Sweet pumpkin is a very tasty vegetable. This sweet pumpkin is eaten as curries and stir-fries. Also, its leaves and stems are eaten as vegetables.
Sweet pumpkin is very good for our body. It helps boost immunity. Protects the body from colds, coughs, and colds. Sweet pumpkin also helps to improve our digestion and relieve constipation.
If you wish, you can grow sweet pumpkins on your house roof or terrace or in your yard. Let’s find out how you can grow this pumpkin at home.
Sweet pumpkins can be grown year-round, but the best yield is when planted between mid-October and mid-November.
Seed Germination
To grow pumpkins successfully, it is important to start with good-quality seeds. Soak the seeds for six hours to help with germination, then strain them using a strainer.
To sow pumpkin seeds, mix equal amounts of soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost in a plastic glass. Sow one pumpkin seed in each glass, ensuring that they are not sown too deep into the soil. This will prevent delayed seedlings. After sowing the seeds, moisten the soil with a little water in each cup. Repeat this process after 2-3 days. Seedlings should emerge about 5 days after sowing. Keep the seedlings in full sunlight for 9-10 days.
Preparation of soil
For pumpkin plants, the best type of soil is loamy soil. To prepare the soil for planting, you will need to mix the following ingredients in equal parts: common garden soil, vermicompost, and white sand soil. Additionally, add a handful of bone meal, mustard shell powder, corn husk, and banana peel powder to the mixture. This will make the soil nutrient-rich and ideal for growing healthy pumpkin plants.
Final Transplantation
After 4-5 leaves emerge from the seedlings, it’s time to transplant them into pots, bags, or drums. Before transplanting, carefully cut the two sides of the plastic glass with a small blade to remove the seedlings easily. Be cautious to avoid damaging the root ball of the seedling.
For growing sweet pumpkins, you can use medium or large-sized earthen pots or bags, or half-size drums. Place the seedlings in the middle of the soil in your container. After transplanting, thoroughly soak the pot with water and keep the seedlings in a shaded area for 4-5 days. Then, move the plant to a sunny spot. After 40-45 days of transplanting, the plant will start growing. To help it grow easily, create a loft.
Applying Fertilizers
After a few days, the plants will start blooming flowers, and it’s essential to apply fertilizers to ensure that the plants receive adequate nutrition during this time. I always recommend using mixed organic fertilizers for fruit plants and vegetables.
To prepare the organic fertilizer mix, you will need equal quantities of Bone powder, Mustard-shell powder, Horn-meal, Neem-cake powder, and Banana-peel powder. Apply 100 to 150 grams of this mixed fertilizer per container or bag. Next, thoroughly wet the entire container with water without disturbing the soil inside.
Pest Control
Pumpkin plants are vulnerable to pest attacks, which can cause significant damage. Whiteflies, red spiders, food flies, and gourd nettles tend to hatch and lay eggs on young plants. As a result, baby pumpkins are spoiled.
To prevent this, it is recommended to spray the plants with any cypermethrin group insecticides as soon as the pumpkin flowers begin to bloom. Mix two ml of the insecticide with one liter of water and spray it regularly on the plants every 10-15 days from the time of flowering until the fruits become big.
Increase Yield
In order to maintain a healthy rooftop garden, we regularly use insecticides to protect the plants. However, this can have a negative impact on the pollinating insects in the area, which is why it’s important to pollinate the plants artificially.
To do this, you will need a male flower to use for pollination. It’s best to do this early in the morning. Once you have a male flower, remove the petals and take out the stamen. Then, gently touch the stamen to the stigma of the female flower to complete the pollination process.
By doing this, you will increase the chances of getting a yield from your plants. One male flower can be used to pollinate six or seven female flowers.
