How to Plant Fluted Pumpkin Seeds

The best planting season of fluted pumpkin seeds (ugu seeds) is often between April and May due to the minimal amount of rains during these periods.

Before planting, the soil where the fluted pumpkin seeds are to be planted should be properly dressed and the seeds should then be planted at 2 to 3 seeds per hole with a distance of between 2 to 3 feet apart afterwards.

Plating should be done very early in the morning before the sun rises or late evening when the sun is minimal. You can also plant the seeds when the weather is cool and calm.

Make a hole of about 4-5cm in the soil and plant the seed with the tip facing down. Cover the seed with sand, making sure the ugu seed is well covered to avoid sun exposure.

After 10 days of planting, place a stick between 1m-2m tall near the pumpkin seed as while growing, the plant will wrap itself around the stick. It is preferable to use a stick because the plant will grow faster if it can wrap itself around something.

In average, an acre of farmland requires approximately 4,000 ugu seeds for planting.

Pumpkin Plant Irrigation

Start irrigating (watering) the planted vegetable farm and its surroundings every two days, in the morning and evening, after planting the seeds.

Irrigating or wetting with water may not be necessary during rainy seasons, but intensive irrigation is required during dry seasons or droughts.

This means that you will need a water source, which could be a well or a bore hole depending on your resources. Fluted pumpkin plants require frequent watering for proper growth and production.

Read Also: Is Cucumber Farming Profitable?

Weeding and Pest Control

Mulching, herbicides, and manual weeding would be required to keep the pumpkin farm in good condition.

Mulching is the practice of covering a farm with nylon, sawdust, or other materials in order to increase moisture and suppress weed infestation.

If herbicides and mulching are not being used, early weeding the becomes the best option. Weeds will always feed on the nutrients in the soil, so if weeding is delayed, the leaves will turn yellowish.

Due to the crawling nature of pumpkin, the manual method of weeding is preferred as the plants always covers the ground where no stakes are used. additionally, in this instance, the vegetables also help in suppressing weeds as they mature. also care must be taken when weeding as not to trample on the pumpkin plant.

The majority of pumpkin diseases are airborne, and the majority of the insects are uninteresting. Caterpillar is an example. Insecticides should be used in the recommended amounts for pest and insect control, strictly adhering to label directions. You should also fence your pumpkin farm properly to protect it from goats and other herbivores.

Increasing Soil Fertility

Compost manures from livestock or poultry are normally applied to the soil before planting, at 4 weeks after planting, and 6 weeks later.

To avoid food poisoning, those who want to use inorganic fertilizer should apply it after planting and wait for 8 days before harvesting.

However, organic fertilizer has proven to be more cost effective and safer than inorganic fertilizer. Additionally, because harvesting is done on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the size of the farm, there is a need to provide enough nutrients to the soil as the vegetable would thrive with plenty of water and manure so that the pumpkin can continue to grow and produce well to encourage more yield leading to more profit for the vegetable farmer.

Maturity and Harvesting

Pumpkin germinates 10 days after planting if given enough water. Harvesting can begin two to four weeks after planting or when the stems are long.

Framers should cut the stem a few inches away from the bottom of the stem with their hands or knives. Place your hands where the nodes are and cut.

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