How to Grow Styrian Pumpkins

Purchase Styrian pumpkin seeds. Because Styrian pumpkins are grown from rare heirloom seeds, they are usually ordered from a seed catalog or nursery.

Prepare a sunny space in the garden for planting. Pumpkins need growing room, as they produce sprawling vines. Pick a spot that allows for adequate growth. Till or work the soil until it becomes loose and well draining. Add in a layer of compost to the top layer of the soil for best results.

Create small hills for planting the seeds, spacing each hill about 5 to 6 feet apart in rows at least 10 to 15 feet apart. Hills help warm the soil and create a better seed germination environment.

Sow four or five seeds 1 inch deep in each hill. Water them frequently but lightly until seedlings form. Once the pumpkin plants become more established, thin plants to two or three per hill, leaving the healthiest and strongest ones to produce. Adding mulch helps retain soil moisture.

Watering pumpkin vines about 1 inch per week ensures quality growth. Weeding as needed prevents roots from choking the vine. Look out for pumpkin pests and diseases, such as powdery mildew and cucumber beetles, and treat them accordingly.

Harvest Styrian pumpkins in the fall once the rind becomes hard, and they develop a deeper color. Pumpkins are not frost hardy and should be harvested in September or October. Use shears to harvest pumpkins from vine, leaving 3 to 4 inches of stem attached to the pumpkin.