Growing on Pumpkins

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Growing Pumpkins

You can use the below instructions and apply them to virtually all Winter Squashes too!

1. Two weeks before planting or sowing seed outdoors, make planting pockets 1.8m (6ft) apart. Do this by making a hole about a spade’s depth, width and height and fill with a mixture of compost or well-rotted manure and soil. Sprinkle a general fertiliser over the soil. Plant one plant or seed on top of each pocket. 2. For indoor-raised seedlings, plant outside on top of your planting pocket in late may to early June, hardening off (acclimatising) before doing so. Do this by moving them into a coldframe for a week or, if you don’t have a coldframe, move plants outdoors during the day, then bring in at night for a week. The following week, leave them out in a sheltered spot all day and night. Create a moat so water stays where it is needed. You can also grow pumpkins in growbags or containers (at least 45cm/18in wide). Plant one or two per growbag, or one per container.
3. Keep the soil constantly moist by watering around the plants not over them. As they need plenty of water, sink a 15cm (6in) pot alongside the plants when planting out. Water into this and it will help ensure the water goes right down to the roots and does not sit around the neck of the plant, which can lead to rotting.
4. Feed every 10-14 days with a high potash liquid fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell. Examples: Any of the quality Tomato Liquid Feeds,
5. The fruit of pumpkins should be supported off the soil on a piece of tile or glass.

Category: Recipes

Rhubarb & Custard Cocktail

Rhubarb & custard cocktail
An elegant vodka-based drink that'll wow your guests - it's made with creamy advocaat iqueur and homemade fruit syrup

Lamb Cutlets with Butternut Squash & Mint

Simply delicious one of my all time favourites

Classic Rhubarb Crumble

Classic Rhubarb Crumble
Growing up this was my favourite dessert & seeing as only my dad and I liked it I always had a massive portion!

Category: The Growing Season

Spring should be here but watch out for frosts!

Sow seed outdoors
Vegetable growing really takes off this month. Chit and plant out second early potatoes in the first half of the month, maincrop potatoes in the second half. It's also time to sow seed outdoors in well-prepared soil.

Jobs to do in March

Spring is starting and the new season is here

Hopefully by now we are now standing on the threshold of Spring and the new gardening season. The days are beginning to lengthen and although it may not feel like it at times the temperatures are slowly increasing day by day. More importantly the longer days are the real trigger to new growth and you will find that with the help of a little protection you can really go for those early sowings

Jobs to do in February

Time to do some groundwork

We get a glimpse of the early signs of the arrival of Spring this month. The soil begins to warm up around the middle of February and we can see for the first time this year the buds beginning to swell on fruit trees and bushes. Overwintering vegetables begin to look less sorry for themselves and they start to produce new growth.

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