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Pumpkin is a fairly common vegetable grown in the vast gardens of our country. The cultivation of this crop can be carried out in several ways: seedling and seedless method. In choosing a growing method, the climatic conditions of growth, as well as the plant variety, play an important role. This article will focus on the seedling method of growing pumpkins. Here you will learn about when to plant seeds for seedlings and how to prepare them for planting.
Pumpkin planting dates
Pumpkin is a fairly thermophilic plant, since South America is considered its homeland. Therefore, in some regions, certain difficulties may arise with its cultivation. This is especially true for the northern regions, where the crop may not have time to ripen before the onset of the first frost. In this situation, the solution will be to accelerate the growth process of the plant, which is achieved by planting seedlings, and not seeds, in the ground.
The timing of planting seeds for seedlings is determined by the following parameters:
- climatic features of the place where the plant grows;
- biological characteristics of varieties. To date, the pumpkin is early-, medium- and late-ripening. Depending on the type of variety, the ripening time of the crop and the period of planting seeds for seedlings differ.
Therefore, the answer to the question “when to plant?” depends entirely on these two parameters. Often, the range of time when seeds should be sown for seedlings is from April 20 to May. But some gardeners argue that the best time to plant seeds for growing seedlings is early May. This choice of time is explained by the fact that the pumpkin has its own requirements for soil temperature. The soil should have a temperature not lower than + 16-18 ° С. In this case, frosts can severely damage the planted seedlings.
Therefore, seedlings can be planted in open ground as early as late May – early June. In this case, it is necessary to plant seeds based on the calculation that it should take about 25-30 days to grow full-fledged seedlings. Therefore, the optimal time for the seeds to take root well and give strong seedlings is May, when the soil is already warm enough and frosts at night are excluded. Although in different regions, depending on climatic conditions, this can all move to the end of April.
Video “The most delicious varieties”
Seed preparation
An important point in the seedling method of growing any crops is the correct preparation of seedlings. For pumpkins, seeds must also be prepared before planting. So you will significantly increase their adaptability to growth in open ground and speed up the process of emergence of the first shoots.
Pumpkin seeds should be planted in pots only after the following preparation:
- for seedlings, only full and healthy seeds should be selected, without visible damage. Also, they should not be affected by infections or frostbite;
- Next, the seeds need to be warmed up. Heating lasts for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 60°C. Without preheating, a friendly shoot can not be expected;
- in addition, it is necessary to increase the resistance of seed to various diseases and adverse environmental conditions. To do this, before you plant the seeds, they need to be treated with a stimulant. For pumpkin, you can use potassium humate (200 ml of the substance is added per 4 ml of water), krezacin (1 tablet per 100 ml of water is enough) or epin (100-2 drops are added per 7 ml of water). Instead, you can use ordinary wood ash (2 tablespoons are diluted in 1 liter of warm water).
In addition, seeds to increase their germination can be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (the solution should be pink) or in plain warm water. When using a solution of potassium permanganate, seedlings are placed in it for 12 hours. In this case, you need to change the water every 4 hours.
After the procedures described above, pumpkin seeds must be put to dry or can be sown immediately. But it is better to skip them through the germination procedure. To do this, the seedling material is wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a saucer. Instead of a saucer, they can be placed in a box with scalded sawdust. In boxes, bundles should be laid out in 2-3 layers.
Wet wipes should be placed between the layers of pumpkin seeds, alternating them with bundles. After that, a box with seedlings is placed in a warm place. After 2-3 days you will be able to see the first sprouts, which will be quite strong.
There is another method for preparing pumpkin seedlings:
- wrap the seeds with a bandage or gauze and place for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate;
- after that, we wash the seed well;
- then we place the seeds in water, to which you can add growth stimulants (a couple of drops) or a tablespoon of ash. In this nutrient medium, the inoculum should be kept for 12 hours;
- after that we put them in a saucer with boiled water and put them in the refrigerator for one night. The temperature in the refrigerator should be + 3-5 ° C. This is how the selected seed is hardened.
When to Plant Seedlings
It is necessary to plant the resulting seedlings when they reach the age of 25-30 days. Do not exceed the age of sunrises more than 30 days. This can reduce the survival rate of seedlings. It is also not recommended to hurry with planting in open ground, especially if seedlings will be grown in the northern regions of the country. It is better to overexpose the seedlings a little if you are not sure about the absence of night frosts. Otherwise, all your work may go down the drain, and frost will destroy all the planted seedlings.
As you can see, the answer to the question “when is the best time to plant pumpkin seedlings?” will be ambiguous. But often favorable climatic conditions occur at the end of May. If the seeds were planted at the end of April, then by this time the seedlings will be strong enough for planting in open ground. At the same time, the entrances must have a sufficiently developed root system so that the sprout can be planted in a hole up to 10 cm deep.
If you approach the issue wisely, then getting high-quality pumpkin seedlings will be quite simple. In addition, with the seedling method, you will get a crop a little earlier than with the seedless method of growing. And this is another plus.
Video “How to grow a big pumpkin”
This video is a practical guide for those who want to grow a large pumpkin in their garden. Useful and actionable tips – that’s what you will find in the video.
