The quintessential fall crop, pumpkins are native to North America and come in a wide range of sizes and colors. While pumpkins are often used for fall decor and symbols of Halloween traditions, they make a delicious and healthy addition to your home garden that can be used for both savory and sweet applications.
Soups, pies, smoothies, or as a simple roasted side dish - low-calorie pumpkins have virtually no fat and are high in many essential vitamins and nutrients. Their seeds are also packed full of flavor and nutrition, and collecting them for roasting from the squishy inner pulp makes for a fun sensory activity for kids.
Growing pumpkin in GardenSoxx® | Plant Family: Curcurbitaceae
Nutritional Information For Pumpkin
Nutritional Facts - per 100/g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 26 | - |
| Total Fat | 0.1 g | - |
| Sodium | 1 mg | - |
| Potassium | 340 mg | - |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.5 g | - |
| Sugar | 2.8 g | - |
| Protein | 1 g | - |
| Vitamin C | - | 15% |
| Iron | - | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | - | 5% |
| Magnesium | - | 3% |
| Calcium | - | 2% |
How to Grow Pumpkin in Your GardenSoxx®
Pumpkins take time to mature, especially in colder growing zones. However, they need the sun and summer heat to grow well. They should be planted well after any frost risk has passed, and once the soil has sufficiently warmed. If you are growing them in a zone with a short summer season, starting seedlings indoors and hardening them off at around 3 inches tall before planting outside is your best bet.
Pumpkin Seed to Harvest Time: 100-120 days depending on the variety
How to Harvest Pumpkin
Pumpkin sizes vary dramatically; while some specific types will only grow to a certain size, most common varieties can offer quite a range of size options at maturity. The best way to know when a pumpkin is ready to pick is, therefore, not the size, but the color and feel of the pumpkin. Once the stem has hardened, and the pumpkin rind is hard to the touch, the pumpkin should sound hollow when tapped. These signs will tell you that it is ready to harvest. Leaving a few inches of stem, cut the pumpkin off the vine with a pair of pruners or a sharp knife.
