5. Good Organic Gardening - September-October 2016 AvxHome.in

Grow some different varieties
and oddly shaped pumpkin that is more
ornamental than edible.
The combination of a large sprawling size
and a complement of large leaves on spiky
stems makes pumpkins less than ideal for
container growing, but there are small, bushy
varieties such as ‘Golden Nugget’ that can be
grown successfully in a container or raised
garden bed. They produce small, squash-like
orange pumpkins.
Troubleshooting
Apart from a susceptibility to mildew, which
is a family failing for members of the cucurbit
family, pumpkins are disease free. Mildew may
occur late in the growing season when plants
are ready to be removed.
Pumpkin beetle may also feed on the
foliage of pumpkins, often skeletonising the
leaves but rarely damaging the flowers or
fruit. The easiest way to control this pesky
beetle is by squashing the adults and young.
The 28-spotted ladybird, which is a
leaf-eating ladybird and one of the few that
damage plants, may also attack pumpkin
leaves in summer and early autumn. To reduce
pest numbers, squash the ladybirds and their
eggs, which are found under the foliage.
The fruits may be attacked by rodents,
especially mice, which gnaw on the skin and
can damage the fruit so it can’t be stored.
To keep mice away from pumpkins, make a
protective cage or enclosure around fruits.
Birds and bees
Pumpkin flowers are either male or female
and both are needed for fruiting. Although
both flowers are golden yellow, they are easy
to tell apart as the male flower has pollencoated
stamens and is held on a narrow stem
while the female has a single sticky pistil
inside the flower, which has a swollen base
under the bloom that becomes the fruit.
The male flowers produce pollen that
fertilises the female blooms, which can then
form the pumpkin we eat. Bees and other
pollinating insects carry pollen from one
flower to another. Fresh flowers open each
day and usually nature gets it right, so there
are enough male flowers around as well as
bees to pollinate that day’s crop of female
flowers. However, as the flowers are generally
only open for a day, timing is critical.
Sometimes nature doesn’t get it right.
There may be a lack of boy flowers when
all the girls are flowering or vice versa, or
the bees may be tardy. Often male flowers
are prevalent early in the season or when
the weather is cool, with the female flowers
blooming later as summer temperatures
Pumpkin | TIME TO PLANT
Growing them
against a fence, shed
or other support
can reduce the
horizontal space they
need as they can be
encouraged to climb.
warm up. Tip pruning a vigorously growing
pumpkin vine can encourage more side
growth, which can lead to the production of
more female flowers. Usually, just waiting for
warmer weather brings a balance of male and
female blooms and lots of fruit.
When the bees aren’t doing their job, help
your crop along by hand pollinating. This
involves transferring pollen from a male flower
to a female one using a small, dry paintbrush
or cotton bud. If male flowers are scarce,
collect pollen from those that are open to
use the next day to fertilise a bevy of female
flowers that get their timing wrong. Save
pollen in an airtight container.
Harvesting &
storing
Pumpkins are ready to harvest in autumn
when the fruit is large and heavy. Expect the
fruit to take around 14–16 weeks to reach
maturity, depending on the variety and
growing conditions. The colour may change
as the pumpkin ripens and it should sound
drummy when rapped with your knuckles.
To harvest, cut the pumpkin from the
vine, leaving a portion of stem attached.
Allow the skin to “cure” or harden in the
sun for a week or so but don’t expose it to
frosty conditions. Undamaged pumpkins
can be stored in a cool, airy spot for several
months. Check stored fruit regularly,
monitoring for rots or damage (for example,
that caused by rodents).
Pumpkin label
Common name: Pumpkin, winter squash
Botanical name: Cucurbita maxima
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Aspect and soil: Sun; deep, moist,
fertile soil
Best climate: All, but grow in the
warmest part of the year
Habit: Annual vine
Propagation: Seed, seedling
Difficulty: Easy
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