How many pumpkins per plant

In optimum conditions, you can only grow one pumpkin per plant. For the best harvest, it is important to keep the pumpkin plants free from weed through shallow cultivation and hoeing. If you expect extended dry periods in the summer, make sure to irrigate with plenty of water.

Plant pumpkins tolerate periods of dry, hot temperatures very well but they are always thirsty for water. The answer to this question ultimately comes down to what your goal for the harvest is.

Then optimize the plant conditions in such a way that it dedicates all the resources nutrition, sunlight, water to a single pumpkin instead of multiple pumpkins competing for growth.

If your target is to grow normal to larger sized pumpkins, such as the popular Cinderella Pumpkins, then try to shoot for at least 2 pumpkins per plant. But how many is too many? The general rule of thumb for normal pumpkins per plant is a target for 3 fruits per plant.

These limitations per plants usually come down to the single biggest factor: the vines. They will need more room to grow, run, climb, and get much-needed air. When resources start to thinning due to overcrowdedness, all of the pumpkins will starve. No matter which variety you choose, pumpkins need lots of space for growth.

Large and giant pumpkins need more than 70 square feet per plant for best results. With so much space to grow, the pumpkin can reach a size of several hundred kilograms at harvest.

Midsize pumpkin varieties such as Howden and Jack-O-Lantern need five feet between plants and four feet between rows for improved harvest.

However, if you plan on growing any of the larger-sized pumpkins, pumpkins per plant is optimal. If you are growing a Giant pumpkin, leave only one pumpkin per plant. In this way, you can be sure all of the nutrients are going directly to the pumpkin so it can reach the weight you hope it will. The most crucial thing to remember when deciding how many pumpkins to leave on each plant is that nutrition spread between 10 pumpkins is not nearly as effective as nutrition feeding only three or four.

With this in mind, take note of the harvest you hope to have and prune the vines accordingly. Share article on Facebook Share article on Pinterest. Why Limit the Pumpkin Production? You may also like. Easily Plant Pumpkins in Pennsylvania. The Perfect Time to Plant Pumpkins. Pumpkins can only be grown in the warmer months of the years as the plants are sensitive to frost.

In most regions, the best time to sow seeds is in Spring. Pumpkin seeds can be planted directly into the soil at a depth of 2 to 3 cms 1 inch. They will germinate easily in the garden however I prefer to start the seeds off in trays.

The advantage of using seeds trays is that the plants can be started off earlier in the season as the plants can be kept warm and frost-free indoors or in a greenhouse. When planting seeds in trays it is best to use a seed raising mix rather than garden soil which can contain pathogens and weeds seeds that can interfere with the pumpkin seedlings. It is best to plant 2 seeds per cell which can be later thinned down to the strongest seedling.

Germination of the pumpkin seeds is generally quite rapid and will occur within a few days to a week of planting. The seedlings usually take between 4 and 6 weeks before they are large enough to be transplanted into the garden. When first transplanted into the garden pumpkin seedlings can be highly susceptible to attack from slugs and snails. As such it is advisable to apply protection on the same day the seedlings go into the ground.

This can be done using snail pallets or using a physical barrier. As the plant increases in size, the susceptibility to attack reduces dramatically. The product is shown in the image below. Pumpkins do best in rich and moist soil that are free draining. The easiest way to increase the nutrient level in the soil is to use the no-dig method.