They prefer a position in full sun that’s sheltered from the wind. Gradually acclimatise your pumpkins to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before transplanting them out into warm, well drained, humus rich soil.To see how to plant out your pumpkins, watch the short video above. The secret to success with pumpkins is to keep them well watered and nice and warm - between 18 and 25 degrees celsius - at least until you plant them outdoors. Make sure they receive plenty of light.Once germinated they can be removed from the plastic bag or propagator, and grown on in cooler conditions until they’re ready to be planted outdoors. Pumpkins are really vigorous growers and will literally burst from the soil within five to seven days.Water the compost well and then put your pots in a propagator, or seal them inside a plastic bag, at a temperature of about 20 degrees celsius until germination.If both come up you can just pinch one out, or transplant it into a separate pot. And it’s a good idea to sow two seeds per hole in case one doesn’t germinate. Sow your pumpkin seeds on their sides to reduce the risk of rotting. Make a planting hole to a depth of about 2.5cm.Because pumpkin seeds are quite large, they won’t mind the coarser texture. It’s a good idea to use potting compost for pumpkins rather than seed sowing compost because it gives the plants more nutrients from the very start. Make sure you press the compost down gently to fill in any air gaps. Fill a small 7.5cm diameter pot with a good quality potting compost.However I prefer to start mine indoors from mid-April, and then plant them out later on. You can wait until the soil has warmed up in late May, early June, and then direct sow your pumpkins outdoors.Watch our short video above to see how resident horticulturist, Sue Sanderson, sows her ‘Jack of all Trades’ pumpkin seeds. And if you choose to direct sow outdoors, start your pumpkins off under cloches to give them the best start. Wherever you choose to start them, it's best to sow two seeds per hole and thin the weakest plant out later on. However if you’re short of indoor space, you may prefer to wait until the soil has warmed up in late May or early June and sow your seeds directly outdoors. In cooler areas pumpkins can be sown indoors from April to mid May for transplanting outside later, when temperatures have risen. Pumpkins require warm daytime temperatures of between 18 - 30C (68F) and prefer a minimum night temperature of 16C (61F), at least until they’re planted out. Image: Pumpkin 'Zombie' F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan Ideal for Halloween, these warty pumpkins make an excellent display
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