Pumpkin

1. 1

   Sow seed indoors

   Late April to early May. Set one seed on its side in a 9 cm pot of multi-purpose compost. 18–22°C on a windowsill or in a propagator. Germination in 5–7 days. Pumpkin seedlings grow fast — don't sow too early.

2. 2

   Prepare a rich sunny bed

   Full sun, sheltered from wind, rich moisture-retentive soil. Fork in two barrowloads of well-rotted manure or compost per planting station. Pumpkins are exceptionally hungry — poor soil gives small fruit.

3. 3

   Harden off and plant out

   After the last frost. 7–10 days of hardening off. Plant on a slight mound (helps drainage); space 1.5 m apart for standard cultivars, 1 m for compact bush types.

4. 4

   Water deeply

   Water deeply twice a week through summer; pumpkins are thirsty. Mulch heavily with straw or grass clippings to hold moisture and keep developing fruit off bare soil.

5. 5

   Feed weekly from flowering

   A weekly high-potash liquid feed from the first flowers helps fruit set and ripening. Skip the feed if the plant is producing more leaves than flowers; switch to nothing or potash-only.

6. 6

   Limit fruit per plant for big pumpkins

   Each plant can set 4–6 fruit if left to itself; for bigger pumpkins, pinch out all but 2–3 fruits per plant. For show-stoppers (Atlantic Giant), one fruit per plant gets all the energy.

7. 7

   Put a board or straw under each fruit

   As fruit develops on the ground, slip a wooden board or thick straw layer underneath. Stops the bottom rotting on damp soil and discourages slugs.

8. 8

   Pick when stem is corky

   Usually mid-October. Test ripeness: the stem should be corky and brown; the shell should sound hollow when tapped; the colour should be fully developed for the variety. Cut with 5–10 cm of stem attached.

9. 9

   Cure for storage

   Lay pumpkins in the sun or under cold glass for 2 weeks to harden the skin and seal the stem. Cured pumpkins store 4–6 months at 10–15°C in a cool dry place. Uncured fruit rots in storage.

Powdery mildew is common; squash vine borer in some regions. Slugs eat young plants.