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Posted: 9/6/2007 8:28:48 AM
What kind: Connecticut Field Pumpkin.
Where: Choose a place that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day.
When: Seeds can be planted directly in the garden when the days are in the low 70's and the spring rains have tapered off. In colder climates, the seeds can be started indoors and transferred to the garden when the weather warms. Most pumpkins require 110 to 140 frost-free growing days.
How: Plant seeds in the middle of small hills or mounds that are about three feet in diameter. Surround each hill with a moat (about 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep) to help contain water around the roots. Plant 4 to 5 seeds in a circle in the middle of the hill, and space the seeds about 6 to 8 inches apart. Cover the seeds with about an inch of soil. The soil should be loosely packed and kept moist but not wet; think of it as a well-squeezed, damp sponge. Two weeks after your sees sprout, thin to two or three of the strongest and largest young plants per hill.
Hint: Soaking the seeds the night before planting will soften the outer shell and make sprouting easier and faster.
How much space: A single vine can grow as long as 30 feet, sending out many vine shoots all along the way. However, the vine can be pruned, trained, and redirected.
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