Dates for planting pumpkins for seedlings and in open ground
Every gardener knows that it is not for nothing that a pumpkin grows so large, because it loves the sun very much and is demanding of heat. Positive values are especially important at the first stages of the vegetative development of the culture. Young shoots are so tender that recurrent frosts often deprive summer residents of their harvest, completely destroying the plantings. They are no less dangerous for seeds that have not yet sprouted in the soil - even there they freeze and rot instead of pecking. To avoid these situations, it is important to know when to plant the pumpkin.
The timing of planting a crop depends on how it is grown, namely:
- through seedlings;
- or by sowing seeds right away in open ground.
When to sow seeds for seedlings?
In regions with late spring and short summer, pumpkin is grown through seedlings to protect the seedlings from freezing and accelerate the ripening of the fruit.
You can determine the timing of planting if you know how long the seedlings will need to develop. So, from 5 to 7 days are needed for the germination of seeds and about another month - so that the seedlings get stronger for transplanting to the garden bed and form two true leaves. Thus, in order to plant seedlings in the garden at the end of May, seeds can be sown already in the third decade of April.
When growing seedlings, it is worth considering that the pumpkin does not tolerate transplanting extremely well, therefore, initially, each seed must be planted in a separate container. The seedlings themselves also need to be transplanted in a timely manner, preventing their outgrowth, otherwise there is a risk of damaging over-developed roots.
When to sow pumpkin outdoors?
In the southern regions, climatic conditions allow gardeners to avoid seedling troubles and plant seeds directly on the beds. However, even in conditions of early spring, there is no need to rush until May: the earth should warm up well, besides, return frosts should also pass by this time.
The optimum air temperature for successful seed germination is at least 20, and best of all, 23 degrees Celsius.