You do not need to be a Chemistry major to understand the basics of fertilizers for your garden. Fertilizer packages and containers display the three major chemicals on front of the package. It looks like this:.

And it stands for: Nitrogen — Phosphorous — Potassium. On fertilizer packages, these numbers are displayed I. Depending upon the growth stage of your pumpkin, you should seek higher or lower levels of these chemicals.

Nitrogen Apply higher concentrations of Nitrogen in the early growth stage. High levels of nitrogen result in a lush, green plant.

Of the three major chemicals, nitrogen can also provide the most damage, as it can burn your plants. Avoid direct contact to leaves and vines. If you have ever put too much fertilizer on a section of lawn, and see it burn out, you already understand the effects.

Too much nitrogen also can reduce or delay the emergence and the number of flowers and fruit. If your plant is growing well, and is a healthy green, but yet has no flowers, stop adding nitrogen for a week or two.

Also, extremes of nitrogen can cause wilting due to burning of your plants. Phosphorous As the season moves towards the flowering and fruit set stage, switch to a formula higher in Phosphorous. If you do not want to worry too much about what fertilizer to use, this is a good overall ratio for the entire year.

Phosphorous promotes root growth, flowering, and fruit set. Phosphorous is more forgiving, as it does not burn your plants. It is also less water soluble, so an over-application will not do major harm to your plant.

Potassium This chemical promotes fruit growth and health. After fruit set, you should either switch to a high potassium fertilizer, or supplement your feedings with extra potassium. Like Phosphorous, Potassium will not burn your plants.

Take it easy early in the fruit development stage, especially if you are a new grower. Remember, to avoid over application, and not to overlook the other essentials ……good soil and plenty of water.

Use these same techniques on all of your vegetable and fruit gardens. There are some exceptions to the proportions. But overall a general fertilization plan will benefit all crops.

For exceptions, you should research individual plants. This applies to any plant growth whether it be a vegetable, a tree, a flower or weeds. Just read a box of liquid fertilizer, and you will see the chemicals and trace elements.

Some of these are likely to be in your soil already. It all depends on what type of soil you have, whether these elements are readily soluble, and whether they have been depleted through years of growing.

Look at micro-nutrients as multi-vitamins for your plants ,as that is exactly what they are. You take regular, daily vitamins for good health. Your plants need them, too. Liquid Fertilizers are favored by almost all gardeners, regardless of what they are growing.

We praise the glory of liquid fertilizers. It can be applied as a foliar feeding directly to the leaves, hand applied to secondary roots, and included in the water supply of drip or other irrigation systems.

Most growers will go through a box or two each season. When growing giant pumpkins, many growers apply it every time they water. Aside from cost and it is not that much , liquid fertilizers have almost no downside. They include all the chemicals and micro-nutrients needed for good growth.

In addition, because they are in a water soluble state, they can easily be absorbed by the plant. One limitation is that it is often difficult to find a mixture other than the normal average which is usually something like If you want to stress one chemical over the other, it is hard to find a different mixture.

Secondly, because it is dissolved in water it flows through the soil, and must be frequently applied. Conservation Assessment Prioritization System CAPS. North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative. Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine. Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture.

Pesticide Education. UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst Open UMass Global Links Menu Visit Apply Give Search UMass. Back to top Pumpkins and Squash - growing tips. Pumpkins and Squash. Soil Preparation Pumpkins and squash can be grown successfully on almost any good soil where they will receive full sunlight throughout the day.

Lime and Fertilizing Pumpkins and squash prefer a pH range of 6. Natural Fertilizers Natural fertilizers can be very effective when the right choice is made from the many types available. Planting Squash and pumpkins are frost tender and should not be planted until the soil is warm and the danger of frost is past.

The following steps may be used for planting squash and pumpkins: Apply two to three bushels of organic matter such as well rotted manure or compost per square feet prior to planting. Apply recommended amounts of lime. Rototill into the soil. Broadcast recommended amounts of fertilizer prior to planting and work into soil.

Follow these suggestions for spacing: Bush: Rows four to six feet apart; single plants fifteen to eighteen inches apart in the row. Weed Control Cultivation should be shallow when the weeds are small to avoid damaging plant roots.

Watering For good growth, squash and pumpkins require at least one inch of water per week. Pests The principal insect pests are squash vine borers, aphids and squash bugs. Other Problems Problem: Lots of flowers on squash but little fruit set. Harvesting Summer squash, which is consumer in the immature state, is best harvested when three to six inches long.

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NetId Login. Seal of The University of Massachusetts Amherst - Nitrogen promotes green growth, making for plenty of vines and leaves. Apply a weekly nitrogen-heavy fertilizer early in the growing season to produce a healthy plant.

Once the flowers start to form, switch to a phosphorus-heavy fertilizer for plentiful blossoms. When the actual pumpkins appear, use a potassium-rich fertilizer for healthy fruit.

Fertilizer is important, but sometimes a little can go a long way. Nitrogen promotes growth, but if you add too much, you risk burning your leaves or reducing flower growth.

Apply your fertilizer in moderation and wait to see what results a little gets you before adding a lot. Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our most popular eBook "How to Grow Delicious Tomatoes.

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After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers. We round up the most romantic houseplants for your loved one.

This will allow the vine to easily move upward as the pumpkin grows. Pumpkins long in shape tend to push the vine forward, resulting in a kink. If this happens, slide the pumpkin back about 4 to 5 inches—this is usually necessary when the pumpkin is about pounds.

Pumpkins round in shape are difficult to rotate without damaging the stem. To protect the pumpkin from direct sunlight, construct a shade out of burlap or other lightweight material.

A plain white bedsheet draped over the pumpkin with the stem exposed will also suffice. This will prevent premature hardening of the outer skin and will allow the pumpkin to reach its full genetic potential in terms of physical size.

The day will finally come that you will want to harvest and move your pumpkin either to a weigh-in or to be displayed. Pumpkins on the smaller end of the weight scale under pounds can be moved with a heavy-duty tarp and the help of some friends.

Giant pumpkins approaching pounds will need a different type of technique to move and transport them. There are several types of lifting frames and straps that can be constructed to use with skid loaders and tractor mounted front-end loaders.

Smaller pumpkins can be transported in the bed of a pickup truck. Wider pumpkins will require a trailer with straps to securely move and transport your prize pumpkin to the weigh-in or other destinations. Homeowner's Guide to Fungicides.

University of Kentucky Fact Sheet PPFS-GEN Available at plantpathology. Langevin, Don. How-To-Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins. Norton, MA: Annedawn Publishing. Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers.

Lafayette, IN: Purdue University. Available at extensionpubs. Special thanks to Jim Jasinski, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Champaign County, for his review and updates to the disease and insect portion of this fact sheet.

Original author: David Mangione, Pickaway County, Ohio State University Extension. Originally published in CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis.

For more information, visit cfaesdiversity. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes. Skip to main content. Growing Giant Pumpkins in the Home Garden How to Successfully Grow a Giant Pumpkin in Your Backyard.

Agriculture and Natural Resources. Mike Estadt, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Pickaway County. Liggett —This is the surname of the person who grew the pumpkin. Site Selection and Planting Growing space in the garden is important.

Fertilizer and Lime A soil test is recommended in the fall to address issues related to pH, and whether soil amendments such as lime and other macronutrients need applied prior to spring planting. Planting and Space Requirements Growing giant pumpkins requires an early start. Irrigation Pumpkins are shallow rooted, so water slowly with at least 1 inch of water per week if rainfall is not adequate.

Cultural If planting is done in a well-prepared bed, weeds will seldom be a problem and can be controlled by hand weeding or hoeing. Windbreaks Windbreaks are necessary to protect young plants from being "wind whipped" prior to becoming fully rooted.

Insects and Diseases The site where you plant should only be used once every three years to reduce the incidence of insect and disease pressure. Pollination Although hand pollination is the preferred method to fruit setting, natural pollination by honey bees, squash bees, and bumble bees will work well.

Stem Stress Because of the size and fast growth of these pumpkins, training vines and root pruning is important. Shade To protect the pumpkin from direct sunlight, construct a shade out of burlap or other lightweight material. Harvesting and Moving Your Pumpkin The day will finally come that you will want to harvest and move your pumpkin either to a weigh-in or to be displayed.

References Homeowner's Guide to Fungicides. Cause: Poor pollination. Summer squash, which is consumer in the immature state, is best harvested when three to six inches long.

At this stage, summer squash is tender, crisp and has good flavor. It should be harvested two to three time per week, depending on the weather. Summer squash is best when eaten fresh but can be kept a few days in the refrigerator.

Winter squash can be tested for maturity using the pressure from the thumbnail on the fruit exterior. If the skin is hard and impervious to scratching, the fruit is mature. Pumpkins are usually allowed to remain in the garden until frost destroys the vines or the vines deteriorate.

Pumpkins and winter squash can be stored for several months if properly cured. This means the fruit should be mature and carefully handled at harvest. After harvest, they should be placed in an area with temperatures of 80 to 85°F for ten days then transferred to a cool dry place preferably with temperatures of 50 to 60oF and relative humidity of 50 to 60 percent.

In storage, the fruit must be well ventilated, not piled on each other. Agricultural Experiment Station. Commercial Horticulture. Environmental Conservation. Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory. Conservation Assessment Prioritization System CAPS. North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative.

Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine. Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture. Pesticide Education. UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst Open UMass Global Links Menu Visit Apply Give Search UMass. Back to top Pumpkins and Squash - growing tips. Pumpkins and Squash.

Soil Preparation Pumpkins and squash can be grown successfully on almost any good soil where they will receive full sunlight throughout the day. Lime and Fertilizing Pumpkins and squash prefer a pH range of 6. Natural Fertilizers Natural fertilizers can be very effective when the right choice is made from the many types available.

Planting Squash and pumpkins are frost tender and should not be planted until the soil is warm and the danger of frost is past. The following steps may be used for planting squash and pumpkins: Apply two to three bushels of organic matter such as well rotted manure or compost per square feet prior to planting.

Apply recommended amounts of lime. Rototill into the soil. Thin the mounds after emergence to two plants. Transplant pumpkin 2 feet apart through black plastic for early maturity.

Use row covers to protect the plants when planting before the frost-free period. After the vines develop runners, side dress with additional nitrogen fertilizer. Irrigation should be deep and infrequent. Plastic and organic mulches help conserve water and reduce weeding.

Do not apply organic mulches until soils have warmed to 75ºF. Control insect and diseases throughout the year. Harvest pumpkins when the skin is hard and not easily broken when pressure is applied with a fingernail. Autumn Gold, Connecticut Field, and Spirit Hybrid are large lb fruited orange pumpkins that can be used for pies and carving.

Jack Be Little, Wee-B-Little and Baby Bear are small 0. Lumina is a medium lb white-skinned pumpkin used for painting. Big Max and Big Moon can produce fruits that weigh in excess of pounds. There are many other good pumpkin varieties for sale at local gardening outlets and through seed catalogs.

Most grow well in Utah. Pumpkins prefer organic, rich, well-drained, sandy soils for best growth. Most soils in Utah will grow pumpkins provided the soils are well drained.

Before planting, determine fertilizer needs with a soil test and then follow the recommendations given with the test report. If fertilizer applications are warranted, work the fertilizer into the top 6 inches of soil. If you fertilize with compost, apply no more than 1 inch of well-composted organic matter per square feet of garden area.

Pumpkins can be grown from seed or transplants. Seed should be planted inches deep. Transplants should have three to four mature leaves and a well-developed root system. Pumpkins should be planted when soils are 65ºF or after frost danger has past.

Plant four to six seeds in mounds 4 feet apart. After they have two leaves, thin to two plants per mound. Transplants should be planted feet apart in the row with rows feet apart. Avoid damaging the roots when planting which slows establishment and growth.

Black plastic mulch warms the soil, conserves water, and helps control weeds. Plastic mulches allow earlier planting and maturity, especially with transplants.

Lay down the plastic, secure the edges with soil, and cut holes for the seeds or transplants. When using plastic mulches and row covers, seeds or plants can be set out two weeks before the last frost. Do not apply organic mulches until soils are warmer than 75ºF. Grass clippings, straw, newspapers, etc.

Hotcaps, plastic tunnels and fabric covers protect seedlings and transplants from cool air temperatures. Row covers enhance growth and early maturity. Covers need to be removed when plants start to flower or when temperatures exceed 90ºF.

Water deeply and infrequently, inches per week. Use drip irrigation if possible. Mulch around the plants will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Irrigate so that moisture goes deeply into the soil. Reduce watering amounts as the fruits ripen.

After the vines develop runners, side dress with a nitrogen fertilizer using tablespoons per plant or mound. Incorporate the fertilizer at least 6 inches away from the plant.