Pumpkin Seedlings : How to Grow Pumpkins From Seed
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Pumpkin seedlings require a long period of frost-free weather to mature (75 to 120 days), as well as a soil with warm temperatures (at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit) for the seeds to be able to germinate. As a result, they are often sown into the garden as quickly as the soil is warm enough in the spring. Pumpkins are commonly planted from seeds indoors between two and four weeks before the final spring frost in places without the necessary extended growth season.
When to Plant Pumpkin Seeds
Knowing when to plant pumpkin seeds is necessary before you can cultivate pumpkin seeds. Depending on how you intend to use them, you should decide when to sow your pumpkins. If you want to use your pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns, plant them outside when there is no possibility of frost and the soil temperature has reached 65 F (18 C). Remember that pumpkin plants develop more quickly in warm climates than in chilly ones.
Accordingly, depending on where you reside, you should plant pumpkin seeds in a different month. Thus, the optimum time to plant pumpkin seeds is in late May in cooler regions of the country, whereas in warmer regions, you can wait until mid-July to plant pumpkins for Halloween. If you want to grow pumpkins for food (or for a gigantic pumpkin contest), you can start them indoors approximately two to three weeks prior to the last frost date in your location.
How to Grow Pumpkins From Seed
In order to give them enough room to grow, plant groups of four to five pumpkin seeds at least four to eight feet apart in a location with full sun, about an inch deep in the soil. Maintain an equal moisture level in the soil until the seeds germinate. When the pumpkin seedlings appear, thin them out so that you are left with no more than two or three pumpkin plants (this rule also applies to pumpkins planted in hills and rows).
Water the plants once a week with 1 to 2 inches of water at the soil line rather than on the foliage. When the plants are about a foot tall, apply fertiliser, and then prune the vines when they reach between ten and fifteen feet in length. Continue to water weekly and fertilise biweekly until harvest time.
Related Topic : Growing Seedlings Indoors