Pumpkin is one of the most popular melon crops among gardeners. It is unpretentious and undemanding to care for. The taste and volume of the harvest largely depend on the quality of the soil. Proper pumpkin fertilizing during flowering and fruiting is needed to grow large, tasty fruits. Follow these useful tips on growing pumpkins to have an abundant harvest.
Why you need to fertilize pumpkins
Pumpkins need an ample supply of nutrients to grow and bear fruit, so it is advisable to grow them on fertile soil. The soil should be fertilized before planting, continuing to apply fertilizer throughout the growing season.
When choosing what to feed pumpkins in open ground, you need to take into account the preferences of the crop. Initially, pumpkins were grown in the countries of South and Central America, which is why the crop loves sunlight and warmth so much. In order to grow well, its powerful root system requires adequate nutrition. Carrots, legumes, cabbage, and onions can be predecessors of pumpkin. Areas where squash, cucumbers and other crops of the same family grew are not suitable.
Essential nutrients for pumpkin growth
For pumpkins to grow well and produce a bountiful harvest, the soil must contain enough nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Pumpkin roots can go into the soil for 2 meters (79 in), the ripening period of the berry is up to 140 days, so the plant significantly depletes the soil, literally sucking out all the juices from it. Therefore, the beds where pumpkin grows need to be regularly fertilized.
Fertilizing schedule
Pumpkin is fed at certain times. If the soil is fertile, it is enough to use fertilizers only three times per season. Depleted soils will have to be fed once every 2 weeks.
Some signs indicate that extra feeding is required for pumpkins:
seedlings are growing poorly since transplantation;
leaves curl, turn yellow, and fall off;
the back of the leaves turns purple;
the fruits do not set well;
flowering slows down.
The first fertilizer is applied when 4-5 leaves are formed. The second time, additional feeding will be needed at the stage of growth of the vines. Fertilizing of seedlings is carried out according to the following scheme:
10 days after the sprouts hatch.
5 days before planting in an open area.
14 days after planting in the ground.
When the first lashes appear.
The specified timeframes may vary depending on growing conditions and the condition of the seedlings. Pumpkin fertilizer is last applied at the end of summer, before harvesting.
Fertilizing methods
Similar to other crops, pumpkin is fertilized by root and foliar methods. Each type of feeding has its own purpose and features.
Root
The fertilizer is diluted in water according to the instructions. The prepared solution is poured under the roots. Before this, the beds are watered generously to avoid burning the roots. Another option for root-feeding pumpkins is to make furrows 8 cm (3.15 in) deep at a distance of 20 cm (8 in) from the plants, pour the dry preparation into them, and cover them with soil and water generously.
Foliar
We are talking about irrigation (spraying) of leaves. The dosage of fertilizers is reduced from the norms specified for irrigation by 2 times, so as not to burn the green part of the plant. Foliar feeding for pumpkins on open ground is advisable during the flowering and fruiting period. Spraying is carried out in cloudy weather or in the evening so that moisture does not cause sunburn or greenery.
