Think quintessential pumpkin, think Racer F1 with bold orange skin, clear ribbing and a chunky dark green handle…this is a vigorous semi-bush type, early maturing (3 months from planting out) expect 2-3 pumpkins per plant each weighing in at around the 5-6kg mark. Great for carving, they store well and are tasty too.
SOW: in individual pots from mid-April to mid-June. Seed depth 25mm, on their side (this helps to prevent the seed from rotting). Keep them on a windowsill or in an airing cupboard until sprouted then pop into a cold frame or similar.
GROW: keep moist and warm, ready to harden off at the 2/3 leaf stage before planting out. Pumpkins like rich soil in full sun, adding well-rotted manure to the soil gives them a proper boost to race away! Racer is a semi-bush so it will vine – control these by training them in a circle, plants need only 100cm between them. For watering ‘plant’ a 15cm pot next to each pumpkin plant and water into that…this helps control how much water you are giving your plants and it directs the water to the roots and keeps it away from the stem where it can cause problems).
HARVEST: ready about 12 weeks from planting out, keep a good length of handle on each pumpkin when you cut as this will help prolong their storage like, cure them in the dry for 10 days to toughen the skin before storing.
TOP TIP: For Halloween carving cut your pumpkin as close to Halloween as you can so that the skin is softer to carve.
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