Live Self Sufficient

If this is the first year you are planting pumpkin seeds in your garden, be prepared to watch this hardy vine grow like crazy. Of all the vines I’ve ever grown, the pumpkin is by far the most interesting. I feel like you can stand there and actually watch as the vine grows.

Unless you have a large field where you are planting your pumpkin seeds, you will quickly discover that your vine is taking over your entire garden. These guys have no manners and will grow wherever they feel like it if you don’t carefully prune or train them. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, I recently read that you should have at least 150 square feet of land available if you want to grow a giant pumpkin.

For those of us who have a limited amount of space for our pumpkin vines, it is important to understand how to prune them. It is actually pretty easy to do. Grab yourself a pair of sharp pruners and a good pair of gloves (leather if you’ve got them – pumpkin vines have sharp thorns all over them!).

You will notice that your pumpkin vine has a long central vine and many secondary vines have likely grown off of it. Try to let your main vine grow as long as you possibly can. Feel free to cut off secondary vines if necessary.

All you need to do is cut the vine in the desired location. In order to help prevent moisture loss from the vine, bury the pruned end of the vine in the soil and keep it moist. Roots will grow from this portion of your pumpkin vine and improve its overall support system.

Related posts:

1. How to identify male and female flowers on your pumpkin vine
2. Why isn’t my vine producing fruit?
3. Preparing to plant pumpkins in your garden
4. Pollinate your pumpkin flowers
5. Preparing to harvest your pumpkins and gourds