Grow!
“If you have plenty of room in your garden, pumpkins are a heck of a lot of fun to try,” says community builder and entrepreneur, Jim Hole, owner of Hole’s Greenhouses and lead partner in the Enjoy Centre.
In a conversation with Jim Hole, we mentioned that since we formed Pumpkin PR, we’ve been asked the same two questions every year:
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- “Why did you call your company Pumpkin PR?”
Pumpkins just make people smile – they evoke memories of happy times with family, friends and food. Also, our family has lots of connections to the peak of pumpkin season – our son was born on Halloween and at the age of 5 chose “Pumpkin” as the name of our beloved yellow lab. Pumpkin PR was the natural name choice! - “Do you grow pumpkins?”
For the first time, yes! We are taking our inspiration from Jim and his mom’s classic guide Northern Vegetable Gardening and we encourage you to get growing too!
- “Why did you call your company Pumpkin PR?”
Some Key Tips
Before You Plant:
The soil should be rich & well-drained. A sunny spot sheltered from winds is best
Pumpkins require a lot of space
When to Plant:
Transplant pumpkins into the garden in mid-May. Water well and set hot caps over the seedlings to protect them from cold temperatures
How to Plant:
To ensure a nice-sized pumpkin for Halloween, it is best to transplant seedling into the garden. Expect to harvest from 4 to 6 pumpkins per plant – except for the huge prizewinner pumpkins that can reach 45 kg (100 lbs) in our climate!
More tips from Jim:
Pumpkins are not particularly finicky plants to grow, but because they demand so much space and sunlight, I would place them in the “difficult to grow” category
Keep in mind that when I talk about space, I’m not referring to an open corner in the garden. Considering that a single pumpkin vine was once measured at over 42 metres long, lots of wide, open space is an absolute necessity. Unobstructed sunlight from morning well into the evening is also essential for getting the greatest yield
When it comes to soil, pumpkins like it rich and deep, and don’t tolerate dry soil. A consistently moist root zone is critical to successfully growing large, high quality fruit.
Find out more information at holesonline.com and visit the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert to speak with helpful Hole’s staff.