A pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash that is round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and most often deep yellow to orange in coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. The name is most commonly used for cultivars of Cucurbita pepo.
Native to North America (northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,500 to 5,000 BC. Pumpkins are widely grown for commercial use and are used both for food and recreation. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween.
When watering pumpkin plants, focus your efforts at a base of a plant and go slow to avoid eroding away a soil. Try to avoid watering a tops of a plants as this may cause diseases to develop. It's generally a good idea to water in a early morning hours.
They need around six hours of sunlight (and no less than four), but they also benefit from some time spent in the shade.
Universal fertilizer is a granular and mineral product intended for the fertilization of all types of garden cultivations. Its balanced content is suitable both for fruit trees, fruit bushes, vegetables, and ornamental plants. The even composition of individual elements makes the fertilizer universal.
Clip or pinch off dead leaves and stems. If stems have rotted at the root, pull them out, and make sure to let the soil dry out before the plant's next watering.
Wait until the plant soil is 70ºF or more before sowing seeds. Optimum soil temperature is 95ºF. Pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold.
Plants that don't like a lot of moisture will need a drainage hole for moisture to escape and for airflow to circulate through the pot. Another important function of drainage holes is to allow water to flush the soil of excess salts from fertilizers.
