pumpkins in cental fl

[Redbeard]

hey y'all I want to try out pumpkins this year for my boys. have you guys had better luck with any specific kind? thanks oh We live around Plant city if that helps

[airdrop]

I'd say get an heirloom that is mold resistant , you'll be able to use the seeds next year . Southernmom might be a good advisor

[southernmom]

oh now you are in my favorite territory....
Are you growing for food or for fall decorations?
For food go with seminole pumpkins, they don't have the 'pumpkin' look but they are a hardy, tasty, amazing florida friendly winter squash that is amazing. Also look int Carolina or North GA roasters or Pink banana squash along with butternut squash, etc. I could talk all day about winter squash they are an amazing calorie crop.

But if it is just for 'looks' then any of the pumpkin variety will do. Actually most halloween pumpkins grown in the south are grown in florida....make sure you build up a mound of really great composted soil as they can be heavy feeders. water well...also look for leaf vine borers when they are growing. Also, it doesn't matter if you plant these dang pumpkins in a field full of beehives, get out there and hand pollinate them. Any other questions just ask.

[Redbeard]

Southernmom We are mainly looking for looks. I have Seminole heirloom seeds that I'm debating planting along a fence line next to my shed. Have you grown many pumpkins? Can you use a porus weed cloth to help keep weeds down before they take off? Im not sure my raised garden beds will be large enough to handle the sprawl of a pumpkin. any other tips on pumpkins let me know. My 3 year old boys loved pumpkins this last year and would love to watch them grow.

[southernmom]

Southernmom We are mainly looking for looks. I have Seminole heirloom seeds that I'm debating planting along a fence line next to my shed. Have you grown many pumpkins? Can you use a porus weed cloth to help keep weeds down before they take off? Im not sure my raised garden beds will be large enough to handle the sprawl of a pumpkin. any other tips on pumpkins let me know. My 3 year old boys loved pumpkins this last year and would love to watch them grow.

I have grown a fair bit-not fields but certainly enough to have an idea what they need and what grows in this area. When I was growing up we used to grow some of those huge ones growing up and the way to do that is to baby them-get rid of all the other little fruits along the same plant so all the effort goes into one big fruit.

Your best bet is to make mounds-large composted mounds and let them sprawl over the grass and just weed-eat around them. That is the lazy way. You can also use weed barrier but I haven't had much success with that. You can solarize a ground area this summer by laying down old feed bags or cardboard and anchoring it with rocks to prepare a bed for your fall and winter garden (and have it prepared for next spring) but doing that will draw ants-they go away when you start planting but the covered ground draws them for some reason.
I would also recommend that when you get a little punkin growing get it off the ground on a brick or cinder block to keep it pretty.

Or you could do it this way-vertical. Get a cattle panel and make an arch and let the vines climb all over that or even just installed between 2 posts like a wall and let the vines scramble up instead of along the ground. Works great for the seminoles and butternut and smaller squashes. For larger pumpkins you can work up a sling made out of stocking or something to support the growing fruit and that works. I grew all my butternuts this way this past season and they got pretty heavy but did fine. Connecticut field pumpkins might be what you would want to grow. That and a few jack o lantern large ones. Tan Cheese pumpkins are very rustic and lovely and add variety as well.
Experiment!
I would also suggest to chunk up the ground to get this tool I am linking. it is by far my absolute favorite gardening tool and I would never be without it or my 3 pronged cultivator/forked garden tool.

http://www.easydigging.com/pointed-hoe.html

[Redbeard]

awesome! Thank you very much this will be a fun experiment for all of us!

[roach2654]

IMG_6556.jpg Grandson learning where his food comes from !

[roach2654]

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