It’s about that time to pack away the pumpkins and bring out the Christmas lights! But before you toss your pumpkins, consider giving them a second life. Scoop out the seeds and plant them in a spacious spot in your yard. Then, use the rind to whip up some delicious pumpkin soup.
Last year, we left our pumpkins in a corner of the backyard a little too long. They got squishy, melted into the ground, and eventually had to be tossed when one of our dogs started snacking on the rotting pumpkin. Before throwing them out, I had scattered a few seeds in an empty planter, wondering if they’d sprout. At first, it seemed like nothing would come of it—tiny leaves appeared but quickly shriveled.
Then, a surprise! A sprout emerged where the pumpkins had rotted and left seeds in the soil.
A Pumpkin Adventure Begins
In early May, the sprout quickly grew into a cluster of leaves. I began documenting the journey:
May 7th: The first leaves were surprisingly big.
May 18th: Just 11 days later, the plant doubled in size.
May 26th: The vine started spreading.
June 5th: It began climbing up our market lights, with flowers popping up everywhere.
June 7th: We noticed both male and female flowers. Excited for our first pumpkin harvest, I helped nature along by hand-pollinating a female flower using a male flower.
June 10th: A tiny pumpkin began to form!
June 15th: The vines were taking over the yard, even growing onto the market lights. We gently placed them back on the ground to prevent damage.
June 19th: Our first pollinated flower turned into a HUGE green pumpkin, and another sizable pumpkin appeared farther down the vine.
June 27th: The vines were growing half a foot (or more!) overnight. Every morning felt like Christmas, checking to see how much the pumpkins had grown.
Harvest Time
July 4th: We cut back the vines to give our dogs more yard space. The pumpkins were starting to turn orange.
July 10th: Harvest day! Both pumpkins were the perfect size, shape, and color.
We cleaned up the backyard, marveling at our success.
Roxy and Mozi were naturally very excited about the pumpkins too! But the story didn’t end quite as planned.
A Lesson Learned
We left the pumpkins outside to dry while we went on a week-long vacation. Unfortunately, rain soaked them, and by the time we returned, they had turned to mush. I might have shed a tear or two, but it’s okay—we’ll definitely grow pumpkins again. Watching them grow and learning about their life cycle was such a rewarding experience.
If you’re considering growing pumpkins, don’t overthink it—nature knows what it’s doing. Just throw some seeds in the backyard, give them space, and enjoy the journey!
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