I always wanted to grow pumpkins, I bought a bio one from the store last week and instead of throwing all the seeds away I decided to pot 5 of them, just in case! Since i live in the Netherlands and autumn is already showing, I am growing them indoors. I'm new to pumpkins, please help with the next steps, good practices, things to keep in mind etc. Thanks 🙏
by VeterinarianOk1177
5 Comments
I’ve learned a few things from past bad experiences. First, don’t crowd the pot with multiple plants. They’ll be root bound not too long from now and the health will decline. Put them in their own pot. Second, don’t plant things in pots near the wall of the pot. There’s a lack of nutrients, lack of water, limited soil for root binding, and much more unstable soil temperatures near the pot wall.
Good job sprouting them so far.
First step: Sit down.
Second step: Google “how big does a pumpkin plant become”.
Third step: Wiggle the seedling out of there, or get the pepper plant out of there.
Fourth step: Breathe.
Fifth step: Grab a beverage of your preference, and figure out the logistical space issues.
I hate to be the Debbie Downer, but you are not gonna get a pumpkin to grow indoors. Pumpkins need lots of soil, lots of light, lots of water and lots of nutrients, and lots of space. It’s just not a feasible plant to be grown indoors in any way.
Since you planted from a pumpkin, not from known seed stock, the fruit on this plant may or may not be like the original pumpkin you purchased. It’s very common for squash/pumpkins to hybridize if pollinators servicing them have access to different varieties. Personally I prefer to purchase seeds from people who manage that for me because there is nothing more depressing then having a huge pumpkin take root, grow vigorously, take over the garden, then not produce edible fruit/what you expected.
Second, cucurbits in general hate to be transplanted and they grow vigorously. If you want to start them indoors ahead of the next year’s garden, do that around the time of your next year’s last frost in big containers and plant them into warm soil. Otherwise it will just die or get stunted – they want the soil to be warm, not just have no risk of frost. If you want to try these seeds you can, just let them dry and plant (in their own pot) in spring.
Finally, my pumpkins this year are all over 10 m long, they take over a whole area of my yard. They want a ton of space and are not well suited to growing in a pot. They are also heavy feeders, so want a ton of fertilizer.
In this case I’d pull the sprouts out from your peppers because they’ll try to take over with no chance of surviving the winter, and will deplete your pepper of vital nutrients in the process.
I swear the best spot for seeds seems to be the side of the pot for some reason lol