Pumpkins are one of the most popular vegetables that can make from many yummy dishes such as baking, pureeing, decorating, and more. To have the freshest and tastiest delicious pumpkin dishes to serve in daily meals, you should grow them by your hand right in the garden. Growing pumpkin is easy to grow even you are a beginner. However, like other plants, they also get some problems that you should know to harvest a high yield as you want.
In the post, we will share the 8 Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Pumpkins you should learn. These mistakes here are very common and many gardeners have made as well. By learning these mistakes and using the tips to fix them, you will save you a lot of time, hassle, and money. What is more, you’ll have a gorgeous harvest in both quantity and quality. So let’s dive in to learn about what you shouldn’t do.
#1 The Lighting
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They need to be planted where there’s a balance of light. If given too much sunlight it can have negative effects. So, when growing you should choose a growing location that receives partial sunlight, approximately four hours of sunlight throughout the day.
#2 Pollinators
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Pollination is a vital part because if pumpkins won’t produce any fruit when they don’t receive proper pollination. So, you can grow some plants or flowers with bright colors and sweet smells to encourage pollinators to visit your garden.
#3 Don’t Plant In Proximity To Other Plants
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Pumpkin is a thriving plant, it produces large vines which can take over an area quickly. So, they need their own area without causing concern or issues for other plants.
#4 Sow Seeds
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Pumpkins germinate easily from seed. So, most of the seeds you sow will form a pumpkin plant, this can become overwhelming quickly, let’s pick the stronger plant, and remove the other.
#5 Pests and Diseases
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If you ignore signs of pests or diseases, you could open your plants up to quite a few problems because they can take over your garden area in very little time. Cucumber beetles, slugs, flea beetles, aphids, hornworms, and cutworms are common pests when growing pumpkin. And fungal is the main disease, you need to give the plant enough space between the plants for adequate airflow. Also, water your plants earlier in the day, plant in well-draining soil, and treat any signs of fungal disease with a fungicide.
#6 Watering
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You should water adequately for your pumpkins to encourage the roots to dig deeper, into the soil, to retrieve water and this also creates stronger plants.
#7 Don’t Harvest Too Early
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Some gardener thinks that harvesting pumpkin early they will avoid rot. However, harvesting pumpkins too early, they don’t ripen any further. So, the best time to harvest the pumpkins before they reach their full color. If you’re concerned about your pumpkins rotting, from sitting on the ground, slide a piece of cardboard beneath them.
#8 Growing Conditions and Care For
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Growing pumpkins will depend greatly upon where you live. If you live in a northern climate, you’ll plant pumpkins in late spring or early summer. If you live in a southern climate, you won’t plant pumpkins until approximately the Fourth of July. In addition, let’s give basic maintenance to keep the crop healthy and thriving.