There are so many varieties of Pumpkin to grow, there’s one type for everyone and every size garden.

Pumpkins

Variety – Baby Bear

We are sowing Variety – Baby Bear this year. This is a small variety and each pumpkin grows up to 1kg in weight and is a perfect meal for one. There’s usually about 5 to 8 pumpkins per plant.

I have chosen this variety as we will be growing it in a raised bed size 1 meter wide and 2.5 metres long. Pumpkins tend to like to ramble even down and onto the area around the bed, so we have chosen a bed surrounded by a gravel area just in case they need to do this.

Things worth noting when growing Pumpkins

• Spread – Check the spread of the pumpkin plant, Baby Bear variety is 1.8 metres, therefore check it has enough room to grow and ramble.
• Number of plants – Check how many plants you are growing and whether you have enough room for them all to grow.
• Spacing – Pumpkin plants need lots of room. Small pumpkins need at least 90cm between plants and larger pumpkin varieties need up to 2 metres between plants. Pumpkins can be grown on the ground in a spare sunny flower bed or in a raised bed with space to ramble.
• Soil type – Check the growing conditions and your soil, pumpkins need a lot of nutrients in the soil from organic matter and the soil needs to be well drained so the plant vines and pumpkins are not sitting on wet ground to avoid rotting.
• Sun requirements – Pumpkins love full sun, they thrive in warm areas.

How to Sow your Pumpkin Seeds

Sow Seeds: Mid April to May (indoors), Late May (outdoors).

Plant Out: May to June

Harvest Pumpkins: September and October

You will need:

• 9cm pots
• Peat Free Potting compost (we use Meadow Croft Peat Free Compost)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Plant label
• Water

How to Sow Pumpkin Seeds

1. Put your compost in a pot.

2. Make a hole with a pencil about 1cm or half and inch to 1 inch deep.

3. There are a number of ways to sow the seed either with the pointy end down to the bottom of the pot or place the seed on its flat side. I’ve chosen the pointy end down method.

4. Cover with soil and water.

5. Place your pot in an un heated greenhouse. Seeds will germinate in 4-10 days at 18 degree’s centigrade. Water when soil is dry.

Top Tip for watering using Peat Free Compost – If using Peat Free Compost, check with your finger that the soil under the surface is dry as with peat free compost the surface looks dry but it may be wet enough underneath.

6. Plant outside in June when the plants have established good roots in the pots. Check your variety for spacing measurements.

Other Posts on Pumpkins

Growing Pumpkins in time for Halloween