What are the precautions for growing pumpkins? Keep these points in mind
Pumpkin is a vegetable that many people quite like. It can be eaten as a vegetable and can also be made into various snacks, and its sales on the market are also very good. In rural areas, basically every household grows pumpkins, some for their own consumption and some specifically for sale. Moreover, pumpkins are now grown on a large scale in many places, but problems always arise. So today let us take a look at the precautions for growing pumpkins.
1. Time
Pumpkins are generally planted in spring and autumn, but the main season is still spring pumpkins, because the management of autumn pumpkin cultivation is a bit more troublesome. Secondly, the planting time for pumpkins also differs slightly from region to region, which is mainly related to the planting temperature. Generally, sowing can be done once the soil temperature can reach about 15°C. This is usually in January and February and in August and September each year. The planting time also needs to take into account the pumpkin variety, as different varieties have different temperature requirements.
2. Soil
Pumpkins actually do not have very great requirements for the soil they are grown in, but it is best not to plant them in heavily clayey land with relatively more standing water. Next, be careful not to carry out continuous cropping on the planting land, and also do not choose soil where the previous crop was melons or fruits. Also, do not choose fields that have not been cultivated for a long time, as this greatly increases the chance of disease and the yield will not be very high. It is best to plant in land where the previous crop was crops such as soybeans, sweet potatoes, and corn, because the soil fertility is relatively sufficient and it also meets the needs of pumpkin growth.
3. Vine training
When the pumpkin vines grow to 40 to 50 cm, we need to organize the vines in the field. A creeping growth pattern in the field can be used, but the best approach is still to set up trellises and let the vines climb and grow along the trellises, which can reduce pests and diseases. Next, the tips of the vines should be removed to make them grow side branches, which can increase pumpkin yield. Then, when the pumpkin sets fruit, we should remove the extra flowers near the pumpkin and also remove some pumpkin leaves, which can increase the survival rate of fruit setting. If this is not done, then when the pumpkin grows to a certain extent it will die and will not be able to grow into a large pumpkin.
4. Water and fertilizer
The growth of pumpkins requires a large amount of nutrients. After the pumpkins are planted out, one fertilization should be carried out, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer, to promote vine growth. Then fertilizer should be applied in appropriate amounts according to the growth of the vines. At this time, it is best to use less nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise it will cause excessive vine growth without fruit setting. Finally, when it flowers and fruits, this is the period when it needs the most fertilizer during its entire growth period. If nutrients are insufficient, it will directly affect the yield and quality of the pumpkins. Generally, fertilization needs to be carried out in multiple applications, mainly with phosphorus fertilizer and base fertilizer. When necessary, foliar fertilizer needs to be sprayed to prevent the vines from aging and affecting yield.
5. Pests and diseases
The most common pests and diseases of pumpkins include gummy stem blight, powdery mildew, leafminer, and diseases such as fruit cracking, fruit deformation, and fruit rot. Gummy stem blight and powdery mildew are basically fungal infectious diseases caused by excessive humidity in the field, and carbendazim and chlorothalonil are used respectively for treatment. Fruit cracking is mainly caused by the phenomenon that the soil encounters rain under relatively dry conditions, so we need to strengthen the management of field moisture. Fruit deformation and fruit rot are actually also a disease caused by excessive field moisture plus high temperatures, and Bordeaux mixture can be used for prevention and control. Finally, for pests such as leafminer, we can use sticky fly paper for control, and at the same time Lorsban emulsifiable concentrate can be used for treatment.