When To Pick Pumpkins: 4 Simple Clues to Time It Right!

Knowing when to pick pumpkins for your autumn baking or decorating is both a tradition and an art. Fortunately, there are several clues that you can go by to make sure you’re harvesting a pumpkin at the very peak of ripeness. These four clues are the signals for when to pick pumpkins: In this post, …

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How to Keep Pumpkins from Rotting: 11 Easy Fall Tips

Understanding how to keep pumpkins from rotting is crucial for maintaining your fall display colorful and fresh for as long as possible. Because, unfortunately, pumpkins can go bad fast, and there’s nothing sadder than a soft, squishy pumpkin just days after you’ve harvested or carved it. I’ve had enough of watching our hard work on …

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Different Types of Pumpkins: 31 Varieties for Your Garden!

Do you love pumpkin everything? Well, you’re in luck! Pumpkins are versatile vegetables that you can use for so many different things. They’re an excellent option for gardeners of all skill levels because they’re fairly simple to grow, and if you plan it right, you can grow pumpkins in surprisingly small areas. How many different …

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Pumpkin Trellis: Go Vertical to Save Space & Boost Harvest!

Pumpkins are a fun fruit to grow- they come in so many different sizes, shapes, and colors! They’re great for Halloween carving, seasonal decorations, and even cooking and baking. They can, however, take up a great deal of space in your garden. Thankfully that’s where growing pumpkins on a trellis can save the day (and your garden space)!  …

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Growing Pumpkins in Containers: Tips for Perfect Pumpkins

When you think of container gardening, leafy greens, peppers and herbs may be the first plants that spring to mind. But you should be thinking bigger- much bigger. You’re missing out if you don’t realize that many types of pumpkins are an excellent choice for your container garden. What supplies do you need for growing …

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3 Ways to Support Pumpkin Vine Health and Productivity

Pumpkins can reach impressive sizes, but so can their vines.  Pumpkin vines are the stiff, trailing stems that spread across the ground from the rooted growing point. There are three parts to a pumpkin vine: Depending on the variety, the main stem can reach up to 30 feet long during the growing season. Pumpkin vines …

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Growing Pumpkins in Small Spaces: 6 Creative Ideas

We all associate pumpkins with jack-o-lanterns, fall decorations and pumpkin pies. Many varieties of pumpkins are great to grow for all things fall- but they tend to take up so much garden space. So if you don’t have a farm or huge garden, can you hope to grow pumpkins at home? Growing pumpkins in small …

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Small Pumpkins: Top 10 Varieties and Growing Tips

Pumpkins are a fall favorite, and they’re so much fun to grow in your garden. But when you don’t have the space for full-size gourds or you want to experiment a bit, small pumpkins are a wonderful solution! Small pumpkins typically weigh a maximum of 5 pounds, and miniature varieties are usually 1 pound or …

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Pumpkin Fertilizer Tips ( & Top Picks) for a Bumper Crop

If you’re dedicating effort and garden space to growing pumpkins, you want the maximum harvest your plants can produce. To develop the biggest, healthiest fruits, pumpkins need lots of nutrients at their disposal. Pumpkin fertilizer enriches soil with essential macro and micronutrients that plants need to produce a healthy root system, foliage and fruits. The …

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Pumpkin Growing Stages (Seed to Harvest Life Cycle)

When you look around and see those hefty, festive pumpkins all over in autumn, it’s almost hard to believe that they all started with just a small seed. But it’s true! Pumpkin growing stages happen over 3 to 4 months in 8 distinct steps: In this article, you’ll learn the details of each stage in …

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Pumpkin Leaves Fun Facts: Are They Edible?

One way to maximize your garden harvest is by eating parts of the plants we normally throw away. It’s certainly true that much more of a plant is edible than we tend to think about, and one perfect example is pumpkin vine leaves. Are pumpkin leaves edible? Yes, eating pumpkin leaves is a healthy addition to …

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Pumpkin Leaves Turning Yellow: 8 Causes and Solutions

With pumpkins on display almost everywhere you look each autumn, it can be easy to assume that pumpkins are an easy crop that practically grow themselves. But pumpkin plants can run into various problems throughout the growing season, with yellow, unhealthy-looking leaves among them. There are 8 main causes for pumpkin leaves turning yellow: In …

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When to Plant Pumpkins for a Bountiful Harvest

Pumpkin lovers everywhere know that planting pumpkin seeds at the right time is key to a successful harvest. You don’t want to miss out on this versatile fall crop- carving for Halloween, using in pies, or sprucing up the front porch as a decoration. So a little planning needs to be done to make sure …

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Pumpkin Flowers: Healthy Blossoms, Beautiful Pumpkins

Pumpkins are beloved in many cultures due to their tasty fruit, and many home gardeners plant pumpkins anticipating a harvest of large, orange, delicious and/or carvable round squash. Pumpkin flowers typically appear in the late spring to early summer, and each plant produces both male and female flowers. The male flowers produce pollen, and the …

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12 Terrific Pumpkin Companion Plants (And What to Avoid)

I’ll make a bold statement: Everybody loves a pumpkin! While they’re harvested in and associated with fall, pumpkins need to be seeded quite early in the season to give them time to grow into the big orange basketballs we know and love. And did you know that you can actually plant certain things close to …

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How Many Pumpkins Per Plant: Know What to Expect

So you’ve planted your mini, standard, or large pumpkin vine this year and you’re looking forward to fall! But how many pumpkins per plant should you plan on harvesting?   Here’s the short answer: However, this is a very general overview. There are plenty of variables that can affect your overall yield, even within a …

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Growing Eggplant in Containers: Avoid Some Common Mistakes!

You’ve decided to try your hand at growing eggplant in containers- good for you! Whether you’re like me and don’t have a ton of ground space or you just love the convenience of container veggies, planting eggplant in pots is a great way to enjoy a fresh harvest in a smaller footprint. But growing eggplant …

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Overwatered Cucumber Plants: Tips to Identify and Treat

Overwatered cucumber plants often look fine one day- and then kind of terrible the next time you go to check on them. And it’s easy to do: Almost every gardener- myself included- has made the mistake of giving too much water with nothing but the best of intentions for taking good care of our plants. …

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White Spots on Parsley- Causes and Solutions!

Parsley is a widely used herb packed with health benefits and flavor. You’ve probably seen it as a garnish on your plate at a fancy restaurant or perhaps even used it to make pesto.  According to Healthline, parsley not only heightens the flavors of your favorite dishes, but it can also contribute to immunity, heart …

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How to Grow Eggplant: Complete Guide for Beginners

Eggplant may not be as common of a garden crop as some of its ever-popular relatives- tomatoes and peppers. That’s a shame; In my opinion, you can’t beat the freshness and flavor of homegrown eggplant. And once you learn how to grow eggplant in the conditions and care it needs, it’s a pretty low-maintenance addition …

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Eggplant Growing Stages: 7 Steps from Seed to Harvest

It takes a while for eggplant to reach a harvest-ready stage, and during that process, the plant must go through several different stages of maturity. Once I learned how to recognize each individual stage, it made it easier and more fun to wait for that final harvest. And I could make sure I tailored the …

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13 Best Eggplant Companion Plants (Plus 5 Plants to Avoid)

In my opinion, eggplants in general don’t get the love they deserve. They can seem a little intimidating to grow- but as long as you plant them in the right spot in your garden, they can produce a delicious harvest without too much effort on your part. And one of the smartest ways to maximize …

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Pepper Plant Flowers: Pinching Back & 5 Ways to Limit Drop

I love growing fresh peppers- they have a spot in my garden every year! And there won’t be any crunchy, flavorful fruits without healthy flowers growing at the appropriate time. Pepper plant flowers contain pollen-producing and pollen-receiving sites, and each blossom is capable of yielding fruit. Blossoms appearing before the plant is 12 inches tall …

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How Much Sun Do Bell Peppers Need for the Best Harvest?

Bell peppers are a perfect taste of summer- they’re crisp and juicy with a distinctive sun-kissed taste (that’s my opinion anyway!). To get large, tasty fruits, bell peppers need plenty of sunlight to grow- but figuring out what that actually means can be confusing. How much sun do bell peppers need to grow? Like all …

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Cucumber Flowers: What They Mean and 5 Ways to Get More!

Sunny golden cucumber flowers are a surefire sign of summer and crunchy, juicy cukes are just around the corner. But it’s happened to me- my plants aren’t producing as many flowers as I hoped, leaving me wondering what kind of crop I might end up with. Thankfully, I found out there were quite a few …

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23 Impressive Ideas for Vertical Gardening Systems in 2023

As much as I’d love to have a large in-ground garden, it’s just not in the cards at this time in my life, and that’s where vertical gardening systems come into play. Vertical gardening allows me (and you!) to convert those odd spaces into thriving gardens. Some of the most common types of vertical gardening …

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11 Best Dill Companion Plants to Grow This Year + 5 to Avoid

It’s a flavorful addition to summer meals and a favorite with many types of butterflies and insects- yes, dill is a versatile garden herb. And using dill companion plants is a smart way to maximize your plant’s productivity and make the best use of garden space. Ideal companion plants for dill include: In some cases, …

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6 Types of Hydroponic Systems & How They Work

Hydroponic systems, in one form or another, have been used throughout history. What is hydroponics? Hydroponics involves growing plants in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil. Growing plants in a hydroponic system makes nutrients, oxygen, and moisture readily available, resulting in faster production and larger harvests. There are countless strategies for setting up your own hydroponic …

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How Many Cucumbers Per Plant: 7 Ways to Boost Harvest

Cucumber are an easy-to-grow, vining plant that are a must-have for many home gardeners. WebMD tells us that cucumbers are chock full of water, low in calories and can provide several necessary vitamins. With that in mind, it’s only natural to want the biggest, best harvest possible from your cucumber plants. How many cucumbers per plant …

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13 DIY Hydroponic Plans Made Easy!

Hydroponics is the future of growing food, but it’s hard to know where to start. You can’t buy a hydroponic system at your local garden store, and you don’t want to spend $200 (or more!) on an off-the-shelf solution online. The DIY approach sounds like the right way to go, but what do you need …

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What Can You Grow with the Kratky Method? All This!

The Kratky method of hydroponic growing is awesome for several reasons: It’s perfect for beginners, requires no electricity and is a simple set-up for passive growing. That all sounds great, but what can you grow with the Kratky method? These crops are your best bet for a successful, rapid harvest:  Admittedly, these categories are pretty …

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Bucket Gardening 101 – So Easy and Fun!

Have you ever thought you can’t start a garden because you just don’t have the space? Does it seem like the only people who can grow worthwhile gardens are those who have large areas to work with? Untrue! In this guide to Bucket Gardening 101, you’ll learn about the surprising amount of produce or flowers …

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Cucumber Leaves Turning Yellow? 5 Causes and Simple Fixes

Cucumbers are a favorite crop for many gardeners the world over. And why not- you just can’t beat the taste of a refreshing, hot-off-the-vine cuke in your salad or as a snack. But cucumbers leaves frequently develop unhealthy yellow shade at some point during the growing season. Why? Yellowing cucumber leaves could be due to …

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