Growing Pumpkins With Your Children for Halloween and Holiday Pies:

Pumpkins are an excellent, hardy member of the squash family and grow in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You might envision a pumpkin for Halloween only, but pumpkins can be a decorative part of your garden's landscape throughout their growing season. Decorative pumpkins make a beautiful addition to your holiday table and of course, in the favorite dessert, pumpkin pie. Instead of visiting your local pumpkin patch and buying your pumpkins by the pound, you might be surprised to know just how easy growing your own pumpkins can be. Growing pumpkins can be an excellent opportunity to introduce even the youngest of children to gardening and the occasion of enjoying the priceless smiles on their faces when harvest time comes will be irreplaceable!

The first thing to do is scout out your spot for planting. A large plot is unnecessary, and it really doesn't even need to be flat. As aforementioned, pumpkins are extremely hardy and will take root in most types of soil provided they get the attention they need, water-wise, from your hose reel. A pumpkin requires diligent waterings, daily, and this is something that the kids will love doing. Something to keep in mind when choosing your spot is that pumpkins do grow quickly and spread; they share areas well with other plants, and will make their own way if allowed to. If you are worried about specific plants being overrun by your pumpkins, you might do well to afford your pumpkins their own special spot.

After choosing where you'd like to plant them, your next stop is running over to your local garden shop to get the seeds. After choosing the variety of pumpkin you'd like to grow (there really is quite a variety), it's time to work the soil a bit. Believe me, while your kids are young, take advantage of the fact that they like to dig in the dirt. They will help you turn that soil over in no time. Your growth will be more successful if you enrich the soil with nitrogen rich compost or fertilizer, so by all means, work that into your soil as well. Now, give your kids the seeds and instruct them to place them in water for 24 hours. This helps jumpstart the seeds' growth by making their outer shells softer and quicker to sprout. The next day, let your children plant each seed, a few inches apart in your small (or large) patch. Make sure you remind your children to water their plants daily, as pumpkins do demand a large amount of water to grow successfully. To allow your plants to grow fruit, you will need to grab a small paintbrush and pollinate your flowers by carrying pollen from one flower to the next. Bees just might do this, but depending on your geographical area, you might not be able to rely on a squash bee to get the job done. This will be fun for the kiddos too! Then, there is nothing left to do but water them, and watch them grow.