IN THE GARDEN: It’s summer; think fall pumpkins

Whether you want pumpkins for Halloween decorations or yummy desserts, planting by July 4 is the rule-of-thumb for a fall bounty. Most pumpkins take 75-120 days from seed to harvest. Counting back from Halloween gives us the beginning of July.

When planting your pumpkins, keep in mind they are runners. Vines for large and jumbo pumpkins can roam 50-100 feet. We suggest planting vegetables such as pumpkins and squash (another common runner) in the corners of your garden.  

Or, if you’re limited on space, use a 10-gallon bucket. Turn the bucket upside down and drill lots of holes—pumpkins like well-drained soil. Turn the bucket right-side up and place several rocks about the size of your fist inside. The rocks aid in drainage and help keep the bucket stable. Then, fill it to the top with nutritious soil—pumpkins are heavy feeders. 

Plant four seeds, each 1 inch deep, per bucket. When your plants reach 3 inches tall, cut out two with scissors. Yanking them out could bother the root system of the remaining plants. As your young plants begin to mature, prop up the bucket handle with a stick. This way, if you need to move your plants, you’re not maneuvering the vines to get to the handle.

Pumpkins need lots of water. Water several days a week, allowing for drying periods in between. Avoid getting water on the foliage. And you knew we were going to say it: mulch mulch mulch! The mulch will help keep weeds away, leaving the nutrients in the soil. 

Even after starting with nutrient-rich soil, two more fertilizing shots will be required. First, when your plant is about a foot, give it a nitrogen boost, an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen or compost rich in manure. Second, right before your plant begins to bloom, give it a boost of fertilizer high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is essential for promoting blooms, fruits, and vines.

As your pumpkins mature, you can give them a twirl so they grow in a nice, round shape. Place a board or cardboard under the fruit to raise it off the ground to avoid one-sided rot and deter pests.

SOIL FRIENDLIES

Earthworms are awesome sauce! They will burrow through your hardpan (that hard soil you have to break up when prepping your garden), eat dead leaves, and create space for air to reach roots and water to drain. Their castings (excrement of what they ate) are five to 11 times richer in phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen than what is ingested. Earthworms are nutrient-making machines.

Earthworms clean your garden of dead leaves and grass as well as rotting plants and remove surface debris and fungal spores. They clean the garden of unwanted organic materials and turn what they cleaned into nutrients for your plants. That saves us work.

Earthworms are more prolific than rabbits. One breeding earthworm can produce 96 babies in six months. Your garden and vegetables will thank you when you add earthworms to the soil.

Till next time. Keep your souls and soles in your garden! Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1    

“In the Garden” is written by father-daughter gardening duo Bill and Martelle Luedecke. Questions or comments? Contact Martelle at 512-769-3179 or luedeckephotography@gmail.com. Contact Bill at 512-577-1463 or bill@texasland.net.