How to Care for a Giant Pumpkin Plant

Caring for a giant pumpkin plant is not difficult, but a pumpkin vine quickly wilts and dies without the right treatment. Pumpkins are very heavy feeders and need a constant, reliable source of water -- after all, a pumpkin is roughly 90 percent water. Even with these needs met, diseases and pests often afflict pumpkin plants. If you know what care a pumpkin plant needs, however, you can eliminate most problems before they start and, come Halloween, you will have jack-o'-lanterns big enough to make even veteran trick-or-treaters grin with delight.

Shovel
Fertilizer
Compost or other soil amendments (as necessary)
Soaker hose or drip irrigation

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare the soil before planting. Besides the seed quality, soil quality is the most important asset under your control. Test your soil for deficiencies, and work a balanced vegetable fertilizer 6 inches into the garden site according to the fertilizer's directions.
- 2
  Plant your seeds or pumpkin plants only after all threat of frost is over. If cold weather threatens your seedlings, protect them with a row cover. When planting, give each vine at least 150 square feet of space.
- 3
  As the giant pumpkin plant grows, top-dress the soil with compost every two weeks. Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system to water the pumpkin plant, as overhead watering encourages powdery mildew. Water early in the day to prevent diseases.
- 4
  
  Powdery mildew forms a silvery, dull coating on leaves.
  
  Treat pest or disease problems immediately. Squash bugs may decimate a young pumpkin plant within days, and fungal diseases like powdery mildew destroy foliage, starving your plant. Choose the appropriate pesticide and follow application directions.
- 5
  Harvest your pumpkins when the stem is dry and woody, the rind hardens and the skin has a bright color. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem at least 2 inches from the pumpkin.

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