How to Grow Your Own Pumpkin Patch Mound
- 1). Prepare the soil in the garden area. Turn approximately 4 inches of compost into the soil and add fertilizer. Select a fertilizer with low nitrogen content but high in potassium and phosphorous.
- 2). Use a metal rake to pull the soil into mounds. Build up mounds to 10 to 12 inches in height and at least 8 inches in diameter. The mounds may be rounded at the crown.
- 3). Allow a distance of 4 to 5 feet between each mound. Create a pumpkin patch by laying out the mounds in a grid formation so pumpkin vines can grow outward in each direction.
- 4). Install a slow-drip irrigation system, arranging emitters so each mound receives water. Pumpkins require slow, deep watering during early growth periods. Use a system that allows for soaking each mound 6 to 8 inches deep once a week when plants are developing foliage.
- 5). Plant pumpkin seeds into the sides of each mound just above the midway point. Place three seeds in a cluster approximately 1 inch deep into a midway point on a mound. Repeat this step, planting seeds approximately every 3 to 5 inches around the diameter of the mound. Repeat for each mound.
- 6). Water the mounds by hand, keeping them moist but not wet, until the seeds germinate and the seedlings have two to three sets of leaves. Thin the plants so each mound has two to three strong seedlings, with several inches between each seedling.
- 7). Use the irrigation system to keep the mounds moist, watering at least once a week. Watering may be needed more frequently in dry or desert climates.
- 8). Monitor the plants for squash bugs, cucumber beetles and vine borers as well as aphids and other pests. Treat to eradicate pests through the use of synthetic or organic pesticides. Watch for signs of disease such as powdery mildew and wilt disease. Treat accordingly.
- 9). Decrease watering as pumpkins start to mature. Check the vines for signs of drying out as this indicates pumpkins may be ready to harvest. Test pumpkins by scraping the outer skin with a fingernail. If the outer rind doesn't scratch or your nail can't penetrate the skin, the pumpkin is ready.
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