A Detailed Guide to the Latest Pumpkin Seed Planting Methods
In the Shandong region it is called diaogua, and in the Northeast region it is called wogua. It is edible, comes in two colors, orange-yellow and green, and its shape is flat-round or an irregular gourd shape. The immature fruit has crisp skin and dense flesh and can be used in dishes or as filling; the mature fruit is sweet and mealy and can be used to make porridge. It is most widely planted in Northeast China. Now let us take a look together at how to plant pumpkin seeds!
Disinfecting Pumpkin Seeds
Seed disinfection: before soaking the seeds, choose a sunny day to sun-dry the pumpkin seeds. Seed disinfection should be done before soaking. The methods for disinfecting pumpkin seeds are as follows:
1. High-temperature sterilization: put the seeds into warm water at 55°C and soak for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the water temperature is 30°C, keeping the seeds evenly heated. The amount of hot water should be about 5 times the amount of seeds. Then continue soaking the seeds for 3~4 hours. This can prevent pumpkin mosaic virus disease.
2. Chemical sterilization: soak the seeds in clean water for 4~5 hours, remove them, and then soak them in 1% copper sulfate for 5 minutes, or soak the seeds in 0.1% potassium permanganate for about 30 minutes, or soak the seeds in a 100-fold dilution of 40% formalin for 20 minutes, or soak the seeds in a 500-fold dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl or 50% carbendazim wettable powder for 30 minutes. This can prevent anthracnose. Then rinse them clean with clean water, drain slightly, and prepare to put them into the bed for sprouting. Mixing the seeds with 90% trichlorfon powder before direct sowing can prevent ants and underground pests from biting the seeds.
Sprouting Pumpkin Seeds
The optimum temperature for pumpkin germination is 28~30°C. If conditions permit, a constant-temperature incubator can be used for constant-temperature sprouting. Wrap the soaked seeds in a wet cloth and place them in a 28~30°C constant-temperature box.
Pumpkin seeds can also be sprouted using an electric blanket. Lay out an electric blanket that can be used normally, and place a layer of cotton quilt or similar material under the electric blanket to help keep it warm. Then spread the prepared plastic film flat on the electric blanket. After disinfecting a towel or similar item for sprouting with boiling water, wring it dry by hand (the ideal is when no water drips when the towel is wrung but water seeps out between the fingers), and lay it on the plastic film. Drain the soaked and disinfected pumpkin seeds slightly and spread them flat on the towel.
Direct Sowing in the Field
For direct sowing in the field, the land can be prepared in the winter of the previous year with sufficient base fertilizer applied, and then the pumpkin seeds can be buried in February or March of the following spring. Because the vines are long and growth is fast, fertilizer needs to be applied as a top dressing during April, May, and June, and attention should be paid to watering. Pumpkin management is relatively extensive. Because the root system is well developed and roots form at the leaf nodes, attention should be paid to hilling soil so that nutrients can be absorbed. One pumpkin plant can produce many branches. To avoid dispersing nutrients too much, pruning is necessary: keep 2-3 main vines per plant, and according to soil fertility and the growth of the pumpkin seedlings, after several fruits have set, the terminal buds can be removed.
As long as the soil is fertile and water and fertilizer are applied diligently, pumpkins generally set one fruit every 3-5 leaves. If too many fruits are kept, they will not grow large. Axillary buds are very likely to grow at the leaf axils of the fruit, so they should be removed promptly; otherwise they compete with the fruit for nutrients, causing the fruit to wither and drop due to insufficient nutrients.