Pumpkins are so-called heavy feeders and need a lot of nutrients. Proper fertilization is essential for them to thrive.
Growing your own pumpkin has become a real trend. While in the past many wrinkled their noses when pickled pumpkin or pumpkin soup was served, today all the more people lick their fingers afterwards. Hokkaido, Butternut and Co. simply taste great.
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But not only the popularity of the taste has increased in recent years. More and more gardeners now want to grow their own pumpkins. That in itself is not difficult at all. Only the pumpkin care, especially fertilizing, makes a little work. Only those who own a compost heap can do without fertilizing.
Our recommendation: growing pumpkins on the compost
Compost is the best and most natural fertilizer you can give to the pumpkin. So what could be more obvious than growing it right there? This saves you a lot of work. The compost contains a lot of valuable nutrients, so that the plants are well supplied during growth. So if you plant the pumpkin on the compost, you can save on the fertilizer. This would otherwise be absolutely necessary in the bed.
Important: You should not place pumpkins in the same compost pile every year as this is a heavy feeder.
How to properly fertilize pumpkins in the bed
Not everyone has their own compost heap in their garden and can offer the pumpkins this ideal location. But that's not a problem, because it also thrives in the bed if you think about the right fertilization. The best way to do this is as follows:
» Prepare the soil properly:
When planting the pumpkin, you should create the basis for optimal growth. The best way to achieve this is to work mature compost into the soil as early as spring when preparing the beds. This gives the pumpkins a good start and provides them with the nutrients they need for a longer period of time.
» Fertilization during the growth and flowering phase:
If the pumpkin is in the growth and flowering phase, it needs fertilizers that work particularly quickly. forThis purpose is primarily offered by mineral s alts in liquid or solid form, which are very easily soluble. In addition, you can also use various manures, such as nettle manure, for the so-called top fertilization. Vegetable or animal manure can supply the soil with sufficient nitrogen again.
You should fertilize the pumpkins in this way three times per growing season. When fertilizing, however, you must make sure that the chosen agent does not come into contact with the green parts of the pumpkin, because mineral fertilizers have a corrosive effect. With mineral fertilizers from the trade, you should always make sure that they contain a large proportion of nitrogen.
Important: As the pumpkin matures, so do its needs. Therefore, after about six weeks you should switch to a fertilizer that contains a lot of potash.