How to Grow Pumpkins on a Fence

Small pumpkins grow easily on a fence.

1

Form a 6-inch-tall hill every 12 feet along the fence in full to filtered sunlight. Plant four pumpkin seeds, 1-inch deep, in the top of each hill. Thin to just two strongly growing plants when the seedlings reach 4 inches tall.

2

Spread a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of organic mulch around the pumpkin plants. Mulching reduces weed growth and competition for soil nutrients. Pull stubborn weeds by hand, so that the shallow pumpkin roots are not damaged by cultivating.

3

Soak the soil around the plants once a week with a hose. Run the water a couple of minutes until it pools on the ground. Turn off the water and let it soak into the soil. Soak the soil again to ensure that the pumpkin plants are watered deeply. Do not splash the plants and fruit since it encourages rot.

4

Feed the pumpkin plants with balance vegetable fertilizer when the vines are just 12 inches tall. Scratch the fertilizer into the top inch of soil and water well. Fertilize the plants again when the fruit appear.

5

Train the vines to grow up the fence when they are 18 inches tall. Tie the vines to the fence every 12 to 24 inches. Create a sling under each fruit with nylon netting or old nylon stockings. Tie both ends of the sling to the fence and cradle the fruit in the center. As the fruit grows, adjust the sling to support it.

6

Pinch off the fuzzy end of each vine once four or five pumpkins have formed. This action stops the growth of the vines and redirects the energy into pumpkin development. Do not pinch the vines off if growing miniature pumpkins. Allow multiple fruit to set instead.

7

Check under the leaves and on the vines for squash bugs and cucumber beetles every week. Pick off any discovered bug and toss them in a jar of soapy water to drown. These bugs feed on the sap from the stems and can kill off individual plants.

8

Harvest the fruit when the skin turns solid orange and is hard to the touch. The skin of a mature pumpkin does not puncture with a fingernail easily. Place the fruit in the sun for a week to cure. Store the pumpkins in a dry area around 55 degrees Fahrenheit until ready to use.

Karen Carter spent three years as a technology specialist in the public school system and her writing has appeared in the "Willapa Harbor Herald" and the "Rogue College Byline." She has an Associate of Arts from Rogue Community College with a certificate in computer information systems.

Original article and pictures take http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-pumpkins-fence-32352.html site