Found on Canadian Gardening.
1. Prepare the pumpkin patch
It’s best to start preparing the pumpkin patch in the fall. Designate a spot that is six feet by six feet, level and in full sun. Compost, manure, shredded leaves, dried grass clippings and natural additives like granular humic acid fertilizer, kelp meal, corn meal and even molasses all help! The soil and additives should then be mixed together and allowed to sit over the winter. Giant pumpkin growers have their soil tested in the spring to see if anything needs to be tweaked before the final tilling of the pumpkin patch.
2. Sowing the seeds
For a head start, start your pumpkin seeds indoors in mid-April. Dills Atlantic Giant variety are known as the best seeds to use when growing a giant pumpkin. Plant individual seeds in four-inch peat pots filled with lightly moistened soil. Place the pots in a warm, sunny location and keep them moist. The seeds will sprout within three to five days.
3. Transplant the seedlings
Once the seeds have sprouted and the first true leaves appear, it’s time to transplant the seedlings outside. The pumpkin plants are extremely delicate, and care must be taken when transitioning them outdoors. Don’t remove the plant from the pot; you risk damaging the roots. Dig a hole and place the peat pot directly into the soil; the pot will eventually break down.
4. Shelter your plants
To keep your plant sheltered, a mini greenhouse can be used to keep the plants warm. Pumpkin professionals use ground-heating cables to keep the soil warm and toasty in early spring. Once the cool spring mornings have passed, the greenhouse or cables can be removed. Wind barriers around the plants help seedlings who have shallow roots which prevents them from anchoring into the soil. Once the plants have had enough time to establish themselves in their new home, the barriers can be removed.
5. Keep your pumpkin patch weed-free
By eliminating weeds throughout the growing season, you’ll help prevent insects and other diseases from potentially spreading to your vines.
6. Pollinate the flowers
In late June or early July, flowers needs to be pollinated in order for pumpkins to develop. It's best to hand-pollinate the female flowers with male flowers from other plants. How do you tell? If there is a small bulb resembling a tiny pumpkin, then it's female. If the bulb is missing, then the flower is male.
7. Choose your champion pumpkin
Check your vines every few days to see when new pumpkins are developing. In the beginning of July, choose one or two of the fastest-growing pumpkins and remove all of the others from the vine. By thinning out the crop, you’ll be directing all the energy and nutrients from the plant to your potential champion.
8. Caring for your vines
Home gardeners need to be wary of several pests and diseases. Animals like raccoons, chipmunks, and moles may eat or mark the pumpkins. Insect pests like cucumber beetles, aphids, squash vine borers among other insects can also wreak havoc on the plants. By being vigilant, you’ll be able to deal with any pests and diseases before an invasion occurs.
9. Feed and fertilize
Since pumpkins have shallow roots, the plants need a generous amount of water, especially during the hot summer months. It’s best to water them in the early evening, but allow the plants to dry out before nightfall. If the moisture is not kept even, the pumpkin might split after a heavy rainfall, which can cause a growth spurt. Giant pumpkins have an unquenchable thirst, and some of these monsters can use as much as 100 gallons of water a day during peak growing season. On average, giant pumpkins grow about 30 pounds a day, but some giants can gain as much as 60 pounds in twenty-four hours. Pumpkin growers fertilize their plants with liquid kelp and fish, molasses, humic and fulvic acid, and calcium, as well as homemade compost teas, which are very easy to brew.
10. Harvest your giant pumpkin
When the weather starts to get cold, you’re ready to harvest your giant pumpkin. The last thing you want after all your hard work is to leave your pumpkin on the vine to freeze. Competitive growers continue to grow their pumpkins into September and October, or until the weekend of the official weigh-in.
The secret to growing a giant pumpkin is patience and constant attention.
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