#Transplant pumpkin seedlings how to#
#Transplant pumpkin seedlings full#

As the flowers develop, pick a single male flower and remove its petals.

This is normal, and you’ll start to find female flowers developing soon after. Don't be alarmed if the first few flowers are all male. Female pumpkin flowers can be identified by a swollen bump at the base of the bloom, which the male flowers don't have.

Pumpkins are normally insect pollinated, but if the fruits aren’t setting then you may need to hand pollinate them.

Pumpkins are thirsty plants too, and regular watering is essential if you want to produce a decent crop. When the fruits begin to develop, switch back to a high potassium feed again.

Use a high nitrogen feed every week until the flowers start to appear, then switch to a high phosphorous feed.

The video above shares lots of top tips to help with feeding and pollinating. Pumpkins are very vigorous growers, so they need a lot of fertiliser throughout the season to keep them healthy. They have deep roots and are normally quite capable of finding their own water within the soil, but in very dry periods some supplementary watering may be required. They will begin to produce long stems which can be trained in a circle around the plant to prevent them spreading too far.

Pumpkins enjoy plenty of nitrogen so they appreciate a feed of general fertiliser a few weeks after planting.

Plant each pumpkin plant on top of a mound to ensure good drainage and keep them well watered until they’re established. At each planting station, pile the soil into mounds about 15cm (6') high.

Planting distances can range from 90cm apart to 3m apart depending on the variety, so you’ll need to check the seed packet.

Choose a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun per day and prepare the soil in advance, adding plenty of well rotted manure or compost.

#Transplant pumpkin seedlings full#

They prefer a position in full sun that’s sheltered from the wind.

Gradually acclimatise your pumpkins to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before transplanting them out into warm, well drained, humus rich soil.

#Transplant pumpkin seedlings how to#

To see how to plant out your pumpkins, watch the short video above. The secret to success with pumpkins is to keep them well watered and nice and warm - between 18 and 25 degrees celsius - at least until you plant them outdoors. Make sure they receive plenty of light.Once germinated they can be removed from the plastic bag or propagator, and grown on in cooler conditions until they’re ready to be planted outdoors. Pumpkins are really vigorous growers and will literally burst from the soil within five to seven days.Water the compost well and then put your pots in a propagator, or seal them inside a plastic bag, at a temperature of about 20 degrees celsius until germination.If both come up you can just pinch one out, or transplant it into a separate pot. And it’s a good idea to sow two seeds per hole in case one doesn’t germinate. Sow your pumpkin seeds on their sides to reduce the risk of rotting. Make a planting hole to a depth of about 2.5cm.Because pumpkin seeds are quite large, they won’t mind the coarser texture. It’s a good idea to use potting compost for pumpkins rather than seed sowing compost because it gives the plants more nutrients from the very start. Make sure you press the compost down gently to fill in any air gaps.

Fill a small 7.5cm diameter pot with a good quality potting compost.However I prefer to start mine indoors from mid-April, and then plant them out later on. You can wait until the soil has warmed up in late May, early June, and then direct sow your pumpkins outdoors.Watch our short video above to see how resident horticulturist, Sue Sanderson, sows her ‘Jack of all Trades’ pumpkin seeds. And if you choose to direct sow outdoors, start your pumpkins off under cloches to give them the best start. Wherever you choose to start them, it's best to sow two seeds per hole and thin the weakest plant out later on. However if you’re short of indoor space, you may prefer to wait until the soil has warmed up in late May or early June and sow your seeds directly outdoors. In cooler areas pumpkins can be sown indoors from April to mid May for transplanting outside later, when temperatures have risen. Pumpkins require warm daytime temperatures of between 18 - 30C (68F) and prefer a minimum night temperature of 16C (61F), at least until they’re planted out. Image: Pumpkin 'Zombie' F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan Ideal for Halloween, these warty pumpkins make an excellent display