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Pirton Pumpkin Club |
How to Grow a Giant Pumpkin by 2 King Pumpkins
Growing Pumpkins My Way - Fred West (King Pumpkin 2003)
Sow seeds in a in a pot with good compost, from mid April to mid May, ideally
at a temperature of about 70°F.
Once seedlings have germinated lower the temperature to 60 - 65°F, keeping compost damp at all times. Keep in full daylight and pot on when plant roots reach side of pot.
Plant out in open ground at the end of May or beginning of June. The plants must be covered to protect against wind and frost until plants are strong and always protect against wind.
Ideally the space needed to grow a large pumpkin is about 6 feet by 15 feet. It is always best to grow 2 plants and select the best one.
The ground benefits from a good dressing of "muck" and left as light as possible. Do not walk on it if at all possible after planting out.
You can start to feed the plant from the time you set it out. Feed with a high nitrogen feed for about 5 weeks and then a good general feed. Good luck, see you at the show.
Joe Titmuss (King Pumpkin 1994)
So you want to be King Pumpkin and enjoy all the esteem and privileges that this
honour can bring? Follow my advice and you might just make it.
So your seeds individually in pots on St George's Day and keep them nice and
warm. Germination will be so rapid that by Ascension Day you should have some
nice strong plants. Whilst this is happening prepare you pumpkin patch by
digging in copious quantities of ferret dung and feathers. Excavate a hole 2
feet square and 2 feet deep and fill with old unwashed smelly socks.
Replace the soil and allow to settle before planting your best pumpkin plant on
top of it on Fathers Day. You must be prepared to protect it if a late frost in
forecast - cover with a cardboard carton will be fine. As the weather warms up
growth will be rapid so that by that late summer holiday you should have several
small pumpkins on your plant.
Select the one that you intend to grow on, remove a male flower and pick off the
petals, insert it into the female flower on top of the pumpkin of your choice,
wiggle and shake it about - this will make sure your pumpkin is well fertilised.
Within a few days your pumpkin will visibly start to swell at which time you
remove all the other small pumpkins from the plant, as well any that appear
later.
Come the night when the moon is new
Sprinkle your plant with heavily dew
Please don't miss a single flower
And do it at the witching hour
Folks might call you "Country Bumpkin"
Answer with a winning pumpkin
Keep your finger crossed, water regularly, feed weekly with Guinness and miracle grow and who knows, come Yorn Kippur you could have a pumpkin which needs a fork lift truck to remove it from your garden. Good Luck!
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