Your comments and tips

21 Oct 17, Margaret Symons (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

In HB, pumpkin planting of seeds you've stored from last year gets underway in early October. They're easy to grow, plant deeper than 3 cm if birds may dig them out. They will ramble everywhere in your garden! ....Plant mandarins before November. Mandarins do fine semi rural in HB with no frost protection. But once a year, you need to spray them with oil as they can get sooty mould. The sooner you spray the better if the leaves start showing this black mould as it spreads. I hate spraying if there are bees around so check this out first. I underplant citrus with allysium as this little flower is meant to discourage bugs.

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28 Sep 17, Jenni (Australia - temperate climate)

My 9 year old has been eager to grow something she can eat so I gave her some pumpkin seeds from a store brought pumpkin. She dried them out and buried them. Leaves are starting to grow to my surprise. She tenderly waters them each day but wants to know, what she can "feed" them to make sure they are nice and tasty. Also, is it even the right time to grow pumpkin? We are on the south coast of South Australia and the weather is...well odd at the moment. Any tips to pass on to a very enthused and dedicated 9 year old girl? Thanks!

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02 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Great to hear of someone so young who wants to grow things. If this attempt fails, tell her to try next year. Plant around April/May and grow into the winter. If you have or can make a garden bed, tell her to try growing some radishes - nearly the easiest thing to grow. Go to Bunnings or a nursery and buy some punnets of lettuce or other things she likes and plant them. When starting out it is a lot easier to plant seedlings. The hard work has been done to germinate them. Also buy a little container of fertiliser (about 2kg or so) from nursery or Bunnings etc. I use a watering can (9 liters) and add a small tupperware cup of fertiliser to the water. Give it a good stir. Scale this down to say 1/2 to 3/4 of a tablespoon in 1-2 liters of water. Wait until the plants have grown to 3-4-5 inches. Little plants little fertiliser and more as they get bigger. Good luck.

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30 Sep 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)

Spread some compost around the seedlings, and then add plenty of mulch, to save on water in summer. As they get bigger, cut the watering back to a couple of times a week.

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08 Sep 17, Renae (Australia - tropical climate)

My son and I planted two pumpkin seeds, I have harvested about 8 pumpkins all Kent's and they are getting bigger and bigger. For some reason we seem to have a butternut shaped pumpkin that has the coloring and pattern of a Kent. Could it be a crossbreed? How early is too early to pick them? I've had to throw a few unripened ones away not knowing.

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10 Sep 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Look how long it states to grow them and don't pick before then. The plant vines will start to die off. Best to grow into the winter months - they will mature slower and you will be able to store them longer. Read the notes here and on the internet.

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10 Sep 17, Bru (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, I grow butternuts fairly successfully, usually sowing seed from late September. Last years crop took a good 6 months (early April) before i could harvest (i can usually harvest way earlier than this). My suggestion is to give them at least 5 months from sowing, but keep an eye on the vine, once that starts dying off your pumpkins should be ready to harvest.

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01 Aug 17, (New Zealand - temperate climate)

When to plant bottle Gourd?

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03 Aug 17, Bev (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Like all curcubitae, planting time is when your soil is up to 20C. Definitely after all risk of frost is over

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19 Jul 17, Terry Forster (Australia - tropical climate)

I am looking for Gramma Pumpkin seeds. I Grew some of these years ago near Beaudesert.Has any body heard of these we made dessert pumpkin pie with them.

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