How to plan for bountiful pumpkin harvest next year. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
While some areas in the United States may be experiencing a pumpkin shortage due to weather and shipping issues, why not plan ahead for next year and grow your own pumpkins.
These members of the squash family are easy to grow in your garden. Choose the right variety for your climate. Pumpkin seed packets will list the days to maturity, so all you need to do is figure out the math for when you need to start your plants so that they will have the required number of days free of any frost.
For most regions, if you wanted to grow a variety that takes 100 days to mature, for example, starting those seeds between May and June would do the trick. Wait to plant until the daytime temperatures in your area reach the 70s and the nights are frost-free before planting pumpkins.
You’ll also want to add generous amounts of compost or well-rotted manure to the planting area and dig it into the soil. Pumpkins are made of up to 90 percent water, so give your vines plenty of moisture, especially during hot summer weather.
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