Growing pumpkins in pots is very useful and allows you to enjoy the fresh harvest of this product throughout the year. Pumpkin is very valuable because of its taste and decorative appearance. Growing pumpkin in containers is not very difficult and does not require special care, and in fact it is a low-expectation plant that adapts to any climate! In this article, you can learn Planting pumpkins in pots.
Tips for Planting pumpkins in pots
If you have the right container, there is no reason why you should not grow pumpkins in container and in your yard. Growing pumpkins in pots is not difficult compared to other vegetables and is very easy and adapts to many types of climates.
Plant the pumpkin in a pot in the spring when all the risk of frost has passed and the soil temperature has reached 18 ° C. It is best to start planting pumpkins from seed, but you can use seedlings that grow in biodegradable pots to reduce losses.
To grow pumpkins in pots, you usually need a large container to store at least 20-25 gallons of pumpkin plants. Your pumpkin plants need a support and care system to help them grow better.
Everyone should grow pumpkins at least once! Watching these large orange fruits grow is fun every day. Children enjoy growing pumpkins in their garden.
No matter where you are gardening, whether it is a backyard in the suburbs or a small yard in the middle of the city, you can grow pumpkins in pots.
Follow the steps below to plant a pumpkin in container:
1- Know when you can plant pumpkin.
Those who live in subtropical or subtropical climates can grow pumpkins throughout the year.
2- Prepare a suitable container for your pumpkin plants.
The most important part of planting a pumpkin in a pot is choosing the right size pot. If you do not choose the right size, your plant will die. Because it requires a lot of space to spread the roots.
The ideal size for a 10 gallon pot is for smaller pumpkin cultivars. If you want to grow larger varieties, then choose a larger pot, usually 15-25 gallons.
The pots should be 50 to 60 cm deep and wide enough to accommodate the growing pumpkin. Some gardeners manage to grow pumpkins in children’s plastic ponds 180 cm wide. This item is unique and cheap!
Make sure the dishes are properly drained. Pumpkin does not like standing water in the soil, so make sure the floor of the side you choose has a lot of holes for water to escape. If the dishes do not have holes, you can often use a drill to put the holes in it.
3- Place the pumpkin pot so that it receives 4-6 hours of light daily.
The pots are large and difficult to move, so it is best to find the best place for them before you start growing pumpkins. Pumpkin needs the sunniest place in your yard.
These plants should receive at least six hours of sunlight a day. If you try to grow your plants in a shady area, the overall growth of the plant will slow down and the plant may retain too much moisture, leading to fungal diseases.
4- Prepare the soil for planting pumpkin pots.
Pumpkins grow to large sizes when grown, so you can guess that they are heavy feeders. These plants need a lot of nutrients, so it is very important to have soil with a high humus content. That’s why you should use potting soil enriched with compost. Compost also retains water.
Do not worry about adding fertilizer or too much fertilizer. You need plenty of fertilizer to grow pumpkins in container. Mix fertilizer in your soil before planting, then plant to put more fertilizer on the soil surface after planting.
Be sure to check the pH range of the soil in your container. Pumpkin prefers acidity between 6 and 7.2.
Plant pumpkin or seedling seeds in containers.
In most cases, it is best to sow the seeds directly in the pot rather than transplant. If you buy seedlings, be sure to move them to the original location and plant them very quickly to prevent transplant shock.
Plant pumpkin or seedling seeds in containers. If you do this indoors, try using biodegradable pots. This makes it easier to plant the seedlings because you do not need to remove the seedlings from the planting tray.
Plant 3 or 4 seeds in each pot, plant each seed 1-2 cm deep in the soil. If you plant them deeper, it will be harder for them to come out of the soil. It usually takes 5 to 10 days for the seeds to germinate. Then, depending on the size, remove the weakest seedlings when the second set of true leaves appears.
6- Creating a support system
Consider the overall size of these plants. You need to install a strong and large fence that can support the pumpkin plant. You do not want to be frustrated if you cannot get the right pitch so invest in a good capo.
As the fruits grow, you will need to make slings to hold them. Otherwise, they will hang and potentially destroy the fruit.
How to care for pumpkins in pots
Frequent watering is essential.
One of the things you need to do is water your plants as soon as possible. Just like a melon or a pumpkin.
Pumpkin loves moist soil, so water it thoroughly and regularly. At the same time, you need to make sure that you are watering at the base level and that the water does not reach the foliage of the plant.
Mulch around plants
Mulching pumpkin plants is a great idea. Do this when your plants are a few inches tall. Mulching helps pumpkin plants grow because it slows down the evaporation of water from the soil and retains more moisture. It can also lower soil temperature in late spring and keep the soil a little cooler in summer.
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