What Are the Care Suggestions for Howden Pumpkins?

Soil Preparation

• Howden pumpkins prefer sandy soil with a large amount of organic matter. They are heavy feeders. Apply aged manure in the fall before the ground freezes. Tilling the manure avoids losing nutrients through rain runoff. Add compost or 30 lbs. of 5-10-10 fertilizer before spring planting. Howden produces best in a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Incorrect pH inhibits seed germination. Amend the soil with lime in the fall rather than spring. Slow-acting lime needs time to adjust the pH.

Planting and Spacing

• Howden pumpkins are direct seeded and transplanted as seedlings when the soil reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant them in direct sun. Home gardeners benefit by starting seeds indoors three weeks before the last expected frost date, giving the plants additional time to mature. Quart-sized containers give roots enough room to grow. Keep all soil from the container together during transplanting to avoid disturbing sensitive roots. Direct seed by placing two seeds 1 inch apart and 1 inch deep in holes spaced 2 feet apart. Do not allow soil to dry during germination. Thin to the strongest seedling per hole when plants have four leaves.

Plant Care

• Keeping the pumpkin patch weed free avoids competition for water and nutrients. Watering the patch deeply once a week encourages deep root growth when there hasn't been 1inch of rain per week. Watering along the vines ensures those roots have available water. Water until the soil is wet 8 inches deep in late July and early August when pumpkins are setting. Removing pumpkins that won't mature by the first frost in late August improves growth in the best pumpkins.

Pests and Disease

• Spotted and striped cucumber beetles spread bacterial wilt and destroy young leaves. Squash vine borers burrow into the vine. Cutting the borer out with a sharp knife increases the plant's survival odds. Aphids and squash bugs are also pests. Powdery mildew is a white mold growing on leaf tops. It slowly kills Howden pumpkin plants if untreated. Howden is susceptible mosaic viruses and bacterial wilt. Bacteria enter through skin wounds handle pumpkins carefully while they're growing.

Harvest

• Harvest mature Howden pumpkins before first frost. The pumpkin's tough skin won't easily break with your fingernail. The stem is hard and brown when the pumpkin is ready for harvest. Handle the pumpkin carefully and avoid bruising. Cutting the handles as long as possible improves storage ability. Cure the pumpkins in an open area with good air circulation and dry ground. The color continues darkening after the pumpkins are picked. Protect the pumpkins from frost in an above freezing area.