Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Plant

Pumpkins require so much space, that I never felt that I would have the room for them in the city. That was until I figured out that much of the space a pumpkin takes above ground is in the form of a climbing vine, which I see many people do on roofs, in trees or even on arbors over where they park their cars. Pumpkins also need 10 square feet of garden space, which seems huge until you realize that a circle with a radius of 1.8ft is 10 square feet, that is a circle that is less than 4ft in diameter, that seems less huge, right... Nothing like math to simplify what was before confusing.

Mostly every book I've ever read on growing pumpkins recommend that you do not transplant them as they do not like their roots to be disturbed. I decided to start mine inside because our spring was so cold that I didn't see them surviving if I direct sowed them in time for them to have a full growing season. I'm glad I did, but let me tell you, if you start pumpkins inside start them in gallon pots or larger, they sprout absolutely huge, and grow fast, the plant above is only 5 days old.

I planted four plants out once the weather calmed down, but still one promptly died. I then direct sowed a japanese blue variety there to see how it would do. It didn't do very good.

The pumpkins grew slowly at first, but soon took over the whole bed, and started spilling out onto the driveway, all over a fence and across walkways. 

This little fruit showed up right away

This is a male flower with a bee inside, I was pollinating my flowers with a paintbrush but the bees proved to be more effective at it.

Soon enough I had them, picked them in the middle of September, weighed them too, so in ascending order, my 9:

6.35Kg

8Kg

8.3Kg

10.6Kg

11Kg

11.1Kg

13Kg

13.7Kg

19.1Kg (41lbs for those who think like that)

Most are gifts to family's for Halloween, but I'm keeping 3 for eating. 

Because pumpkin is considered low acid they proved to be too inconvenient to can, so I'm cubing them and either freezing or refrigerating them. It means I have to eat them up pretty quickly, but if you do not cut the gourds, they'll stay fresh almost through the winter.

I'm learning to cook with pumpkin in almost everything right now, my favourite invented recipe so far has been:

Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix Cooked Pumpkin Puree 

with enough

Pancake Mix to make a nice somewhat runny batter 

and add

Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste

Fry in butter in a pan on both sides till done, eat immediately sweetened with Maple Syrup

Mmmmmm.