Planting Pumpkins and Corn
This year’s pumpkin and corn patches are planted.
As you may know, pumpkins grow on vines, which means they take up a lot of space. I always plant my pumpkin patches in roomy beds that can accommodate large crops of big, colorful fruits. This year, I decided to plant them in the large garden adjacent to the chicken coops, where we used to grow all the other vegetables. We planted lots and lots of seeds. Many of them are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine - a company I’ve been using for quite some time. Some of the varieties should be ready to harvest in about 100-days. We also planted several rows of corn - also from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It's going to be a bountiful season.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Many of you already know, this garden is where I grew the majority of my vegetables. Now that I have a new and giant half-acre vegetable garden closer to my home, I decided to designate this area for our pumpkins and corn. The area was already cleared, rototilled and prepared for planting. Pumpkins are one of the last crops we plant because the soil must be thoroughly warmed to at least 70-degrees Fahrenheit – pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold.
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- Pasang begins transporting wheelbarrows of compost into the garden. The pumpkins will be planted in “hills” to allow the soil to warm more quickly, while encouraging the seeds to germinate faster.
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- Here, Phurba shapes the compost into the hills or mounds. These “hills” are the perfect size for planting the pumpkin seeds.
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- The two work in a production line process to get the job done efficiently and quickly. As one drops the soil in place, the other works at the opposite end creating the needed beds.
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- It doesn’t take long to create all the mounds for our pumpkin seeds.
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- Meanwhile, Ryan prepares all the seeds and markers for the pumpkin patch. We always use seeds from various seed companies, and seeds I save from interesting or tasty pumpkins I’ve enjoyed. This year, most of our pumpkin seeds are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
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- Each mound is then appropriately marked, so we can identify the fruits throughout the season.
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- Pumpkin seeds are oval-shaped with cream-colored husks. Some also come coated or dressed with an antimicrobial.
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- Ryan plants about five or six seeds in each spot, with each seed about an inch to an inch and a half deep into the soil.
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- Among the varieties we planted – ‘Rouge Vif D’Etampes.’ “Rouge vif” means “vivid red” in French. Shaped flatter than more traditional pumpkins, this variety averages about 10 to 15 pounds and the flesh is moderately sweet and orange – excellent for pies. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- ‘Porcelain Doll’ is a popular favorite. It is a pink pumpkin with sweet flesh that can be used for pies, soups, and other gourmet delights. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- ‘Valenciano’ has snow-white skin – it is among the whitest of pumpkins. It makes a unique for doorstep decoration. ‘Valenciano’ pumpkins are slightly ribbed, medium-sized and flatter in appearance. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- ‘Cargo’ pumpkins are robust hybrid fruits with strong handles and beautiful rich orange color. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- We also planted a few melon varieties such as this ‘Starlight’ watermelon, a round “icebox” variety with sweet red flesh.
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- And this is ‘Griselet’ with an old-fashioned sweet and succulent melon flavor.
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- On the other side, Moises plants corn seeds. Corn is best planted in a location that has rich soil and receives at least six to eight hours of light per day.
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- Here, Moises plants two seeds together in each spot about an inch deep.
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- The seeds can be spaced about seven to 12 inches apart.
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- This is ‘Superb’ – a strong bicolored corn variety that thrives in difficult growing conditions. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- Another bicolor we planted is ‘Montauk.’ This has eight inch long ears with about 16 to 20 rows of small, sweet kernels. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- And another strong grower is ‘Solstice,’ which offers good eating quality and ear size along with delicious flavor. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
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- Once all the seeds are planted, Moises carefully rakes and backfills the seeds and then gives them a good drink. Our gardens are all planted – now to watch them grow. Sweet corn takes up to 100 days to mature. I can’t wait to pick our pumpkins and ears of corn.
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