How to Be a Pumpkin Farmer
- 1). Plow the land where you plan to grow pumpkins. Apply insecticides to the soil only if you are not getting into organic gardening and if your town allows chemical insecticides. This will kill harmful insects living in the ground, such as squash vine borers, wireworms and nematodes.
- 2). Check the pH of your soil because pumpkins thrive when the pH is between 6.0 and 6.5. If it is too low, add lime to raise the pH. Do this at least three months before you plant pumpkin seeds. If your pH is too high, add compost or sulfur a few months before planting.
- 3). Calculate how many pumpkin vines will fit on your farm land. One pumpkin hill needs a minimum of 50 square feet, so space hills 5 to 12 feet apart. If you have a patch of land that is 100-feet wide and 100-feet deep, you will fit a maximum of 20 hills per row and column.
- 4). Make sure you have a system set up for irrigation. Pumpkins need lots of water during their growth cycle. In areas with little rain, your vines may die if they go too long without water. Sprinklers work in small pumpkin farms, but if you're growing acres of pumpkins, you need an irrigation system that reaches all plants on a regular basis.
- 5). Wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting. Pumpkin seeds need warm soil for germination and proper growth. If the temperatures are still cool, invest in black mulching plastic to help retain heat at night while the seeds germinate.
- 6). Check the growth of new pumpkin vines daily. Visit each plant and check for insect pests, particularly squash bugs. If you see any signs of them, spray with a vegetable-safe insecticide or remove them by hand. Once the plants have leaves, check the underside for orange egg casings. If you see any, scrape away the eggs with a sharp knife and dispose of them in a jar full of soapy water.
- 7). Monitor the growth of pumpkins daily. As fall nears, pumpkins start turning from green to orange. Gently rotate pumpkins every few days so each side receives exposure to the sun. This ensures the entire pumpkin turns orange. Be careful not to bend or pinch the vine during this process.
- 8). Harvest pumpkins after the first light frost or when the vines die. Use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin from the vine. Protect them from heavy dew or rainfall or they may rot before you sell them.
- 9). Consider how you plan to sell your pumpkin crop. Roadside stands work well for small farms, but large pumpkin farms usually sell to grocery stores in bulk. If you use a roadside stand or set up a pick-your-own-pumpkin format, you will need extra help during the busy weeks leading up to Halloween.
- 10
Clear fields of pumpkin vines as soon as you're done harvesting. Leaving the vines in place increases the risk of harmful nematodes and other insect pests that damage pumpkin vines. Plow the fields before winter sets in.
