How we grow our Pumpkins ...
We have grown Pumpkins since the very beginning - hence the name!
Each year we grow a fantastic selection of Pumpkin varieties, from Big to Small.
Commonly found varieties include:
Harvest Moon
Spitfire
Atlantic Giant
Knuckle Head
Jill-be-little
Casperita
Like all things at the Patch, we plan out where we wish to grow our pumpkins early in the year. It is important to rotate all that we grow, so that it reduces the risk of diseases in the crop. As farmers, this is something we do across the whole farm - as part of what we call a "Rotation".
We spread locally sourced Farm Yard Manure (FYM) across the patch in February-March, when ground conditions allow. This is shortly followed by a plow, which incorporates the manure in to the soil - trapping all the goodness, ready for the crops to reach it.
Once soil conditions (and importantly Ground Temperature) are right, we use a tool called a "Power Harrow" to break up the plowed ground, ready for planting. We sow the Pumpkins typically around between Late April, to Mid-May.
Img 2. Hand sowing Pumpkins at the patch.
Originally we sowed the Pumpkins by hand, but today a local contractor brings in their special planter machine, which can precisely plant the whole patch very quickly.
It doesn't take long before we start to see the early emergence of the Pumpkin plants. This is usually within 3-weeks of planting, but can vary depending on mother nature!
Img 3. Pumpkin plants emerging and spreading their leaves.
Img 4. Pumpkins in their rows
The plants will eventually develop their vines and spread out to cover a wide area - this is why it is important to plant Pumpkins with a degree of precision. They need plenty of room to spread out and grow.
Img 5. The broad leaves cover a large area.
The Pumpkins are left to grow until Late September, Early October. At this point we will go through by hand and lop the ripe Pumpkins from their vine. It's a hard days work, but it makes the lives of our customers that much easier! All you need to do is find a lovely pumpkin and pop it in a wheel barrow :-)
Img 6. Pumpkins on the vine & after lopping/cutting them has been completed.
With that, we are ready to Open mid-October for Pumpkin Season! See you there!
If you have any questions about Pumpkins or what you can do with them, be sure to ask one of the friendly team on hand at the patch, or send us message. :-)
Remember to connect with us on Instagram & Facebook to find out more!
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