Using bamboo canes again, train each of the secondary vines to grow away at 90 degrees from the main vine. As the secondary vines grow, they in turn will produce tertiary fines at the leaf nodes – these should be pinched off. If you don’t pinch them off, the plant will rapidly turn into a tangled mass of leaves, which will encourage disease and rot. You’ll also find rogue pumpkins lurking in there too, taking energy from the main one! So it’s important to keep up with this work, because at this stage of growth the plant is growing rapidly, with vines increasing in length from 4 – 8 inches per day!

You may want to conduct a soil test to ensure the pH is between 6.0 and 7.5, and amend to resolve any nutrient deficiencies.Cover the seedling with a cold frame to protect it from late frosts and to warm up the ground, which encourages the pumpkin plant to start growing. This is essentially a mini-greenhouse, but it doesn’t have to be fancy – four stakes with clear 6-mil plastic sheeting stapled over top is sufficient. The cold frame should cover at least a 4-foot diameter area around the young plant. Miño-Bucheli, Sebastian (October 9, 2023). "A world record in Half Moon Bay". Half Moon Bay Review.

When it comes to proper pumpkin watering techniques, keep the soil moist but not soggy. Consider watering the plants in the morning to reduce evaporation. If needed, use a mulch to help retain moisture in the soil. To enhance pumpkin fruit development, remove any further flowers once three fruits have started to form. Remove every single additional flower you see after your selected flower has been pollinated, no matter if it’s male or female. journal: (in science) A publication in which scientists share their research findings with experts (and sometimes even the public). Some journals publish papers from all fields of science, technology, engineering and math, while others are specific to a single subject. The best journals are peer-reviewed: They send all submitted articles to outside experts to be read and critiqued. The goal, here, is to prevent the publication of mistakes, fraud or sloppy work. Once your most vigorous seedling has several leaves, transplant it into the bed that was prepared in the fall. (If you have the space, you can plant more than one seedling if you prepared more than one mound; each seedling should be at least 10 feet apart.)Plant young squash plants into prepared ground (see above), taking care not to disturb the roots. Firm them in gently and water well. Space bush varieties 90cm (3ft) apart and trailing varieties 1.5m (5ft) apart. Protect young plants from slugs and snails, especially in damp weather. Do not overwater! Pumpkins hate being cold and wet. The number one error for beginners is overwatering seeds before they germinate, which causes them to rot. Moisten the compost and don’t water it again until the surface has dried off.