Live Self Sufficient

Watermelons are among the most difficult fruits to pick from a vine. You can stand there and stare at them all day long and you won’t know if they are ripe or not. Unlike a pumpkin that turns bright orange when it is ready to be harvested, watermelons look about the same during their growing [...]

I don’t enjoy watching any other plant grow as much as I do pumpkins and gourds. There is just something fun about seeing the fruit begin to grow and then watching them turn into these big objects that can be carved and decorated.
One fun way to enjoy the process of growing pumpkins and gourds even [...]

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 [...]

If you are growing pumpkins, gourds, watermelons, or any type of vine that has both male and female flowers, you could be facing an annoying problem. It is so much fun to watch these vines grow (and grow and grow), but it is really disheartening when you have 10 feet of vines and no fruit. [...]

If you are going to grow a pumpkin vine (or any type of gourd-like vine) it will be extremely important to understand the differences between male and female flowers. These types of vines actually produce both types of flowers and the number of pumpkins your vine produces will be greatly dependent on these flowers.
In general, [...]

When it starts getting warmer outside, one of the first things I do is plant my pumpkin seeds. In just a few weeks time, the vines quickly began to grow and the flowers start to open.
One of the most frustrating things about pumpkins is pollination. Have you noticed that several of the pumpkins on your [...]