Pumpkins
By Val Whitmyre, U. C. Master Gardener
Pumpkin
It's fun and easy to grow pumpkins as long as they have sunlight, heat, fertilizer, and lots of water and space. But I found out the hard way that mice love pumpkin seeds. If you bait for mice, be sure the poison is out of reach of your pets.
Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes cucumbers, gourds, melons and luffahs. Acorn squash, delicata squash and spaghetti squash are closely related to pumpkin; they're different varieties of the same species.
Pumpkins figure in legends and fairy tales from all over the world. We all know the tale of Cinderella, whose fairy godmother changed a pumpkin, probably a 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes' variety, into a magnificent carriage; and the tale of the headless horseman, whose head turned out to be a jack-o'-lantern. Then there was Peter, who put his wife in a pumpkin shell and kept her there. It must have been an 'Atlantic Giant.'
Tradition associates pumpkins with Halloween, the eve of All Hallows, a feast day that celebrates all known and unknown saints. Our practice of burning a candle in the pumpkin derives from the tradition of burning large bonfires on All Hallows to frighten away evil spirits. The eerie jack-o'-lantern firelight both frightens and delights children, so it is great fun for them to plant a pumpkin of their very own.
For a Halloween-type of pumpkin, try these seeds: 'Ghostrider,' 'Jack O' Lantern,' 'Connecticut Field,' 'Spirit' or 'Rocket.' All have sturdy flesh and stems and are good for carving.
Two of my favorite pumpkins are 'Cinderella's Carriage' and 'Jack Be Little.' Julia Child used both as part of her holiday dinner menu, stuffing them with a savory dressing. Children like the individual pumpkins with their little "hats."
'Cinderella's Carriage' is a vibrant red-orange flat pumpkin, both edible and decorative, similar to 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes,' but smaller. 'Jack Be Little' pumpkins may be used as candle holders, place cards or soup bowls. They are among the smallest, at four inches across and two inches high. Other small pumpkins are 'Munchkin' and 'Sweetie Pie,' the tiniest, at three inches by two inches.
Try growing your own pumpkins next spring. Prepare the soil now, by layering newspaper over the bed. Cover the newspaper with layers of compost and manure. Billions of microorganisms will go to work breaking down these materials, leaving your soil more friable and ready to plant next spring, when all danger of frost has passed.
If the soil is not yet warm when want to plant, start your seeds in four-inch containers. Keep them in a sunny, protected spot.
If you are direct seeding, remember that pumpkins need six to eight hours of sunlight, plus room to trail and set more roots. Dig in as much compost or manure as you can, then space the seeds according to directions on the seed packet. When the stems begin to trail, direct their growth where you want them to go. Anchor the stems so they will root along the way. If you are growing for size, thin the fruits to the desired number. Bait for snails and slugs. Leave pumpkins on the vine to mature as long as possible.
Pumpkins have male and female flowers on the same plant and are cross pollinators, so it's best not to save seed to plant the following year. The offspring may not look anything like what you expected. Instead, roast the seeds for a tasty treat.
Powdery mildew and mosaic virus (crinkled leaves) may attack the leaves and interrupt the photosynthesis that is vital for healthy growth. Cut off the gray, moldy, patched leaves and destroy or put into the recycling bin, not the compost pile.
Enjoy pumpkin in soups, breads, dressings, stews, ice cream and pies. To buy sample packets of seeds, write to Le Jardin du Gourmet, PO Box 75, St. Johnsbury Center, Vermont, 05863-0075, and request a catalog.