Pumpkins

Plant in time for Summer

Starting at Halloween we thought we would put a new spin on pumkins. The kids love growing things in the garden, its great education and exciting for them to see something grow so Drake Real Estate are holding a Pumpkin Growing Competition. See below for details on how to plant and care for your seeds. Don't forget to send us pictures every few weeks to show us the progress of your plants!

The winner of the best pumpkin and plant will receive a gift voucher valued at $200 to spend at a local retail store. Simply follow this link to email your name, address and contact phone number.

Terms & Conditions:

 

Getting started
Pumpkin vines need fertile, compost-rich, well-drained soil in full sun and are most easily grown as ground-cover plants. Vines can be trained over frames provided they can support the weight of the heavy fruit.

In frost-free tropical and subtropical gardens, pumpkins can be grown all year round. In temperate Australia plant or sow outside after the last frost. In cold climates sow pumpkins indoors or in a glasshouse so they can be planted immediately after the last frost to gain the full benefit of short summers.

Planting and growing
Pumpkin seed needs a soil temperature of 20˚C for germination. Raise seedlings by sowing them individually in 10cm pots and plant when pots are filled with roots. Alternatively, sow seed or plant seedlings into mounds of rich compost formed over loosened soil. Plants take 70–120 days to mature. As pumpkins are shallow-rooted they need regular watering in dry or windy weather. Even moisture helps prevent fruit splitting.

Pumpkins produce short-lived male and female flowers that can close by mid-morning. Female flowers open above the swollen, distinctive embryo fruit and male flowers produce pollen. Native and honey bees are normally able to complete pollination, but sometimes ants harvest pollen before this occurs. High temperatures can affect fruit formation – over 30˚C, hand pollination is useful for improving fruit set. To hand pollinate, pick male flowers, remove petals then dab pollen on the stigma of female flowers. Squeezing female flowers aids pollination in wet weather.

Adults and the larvae of leaf-eating ladybirds, which are also known as 28-spotted ladybirds, eat pumpkin leaves, so hand-pick them regularly. Watering in the morning and spraying fortnightly with a solution of one part cows milk to 10 parts water helps prevent mildew. Mildew-eating ladybirds, which are patterned with yellow and black bands, help control mildew naturally.

Harvesting and storing
Pinch out growing tips of rambling stems to contain plants. When fruits are finished swelling, remove them with as much of the stalk as possible. Ripe fruits with unbroken skin store very well if kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated space. Seed can be saved from fruit one month after harvesting them. Scoop seed from flesh, wash, dry and store in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. To ensure seed-grown progeny comes true, save seed from one variety grown in isolation.