Pumpkin "Gran Gigante" (Halloween)

GROWING FEATURES.
Pumpkin is a heat-loving crop. It needs not only soil moisture, but also air. The crop has a powerful root system that goes deep into the ground.
Pumpkin does not like stagnant water, so it is advisable to plant it on a hill. It grows well not only on the ground, but also on a manure ridge.
The planting site is chosen to be sunny, and the soil is well fertilized. Since pumpkin occupies a large area, it is better to plant it along the fence, directing the vines to the fence.
Bush forms are grown in beds, placing the vines under trees.
Pumpkin seeds germinate for a long time, the plant itself develops for a long time (120-140 days). Therefore, it is best to grow it through seedlings.
Sowing for seedlings begins 25-35 days before planting in the ground (in Estonia, this is the beginning of May).
It is better to sow not in boxes, but in separate cups, since pumpkin does not tolerate transplantation well.
Water the seedlings with warm water (+25ºС), feed 1-2 times with mineral fertilizers (1 tablespoon per 5 liters of water).
In Estonia, seedlings are planted in a bed on June 10-12, under cover - May 20-25. It is better to plant it on high beds (20-25 cm).
If you were unable to grow seedlings, then sow the seeds in a permanent place, but not earlier than May 25.
Pre-soak them in water or germinate in wet sawdust until a small tip of the root appears. The seed sowing depth is 8-12 cm.
CARE.
Pumpkin care consists of watering, fertilizing, loosening, mulching the soil and forming a bush. It is not watered often, but abundantly.
During flowering, watering is slightly limited. In order not to wash off the pollen from the flowers, water under the root, in the hole.
Two weeks after planting, the plants are fed with an infusion of mullein (1 bucket per plant) with diluted nitrophoska (2 tablespoons).
After 15 and 30 days, the feeding is repeated.
If the pumpkin vines are not pinched, they can grow up to 5-7 meters, as a result of which a lot of nutrients will go to the formation of greenery,
a large number of small pumpkins will be tied, which will not have time to ripen.
In order to get a good harvest, the plant must be formed into 1-3 stems, leaving 1-2 fruits on each.
When the main stem reaches a length of 1.5-2 meters and 1-2 ovaries appear on it, the top of the vine should be pinched, leaving 4-5 leaves behind the last ovary.
Leave 1-2 side shoots, remove the rest. The remaining shoots can be sprinkled and pinned to the ground.
They take root easily, and then the fruits receive much more nutrients and ripen faster.
The pumpkin is harvested in dry weather from September 1 to 15, cutting off together with the stalk. In no case should you take it by the stalk - it can fall off, and then the pumpkin risks rotting during storage.
The optimal storage temperature is +5+8 degrees. Pumpkins are also well stored in room conditions without direct sunlight.
If there are no storage conditions that meet the necessary standards, then the pumpkins are processed: frozen, dried, cooked into jam, candied fruits.
The best specimens are left until spring for seeds.