I grow pumpkin in my garden mainly using seedling technology. This allows you to consistently get a good harvest.
Seed preparation
I sort out the planting material beforehand. I throw away extremely small, empty, damaged specimens with traces of disease.
Then I practice several preparatory procedures:
- Full-weight seeds are poured for 2 hours with water heated to about 45 ° C.
- I spread them between damp cloth napkins.
- I keep at room conditions until pecking.
- In order to increase cold resistance, I move the hatched grains in a damp cloth to the lower compartment of the refrigerator.
- I leave for 3-5 days.
Soil and container preparation
Considering that pumpkin seedlings react negatively to transplantation, I try to immediately plant them in separate cups. I give preference to peat pots with a volume of 400-600 ml. They are convenient in that it is not required when moving seedlings to extract plants. Sometimes I use plastic or cardboard cups that can be cut open when it's time to transplant.
I buy the substrate ready. It is well balanced and comfortable. If possible, I combine humus with rotted sawdust and crushed peat in proportions of 1: 1: 2. I supplement the substrate with nitrophoska (1 tsp. l. / 1 kg).
Sowing
I fill containers with soil. After watering, I plant pumpkin seeds, deepening by 40-60 mm. I cover the containers with glass. A transparent film can replace it.
I calculate the sowing time, considering that this operation should be practiced 20 days before the intended transfer of seedlings to the ridges.
seedling care
I keep crops, performing daily airing, at + 18... + 25 ° C. At night, it can drop to +15…+18 °C.
I remove the shelter after the appearance of sprouts. For about a week, I provide a daytime temperature in the range of + 15... + 18 ° C. At night I lower it to +12…+13 °C. This measure prevents the seedlings from stretching. Then I rearrange the seedlings in a bright warm room.
I water the seedlings systematically, avoiding excessive moisture. I feed after 7-10 days after the friendly formation of sprouts. I make a working solution based on nitrophoska (15 g / 10 l).
Transfer
I transplant pumpkin seedlings to open ridges when stable warm weather is established without a sharp cold snap at night.
I select the site in the fall. I prefer places where root crops and potatoes were grown. Good predecessors are legumes, onions, cabbage. I do not use places after cucumbers, zucchini or melon.
On the surface cleared of debris and weeds, I distribute lime (200 g), a mineral complex (30-40 g), humus (3-5 kg) per square meter.
When landing, I follow the scheme 100x100 cm. I water the seedlings abundantly beforehand. I leave for 1.5-2 hours. I make holes into which I pour settled water.
Seedlings in peat pots immediately set in planting pits. If the cups are dense, then gently destroy their walls. I take out the plants from plastic and cardboard containers, preserving the earthen ball as much as possible. I immediately transfer them to the hole. After sowing, I still moisten the soil. I put in a layer of mulch.
Self-cultivation of pumpkin seedlings attracts me with the possibility of a guaranteed harvest. If you have a similar experience, tell us about it in detail, also share your results.
Read also: Convenient and nutritious. I tell you about the secrets of peat pots
Another related article: Cucumber seedlings: which cups to choose for convenience and benefit
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