There sowing of pumpkin in the vegetable garden it is really simple and within everyone’s reach, obviously following the right technical precautions. It is one of the most loved and cultivated vegetables in family gardens, also because with a few plants you can have great satisfaction in the harvest. But what is the best time to sow pumpkin? What are the right distances to keep between one plant and another? Can the plant be sown directly in the garden soil or is it better to use the seedbed?
We try to answer these and other questions in this article, so as to give all the possible information for a correct sowing of the pumpkin.
When is pumpkin sown?
The best times to sow pumpkins are the months of April and May, when the minimum temperatures during the day do not drop below 15/18 ° C. Unfortunately sometimes i returns of frost they ruin the young pumpkin seedlings just born, especially when sowing takes place in April. So, before starting work, pay close attention to the weather conditions. Better to wait a few weeks for a sure success of the sowing.
Which pumpkin seeds to use?
The varieties of pumpkins to grow in the garden are many, so there is plenty of choice. To start cultivation the farmer has two options. Primarily, store pumpkin seeds from mature plants harvested in the fallso you can use them from one season to the next without having to buy them every time.
Those who start from scratch, on the other hand, can easily find them in specialized stores.
How to sow pumpkin in a seedbed
To germinate pumpkin seeds you can use the seedbed technique. In this case, the best solution is to use small plastic jars, the most suitable are those with a diameter of 10/15 cm. The pumpkin develops rapidly, so in the alveolar containers (for example those in polystyrene) the space available for the roots runs out in a short time.
In addition, a good quality soil and place a single seed in the center of the jar. It is important that the seed tip is pointing downwards. Then it is covered with a centimeter of earth.
The soil must always be kept well moist, carrying out rain irrigations so as not to wash away the seed.
Position of the seedbed
The position is also important, in fact it is necessary to keep the jar in a bright and sunny place, in order to avoid that the young seedlings stretch too far in search of light.
After about 8-10 days from sowing, we will see the sprout of the plant appear.
After another 10/15 days, it will be possible to transplant it into the garden.
How to sow pumpkin directly in the vegetable garden
Pumpkin sowing can be done directly in the garden soil, without going through the seedbed. This is because the seed is large and sprouts in a short time, not suffering the competition of other herbaceous species.
However, it is very important to keep the right sowing distances, as the pumpkin is a plant that has a considerable vegetative development.
There direct sowing it is carried out in a postarella on a regular row, inserting two seeds per station. The distance between one postarella and the other is 80/100 cm, while at least 150/200 cm (1.5-2 m) must be left between one row and the next. The sowing depth must be 2/3 cm. Immediately after sowing you will have to irrigate, preferably with a drip systemalways trying to keep the soil well moist.
What to do after planting
The germination time is, as seen above, 8-10 days. At that point, since we have put 2 seeds in the hole, you will have to make a choice and thin out, leaving only one seedling. The double seed avoids the risk of finding ourselves with empty spaces in case of failure to germinate, but then forces us to select the best seedling to keep in the field.
Fertilization of the soil to be sown
For the success of the sowing of the pumpkin in the garden it is necessary prepare the ground very carefully. This plant loves soils rich in organic matter, and “eats” a lot throughout its crop cycle, so it is necessary to fertilize the soil properly. It is best to use del mature manure to amend the ground with the spade, spreading about 5 kg per square meter. After this operation, surface refinement will be carried out with hoe and rake.
Failing organic manureincreasingly difficult to find, you can opt for others organic fertilizers Which: compost, pelleted manure or earthworm humus.
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