of it as much to matter. when i figured out this was a sprout, i looked everywhere!
i found a few more and planted them in a small “patch”. as this had gotten my hopes up, i check the one i had planted in a pot in my garage. sure enough it already had one sprout. here is my blog were i have some pics posted for you!
http://www.skullcandy22.wordpress.com
srry if the pictures arnt their! im working on it!
ok i got them fixed!!!
A Chara Miss Jess
the pics are really cool
isn’t it brilliant when something so small and possibly simple can bring such a smile
it’s cheered up my day
a little more. Happiness rating = 101%
slán go foill
peter