Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Fall and Pumpkins!

Fall is a beautiful time of year—the trees are painting a beautiful countryside picture, there is a crispness in the air, football is in full swing, and pumpkin patches are popping up everywhere.   Have you ever grown a pumpkin in your garden?  Well, here is a simple recipe to grow your own pumpkin.  Of course, you will need pumpkin seeds, some good well-drained soil in a sunny spot and lots of water!  If pumpkins could speak, their first words would probably be:  “Gimme a drink!”  Between 80 to 90% of every pumpkin is water; and water is an essential medium for bringing nourishment to the entire plant.  Fortunately, the plant has a built-in water-gathering and water-conservation system.  The huge leaves are a hovering mulch, mediating ground and sky, shading the soil, keeping it moist, and inhibiting competition from weeds.  They are also exquisitely designed to draw nourishment from the sun and guide water to the base of the plant.  If a pumpkin seed is planted in the spring, you should have a pumpkin in approximately 85-125 days depending on the pumpkin variety. 

So here’s to fall, growing pumpkins, and our most precious resource--water!  Without it, there would be no pumpkin pie!


 

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