Growing Pumpkins is an Easy Way to Introduce Gardening to Your Kids

Kids love Halloween. But they don’t necessarily like the preparation. Growing pumpkins is an easy way to introduce gardening for kids and getting them involved in the hard work. The kids won’t be able to help buy want to participate in baking pies and carving outrageous faces! Growing your own pumpkins is a little bit tricky because they are a long-season crop that requires lots of attention, but with a little planning and some patience and creativity you can introduce gardening with children in your home.

Follow These Handy Hints for Growing Your Own Pumpkins

Examine your garden and determine where you will plant your pumpkin plants. Choose a site that gets full sun, has easy access and has soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. The soil should drain well.

Head to your local nursery or check out one of the many seed companies catalogs and purchase either pumpkin plants or pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins plants can be planted outside straight away but starting seeds will need to be planted indoors about three weeks before the last expected frost.

Transfer the seedlings to the garden when all danger of frost has passed. Plant them in clusters of hills, embedding them as deep as they were in the planted in the pots.

Mulch the pumpkin plants with organic matter or fertilizer once the pumpkins are established. This will help to conserve moisture and deter weeds.

Water the pumpkin plants regularly with at least 1 to 2 inches of water a week. This is particularly important when they are blooming and setting fruit.

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