Pumpkins add visual appeal to any landscape
What is fall without pumpkins? Pumpkins have so many uses. For one, you can use a pumpkin to decorate for Halloween. Then, there are delicious pumpkin-flavored drinks, and you can’t forget about the pumpkin pie! You can also use a pumpkin plant to give your garden visual appeal. Adding a pumpkin plant to your garden is one of the many ways that you can still get the most out of your landscape during the fall. Of course, anyone can go to a local farmer’s market and load up on pumpkins, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, you can have a little fun and make pumpkin planting your new family, fall tradition. Do you want to learn how to grow a pumpkin plant during the fall? Keep reading! We’re going to give you step-by-step instructions.
Pick Out Your Seeds
Pumpkin seeds come in a variety of sizes, colors, and textures. No one seed is best. It depends on how you want your landscape to look. Ballooning seeds exist as well as small gourds. There’s such a variety out on the market.
Plant the Seeds in Direct Sunlight
To get pumpkins ready for the fall, typically, you need to plant them months in advance for them to reach full maturity in time. For example, Small Sugar pumpkins take about 100 days to grow into full-sized pumpkins. Therefore, you may want to start planting them as early as mid-July. Select a spot where there’s a lot of sunshine and space them out based on what the package recommends. Pumpkins can sprawl out widely, but compact bushes also exist.
Water Your Pumpkins Properly and Maintain Your Landscape
Resist the urge to overwater your pumpkins, even when they look dry. Even when your soil is moist, pumpkins may still look wilted. A deep, gentle soaking once a week will suffice. Also, mulch your beds and remove weeds. Pruning your vines isn’t necessary. Big leaves mean more pumpkins. The only people that prune pumpkin vines are those that want only one to two fruits each to grow giant prize pumpkins.
Use Vegetable Garden Fertilizer
Use fertilizer as needed. Not lawn fertilizer, but fertilizer specific for vegetables. Pumpkins feed heavily, therefore, so this type of fertilizer can provide them with the food that they need.
Harvest Your Pumpkin Plant(s) Before a Heavy Frost
Harvest your pumpkin plant before a heavy frost. It will reach maturity when the rinds harden, and it’s the shade you desire. Cut the vines with pruning shears and then enjoy!
Interested in Improving Your Landscape? Consider Landscape and Hardscaping Design Services from Carroll Landscaping
Carroll Landscaping has over 30 years of experience with landscape construction, porch construction, deck building, and hardscape installation. Our award-winning landscape designers are passionate about providing customers with top-notch service and landscape design. Our landscape designers have a creative design outlook and work as a team with our installation crews to make your vision a reality. We are committed to providing every customer with the highest quality workmanship, professional and knowledgeable service, and creativity in design in order to surpass our clients’ expectations in every aspect of the project.
We serve residents throughout the beautiful state of Maryland including Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Eldersburg, Clarksville, Sykesville, Manchester, Westminster, and Woodstock. For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our expert designers, contact us online or give us a call at 410-922-2416.