Starting your own organic garden is just a matter of determination, since little by little you will learn everything you need to grow your own food without any agro-toxic product, and thus be able to take advantage of all its natural properties.
Also, you won’t always need a lot of space, as there are vegetables like eggplants and zucchini that you can grow in pots or paint cans.
In this note you will also learn how to grow pumpkins (anco squash) at home, one of the vegetables that you can harvest quickly, to include in pizzas, cakes, bruquettes, or everything you can think of!
How to grow pumpkins step by step
Before starting, you should keep in mind that the most recommended time to plant pumpkins is spring and that you can harvest them 3 to 5 months after planting, depending on the variety.
The first step to growing them in your own home is to get the seeds. While you can buy them at a garden store, you can also get them from the core of a large, healthy, ripe pumpkin with a firm skin.
Once you have them, wash them with water and place them in the sun for three days; Trying, at night, to place them in a dry place. Then, you can store them in a cool, moisture-free place for up to two years.
For planting in pots, you must use a container of 40 x 40 centimeters and 60 liters of capacity. In addition, you must fill it with porous soil and compost. The most recommended soil is clay with sand and abundant organic matter.
To plant in pots, you need to place two pumpkin seeds spaced apart from each other in a hole in the soil that you make with your hands. Then cover them with an inch and a half of soil, pressing down a little on the soil from the surface.
At this point, you should also keep in mind that some varieties are climbers and will require stakes to grow.
On the other hand, if you choose to plant in your garden, you must first rake the soil several times to remove any roots or stones that are there and sow the seeds leaving about 1.2 meters of separation between each plant.
Keep in mind that the seeds will take between 8 to 15 days to germinate. Then the flowers will appear.
You should know that the pumpkin is a monoecious plant, which is why it can produce male and female flowers. The first to be born will be the male; and only ten days later the female flowers will emerge, from which the fruit will be formed. In addition, the squash has the characteristic that, after its first flowering, it stops growing until the fruits ripen, and then flower and bear fruit again.
Note: to recognize the female flower you can look behind her buds. If you notice a small pumpkin fruit, it is female.
Harvesting is usually done in the fall. As an indicator to harvest the fruit you will see that the part of the pumpkin facing the ground turns yellow. To pick your gourds, cut off the stem, leaving about 5 centimeters of separation with the fruit. Once you have them with you, you can store them in a cool place away from moisture.
Tips for caring for your pumpkin plant
– If you have chosen to plant them in your garden, you should protect your pumpkins from the cold (for example, by placing a plastic protector on top) and, if you have done it in pots, keep them inside during the cold.
– Choose a place where they get a lot of sun (more than five hours a day). This will be easier if you have chosen to plant your pumpkins in pots that you can easily move.
– Water every time you detect that the soil has dried out, since pumpkins need a large amount of water to develop.
– As the fruits grow and get closer to the ground under their own weight, place an upturned plate underneath so that the humidity does not affect them.
Include your pumpkins in all your preparations and enjoy their benefits for your health!