It’s the End of my 2023 Giant Pumpkin Season, Now What?

It’s the end of the pumpkin growing season here in New Zealand. OK, there might be some weigh off’s late in April down south. But for the purposes of this blog post, the season has come to an end.

In this post, I’m going to talk about what I do at the end of my giant pumpkin growing season.

I break it down into the following sections.

• Things to do outside in the pumpkin patch
• Reflection on the season
• Plan for next year

Outside Things to do in the Giant Pumpkin Patch

Rip Out That Giant Pumpkin Plant

At the end of the growing season, there is no point in keeping the plant. It’s time to rip it completely out of the patch.

Growing in such a small area, I am able to rip the vines out and jam them into the garden bin. For larger patches, I would remove all the vines and let them compost down in a different area.

The key is to tidy up the patch as much as possible.

Inspect the Plant

I always like to see just how big the main vine grew to and how many roots there were. It’s fascinating to see on any pumpkin plant no matter the size.

I’ll also take note of anything that looks strange.

Reflecting on the Growing Season

Now it’s time to think about things that went well. Then think about the not so good things from the season.

How would I have done it differently? What could I have improved upon? These end up on lists, which I will refer to in the lead up to the next growing season.

I have a free End of Season Review document to help you out. It’s in the resources section of the website.

Time to Make Some Pumpkin Related Lists

I love lists. Now is a great time to make some.

Here are the ones I make:

1. What went well in this pumpkin growing season?
2. What didn’t go as well this pumpkin growing season?
3. What do I currently have on hand? Product wise or equipment.
4. What would I like to have on hand for next season?

These help shape what I need to organise for the next season. To help you, I have made a downloadable PDF with these questions. You can print it out and fill it out to help you with future planning. You can get a copy of it down the bottom.

Here are my answers to those questions.

What went well in this Pumpkin Growing Season?

Germination

I was very happy with my germination of the giant pumpkin seeds this season.

It all went smoothly.

It happened quickly and all the seedlings were looking good. I also had enough backup seedlings ready just in case.

All round a good start to the growing season.

What didn’t go as well this pumpkin growing season

Patch Prep

I just didn’t do enough and what I did do wasn’t done early enough. At one point, I thought I was on top of it, but in reality I wasn’t.

This lack of prep meant the plant didn’t have a good base to start growing. It lacked nutrients and in the end the results I got were due to the lack of effort put into this important step.

There were limitations and always will be when growing in a tiny patch. I need to work around those best as I can.

Watering

This seemed like it was going OK, especially when I was away during Christmas. But what happened was the Wi-Fi timer seems to have died, and might actually be totally stuffed.

The siphon filter I got from China looked like it was working great. But once connected to the micro-irrigation, things went downhill. The siphon couldn’t get started. I think it would work with handheld watering. The trick would be working out how to connect it all.

Plant Growth

Plant growth was less than stellar. I wasn’t expecting much out of the Tiny Patch 2.0, lets be realistic. But I thought it would have had better growth than it did.

The lack of patch prep really didn’t help. The more organic material you can put into the area, the better the results will be. You really want the plant to reach its full potential if you can.

Time Management

This was me not managing or putting in the work. The season started well, but I had a couple of things happening at the same time that stuffed me around.

I’ve come up with a better plan to organise everything next season. From what I need to do, to the content I make. It’s more sustainable and less stressful.

What do I have on Hand?

Seeds

I have some giant pumpkin seeds (Atlantic giant) on hand. Some of them are quite old, but you never know if they might germinate or not. I’m sure I have something on hand for next season. Otherwise, I will have to reach out to other growers and see what they have.

Products

Growing in such a small area means that you don’t usually need a lot of products. Which is great.

It seems I have run out of a lot of things I did have on hand. Currently I still have some powdered seaweed which I think is a great product.

I have some preventative spray to help control powdery mildew and I still have a lot of biochar pellets as well.

What would I like to have on hand or improve for next season?

Watering

I want to get the watering setup a bit better. I think I will just go with a basic timer and sprinkler on a pole. After seeing how Tim had his set up this season, it inspired me to do something similar.

Tools

I have 2 items currently that I am keen to get my hands on. One is a broad fork. I think it is the way to dig the Tiny Patch 2.0 the most effectively. They are pricey but should be worth it.

I actually have to check to see if they are still being sold. If not, I will either need to get one made or finally getting around to learning how to weld and make one myself.

The other item is a stirrup hoe. Also known as a swing hoe, or a hula hoe. Also not many options available in NZ. To get in and remove weeds more easily.

Amendments

This comes down to more organic matter added to the patch. I need to source a good supply. I last season I used a lot of insect frass product from Inzect Direct. I think it works well and am keen to get more of that.

I’ll also look at the main NPK products as well.

Without having soil tests and knowing exactly how to amend the patch, I have to go with basic gardening principles.

Think About Next Year’s Growing Season

Growers will need to weigh up and decided if you are growing next season.

There are many reasons you may not want to grow next year. If you have a reason not to, that’s OK. You can always grow another time.

What I will say is make sure you have some notes of what you did. This means you won’t start from scratch. You’ll have some info or data you can build upon.

Follow the Northern Hemisphere Growers

The main benefit of our growing season being different from the Northern Hemisphere growers is that in our off time, we get to see what everyone else is doing.

Now is a great time to get used to BigPumpkins.com if you aren’t already. It’s also a good time to see what people are posting on Facebook and YouTube and follow the ones that you like.

It is easy to get information overload. So don’t worry if you don’t follow everyone and everything.

No matter your skill level or experience, I can guarantee you will pick up a tip as you watch the Northern Hemisphere growers.

How Was Your 2023 Pumpkin Season?

How’d it go for you? Was it good, bad? Something else?

Let me know by leaving a comment below.