Hello,

Thank you for contacting us about raising pumpkins. You didn't mention how many vines you grew last year, but my first suggestion is to have several if you have space. They can trail out of the raised beds and intertwine if needed.

Be judicious about fertilizing. Too much nitrogen will create a lot of foliage at the expense of flowers.

The male flowers typically begin to open before the female flowers, so patience is needed. As you may already know, the female flowers have a large ovary on the stem just below the bloom while the males have only a simple stalk. The attached photo shows the hand-pollination process which is a fool-proof way of ensuring the female flowers are pollinated. Be prepared to pollinate the female flowers as soon as they are open. 

Lastly, you may have better luck with open-pollinated varieties rather than hybrids; however, if you are hand-pollinating, it shouldn't really matter. 

I hope these suggestions are helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to write again.

Happy gardening,

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us about raising pumpkins. You didn't mention how many vines you grew last year, but my first suggestion is to have several if you have space. They can trail out of the raised beds and intertwine if needed.

Be judicious about fertilizing. Too much nitrogen will create a lot of foliage at the expense of flowers.

The male flowers typically begin to open before the female flowers, so patience is needed. As you may already know, the female flowers have a large ovary on the stem just below the bloom while the males have only a simple stalk. The attached photo shows the hand-pollination process which is a fool-proof way of ensuring the female flowers are pollinated. Be prepared to pollinate the female flowers as soon as they are open. 

Lastly, you may have better luck with open-pollinated varieties rather than hybrids; however, if you are hand-pollinating, it shouldn't really matter. 

I hope these suggestions are helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to write again.

Happy gardening,

Dear Michael,

It's nice to hear from you again. You can start pumpkins indoors right now if you want to get a jump on the season. Make sure the seed starts stay warm and have lots of light. Keep them only inches from the fluorescent lights, and keep the lights on for 14 hours per day.

Alternatively, you can wait until the soil is thoroughly warm outdoors to direct sow. Pumpkins are sensitive to cold temperatures in both the air and the soil, so it isn't worth rushing them outdoors. A soil thermometer costs only a few dollars and is a good investment. Soil temperatures are much more reliable than calendar dates. (More about this in the links below.)

I hesitate to recommend fertilizers without a soil test to determine which nutrients are needed and how much. Excess nutrients are not only expensive but they degrade the environment. If you have healthy soil that has been enriched with organic matter over several years, you should be able to get by by adding mature compost in 3 or 4 times during the year. Spread it on the surface of the soil (ie. don't till it in.) 

If you do get a soil test, this publication will help you determine how much fertilizer to use: 
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1503

We highly recommend mulches to maintain soil moisture and temperatures. Straw, woodchips, or black plastic all work well. 

Here is a link to a growing guide that should address most of your questions. (Please note that it is from Cornell University in New York, so the suggested cultivars may not apply to Oregon.)
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene61ea.html

Suggested pumpkin varieties for Oregon can be found here:
https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/squash-pumpkin-and-winter 

The following article is about growing giant pumpkins. Even if you are not interested in going for the prize, it includes a number of growing tips that may be helpful:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/pump-your-pumpkins-giant-size

I hope this gives you the information you need. I'd like to hear how your pumpkin harvest turns out. Do write back if you need more information.

Cheers,

Dear Michael,

It’s nice to hear from you again and that your garden was largely successful. I’ll try to address all your questions.

Tomatoes and peppers - Blossom-end rot is a common problem with solanaceous crops. The traditional thinking is that it is caused by a lack of calcium in the plant; however, that does not necessarily mean your soil lacks calcium. Often the pH of the soil is too low (acidic) so that plants cannot access the calcium. The optimum pH is closer to 7.0 rather than 6.0, so you should check the pH before adding calcium to the soil.

Recent research seems to indicate that inconsistent watering is a bigger factor than calcium. Make sure the plants do not get too dry before irrigating especially during fruit development. Use mulch to retain soil moisture and select varieties that are known to be resistant to blossom-end rot.

Lettuce and spinach - Spinach in particular is difficult to germinate, but lettuce is generally much easier. I noticed you mentioned potting soil. If you are using commercial potting soil, that may be a part of your problem. These blends typically contain vermiculite or other items to make them lightweight for potting. They should never be used in an outdoor garden because they easily wash away. Instead, use good quality gardening soil or you can mix your own.

Spinach can be planted in March/April and Aug/Sept. The optimum soil temperatures are 45-75 F degrees or average daytime temperatures of 50-70 F degrees. (I prefer using soil temperatures that are more steady.) Try to keep the seeds evenly moist, not wet. Lettuce has a slightly wider optimum range of temperatures. Spinach is a heavy feeder, so make sure your soil contains a lot of organic matter. You can side-dress with blood meal midway during the growing season.

Cucumbers - Bitter cukes are caused by the compound cucurbitacin which is normally found in the leaves and stems. It can move into the fruit when plants are stressed from high temperatures or fluctuations in water. Often, the fruit can still be used by removing the stem end, peel. and the light green area just beneath the peel, then rinse them. Some varieties are more resistant to bitterness such as lemon cucumbers, burpless types, and many newer hybrids. Try to water the plants consistently and use mulch. Note, however, that wilted leaves do not always indicate whether water is needed as they may just be a heat response.

Pumpkins - The weather may have contributed to your problems last year. Avoid overhead watering to reduce powdery mildew. Drip irrigation is best. Try to select varieties that are resistant to mildew. (See http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/Pump_PM_Resistant.html for more information.) It may also be helpful to start your pumpkins indoors in order to extend the growing time a few weeks.

With these suggestions, I hope you are able to avoid some problems next season. As always, feel free to write again if you have any more questions. Happy gardening!

Dear Michael,

It’s nice to hear from you again and that your garden was largely successful. I’ll try to address all your questions.

Tomatoes and peppers - Blossom-end rot is a common problem with solanaceous crops. The traditional thinking is that it is caused by a lack of calcium in the plant; however, that does not necessarily mean your soil lacks calcium. Often the pH of the soil is too low (acidic) so that plants cannot access the calcium. The optimum pH is closer to 7.0 rather than 6.0, so you should check the pH before adding calcium to the soil.

Recent research seems to indicate that inconsistent watering is a bigger factor than calcium. Make sure the plants do not get too dry before irrigating especially during fruit development. Use mulch to retain soil moisture and select varieties that are known to be resistant to blossom-end rot.

Lettuce and spinach - Spinach in particular is difficult to germinate, but lettuce is generally much easier. I noticed you mentioned potting soil. If you are using commercial potting soil, that may be a part of your problem. These blends typically contain vermiculite or other items to make them lightweight for potting. They should never be used in an outdoor garden because they easily wash away. Instead, use good quality gardening soil or you can mix your own.

Spinach can be planted in March/April and Aug/Sept. The optimum soil temperatures are 45-75 F degrees or average daytime temperatures of 50-70 F degrees. (I prefer using soil temperatures that are more steady.) Try to keep the seeds evenly moist, not wet. Lettuce has a slightly wider optimum range of temperatures. Spinach is a heavy feeder, so make sure your soil contains a lot of organic matter. You can side-dress with blood meal midway during the growing season.

Cucumbers - Bitter cukes are caused by the compound cucurbitacin which is normally found in the leaves and stems. It can move into the fruit when plants are stressed from high temperatures or fluctuations in water. Often, the fruit can still be used by removing the stem end, peel. and the light green area just beneath the peel, then rinse them. Some varieties are more resistant to bitterness such as lemon cucumbers, burpless types, and many newer hybrids. Try to water the plants consistently and use mulch. Note, however, that wilted leaves do not always indicate whether water is needed as they may just be a heat response.

Pumpkins - The weather may have contributed to your problems last year. Avoid overhead watering to reduce powdery mildew. Drip irrigation is best. Try to select varieties that are resistant to mildew. (See http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/Pump_PM_Resistant.html for more information.) It may also be helpful to start your pumpkins indoors in order to extend the growing time a few weeks.

With these suggestions, I hope you are able to avoid some problems next season. As always, feel free to write again if you have any more questions. Happy gardening!

Hello Michael,

Thanks for writing again. We often recommend drip irrigation but it tends to be pricey. If you are currently watering by hand, you are in a position to control the amount of water as well as the placement.

The article on page 8 of this guide provides irrigation essentials: 

https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/em9027.pdf

Here is more information: https://extension.umn.edu/water-wisely-start-your-own-backyard/watering-vegetable-garden#too-much-water-869314

The most important points are to avoid wetting the foliage if possible (to avoid fungal diseases), and to recognize that different plants need different amounts of water. Most plants benefit from an even amount of soil moisture so that the soil is not water-logged or too dry. Repeated cycles of drying out are probably the most likely to produce problems like blossom-end rot and bitter cukes. Mulches, like straw, also help maintain the soil moisture and moderate the soil temperature.  

Perhaps I mentioned this previously, but plants can only absorb nutrients that are dissolved in water. This is why a plant may have a calcium deficiency even though the soil contains plenty of it. Soil that is evenly moist is the best condition for plants.

I hope this helps. Let me know how your garden grows this season, and as always, feel free to write if you have other questions.