Plan now for the perfect pumpkin
Home & Garden Tips
By Roosevelt McWilliams County Extension Agent

Pumpkins have become the Christmas trees of fall festivals, and Easter bunnies of Halloween.

From Jack-olanterns to the formal centerpiece, pumpkins are a focal point of autumn.

If you want the perfect

p u m p k i n

come October, start planning now. To grow your own great pumpkin, first choose the variety you want, so you can go ahead and order your seed. Pumpkins come in all sizes, ranging from a few ounces to well over 100 pounds. The world record tops over 1,000 pounds.

You should make sure you prepare the soil. Turn the soil first, then till it deep. Incorporate about 1 pound of 10-10-10 per 1,000 square feet during you final tilling and form a well-tilled, smooth seed bed. The soil pH should be between 6.2-6.6. Incorporate lime few weeks before planting to adjust soil pH. If you start with lowpH soil, you'll be disappointed.

The planting spacing will depend on your vine type. As a rule of thumb, plant rows of pumpkins 8-12 feet apart. With vining types, plant the hills about 4 feet apart. Space hills at 32 inches for semi vine types and 2 feet for bush types.

You should plant so your harvest will begin by mid-October. Southern-grown pumpkins don't store well, so planting them early is no real advantage.

Pumpkin varieties will be ready for harvest in 85 to 120 days. The hot Georgia climate makes them mature about 10 days faster than the number on the package. Decide when you want to harvest and count backward to find the planting time. You may want to plant a few days earlier than that just to be safe.

Once they're in the ground, managing pumpkins is critical. Keep the area well-watered, but not really wet. After about three weeks, apply another pound of 10- 10-10 per 100 square feet by scattering around the plants (not right on them). Apply another pound just before the vines start to run.

Watch for pests and diseases, and apply appropriate insecticides or fungicides if they show up. But don't hurt the bees. Pumpkins need them for pollination.