Grow your own Pumpkins

Your children will love watching pumpkins grow in the garden, so it’s a good idea to involve them from the start when growing this versatile vegetable.

Step-by-step guide for successful pumpkin growing :

1. Place a few pumpkin seeds (available at our three branches at Bellville, Kenilworth and Milnerton) between two damp layers of kitchen towel.
2. Place this parcel in a plastic container and leave it in the cupboard. Ask your children to keep the parcel moist (but not soggy) and to check every few days whether the seeds have sprouted.
3. Once the seeds have sprouted, plant them in a sunny, sheltered spot in your garden – where the soil drains well. Plant the seeds about 5cm deep and about 60cm apart, as pumpkin plants tend to become very big.
4. Water regularly and feed with a slow release fertiliser like 2:3:2. Keep the soil well mulched to prevent moisture loss in the hot summer months.
5. Once several pumpkins start to grow from one plant, remove a few of them if you want to grow fewer, bigger pumpkins.
6. Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the skin is tough. Use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin stalk off the main vine, taking care not to damage the plant.

Did you know? Pumpkins need sunlight to ripen, so it’s best to cut off any leaves that are shading the pumpkins as they grow.