Pumpkins are delicious and versatile fruits. Their sweet flavour, mashy texture and nutritious value make them a favourite for many mothers weaning their babies. The highly nutritious fruit that comes in a variety of colours, is a vine plant in the squash family that produces edible fruit, leaves, and seeds.
It can stretch to over 10 metres and provides good ground cover. It is also an excellent companion plant for legumes and cereals and works well as a vine plant layer in forest gardening since they have shallow roots and can be supported in growth as they are climbing plants.
Ecological requirements:
They thrive in low altitudes up to about 2500 meters above sea level with mean temperatures of 18-27 degrees Celsius.
They require well-drained fertile soil with a neutral pH and do well where medium to heavy application of compost or manure is done. They are sensitive to water logging which encourages the development of leaf diseases.
They are drought-tolerant and can produce about 5 tonnes per acre depending on soil fertility, spacing and variety of pumpkin.
Good in your diet
Pumpkins have tough skin and will require some effort to slice. Once cut, scoop out the seeds and stringy parts and slice it as desired. Nothing goes to waste. The seeds can be boiled, dried, and roasted to make a delicious and healthy snack.
It can also be boiled, blended/ mashed and fried (optional) to make pumpkin soup.
The fruits and seeds are full of powerful antioxidants. Eating them can help solve dietary deficiencies and may protect you against various health problems.
The numerous health and nutritional benefits are what make the pumpkin a superfood.
Health benefits of pumpkin fruit and seeds
- The pumpkin is medicinal in various ways. For example, it is used to destroy parasitic worms. The complete seed, together with the husk, is used to remove tapeworms especially for children and pregnant women, whose treatment using other drugs can put them at risk.
- The fruit enables the kidneys to rid the body of excess fluid, reduce fevers and help in indigestion. When smashed into a pulp, the fruit is applied to burns and scalds, and boils. It is also used in the treatment of migraines or prolonged headaches.
- They contain antioxidants such as carotenoids and Vitamin E that can reduce inflammation and protect your cells from harmful free radicals. Excess free radicals can cause oxidative stress that can lead to chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer;
- Consuming pumpkins regulates blood sugar;
- Its high levels of calcium strengthen bones;
- Eating pumpkin fruit and seeds reduces the risk of stomach, breast, lung, prostate, and colon cancers;
- They improve urinary functions and may relieve symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), where the prostate gland gets enlarged;
- Their high dietary fibre promotes good digestive health;
- They are rich in zinc, which improves sperm quality. High levels of tryptophan amino acid promote sleep;
- The high beta-carotene in pumpkin is converted into Vitamin A, which strengthens your immune system, fights infections and improves eyesight;
- It is also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which lower risks of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts;
- It is rich in Vitamins C, E, iron, and folate that boost immunity. Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, a protein that keeps skin healthy;
- It aids weight-loss because you can consume more of it compared to carbohydrates like rice and potatoes, but still take in fewer calories.
Who should not eat pumpkin?
- It is mildly diuretic, which means eating a lot of pumpkins may increase the amount of water and salt that your body expels through urine. Expelling too much water and salt may be harmful to people taking medicines such as lithium. Diuretics can impair your body’s ability to remove lithium and cause serious side effects.
- People who experience allergies afterconsuming it.
Note: Many pumpkin-based junk foods such as pie and candies are loaded with added sugar and do not offer the same health benefits as consuming the fruit or seeds.
Growing pumpkins
- Pick a site with enough sunlight and with rich soil that is well drained and not too soggy. Apply lots of compost and aged manure, as they are heavy feeders. They require lots of space. However, where it is limited, plant them at the edge of your garden and guide the vine along the side.
- Plant seeds in rows or “pumpkin hills”, which are the size of small mounds to encourage faster growth and improves drainage and pest control.
- Mix well rotten manure 30cm to 135cm into the ground or put a two- to four-inch layer of compost.
- Plant the seeds 1-inch deep, four to five seeds per hill. Space hills four to eight feet apart.
- Your plants should shoot in five to 10 days.
- When the plants are five to seven centimetres tall, thin them out and leave two-three plants per hill.
- When planting in rows, sow seeds six to 30 cm apart. Thin after germination to one plant every 20cm to 90cm.
Caring for pumpkins
- Where possible, protect plants early in the season and to prevent insect problems by using row covers. Remove covers before flowering to allow pollination.
- They need lots of water after pollination when the fruit visibly begins to grow.
- However, keep foliage and fruits dry, as dampness will increase incidences of rot and other diseases.
- Mulch your crop to keep in moisture, suppress weeds, and discourage pests. Do not over-cultivate to avoid damaging their shallow roots.
- Avoid using insecticides to kill pests. Instead, use organic methods and apply only in the late afternoon or early evening, when blossoms are closed for the day. Place a bee house in your garden to improve pollination.
- Pumpkin vines are very delicate. Any damage to them may lower the quality of the fruit.
Growing the perfect pumpkin
- Regularly apply manure or compost mixed with water to sustain growth.
- Pinch off the fuzzy ends of each vine after a few pumpkins have formed to stop vine growth and direct the plant’s energy to fruit growth.
- Pruning the vines helps with space management and allows the plant to focus on the remaining vines and fruits.
- Gently turn the fruit, as it develops to encourage an even shape.
- Place a thin board or heavy cardboard under ripening pumpkins to protect them from decay and insect damage.
Pests/diseases
Pests and diseases that affect pumpkins include squash bugs, cucumber beetles, aphids, squash vine borer, powdery mildew, and anthracnose.
Inadequate sunlight, too much fertiliser, poor weather at bloom time and reduced pollination can also hamper fruit development.
To prevent infestation of various pests:
- Use certified disease-free seeds.
- Treat own seeds in hot water for 20 minutes at 135 degF (43 degC).
- Plant resistant varieties, if available.
- Destroy volunteer cucurbits and weeds in the field.
- Practise crop rotation with non-related crops. Use of long rotation periods (3 to 4 years)
Harvesting
- Harvest pumpkins when fully mature. Its skin will turn a deep, solid colour when ripe.
- Thump the pumpkin with a finger. If the skin is hard and the sound hollow, then it is ripe. You can also press your nail into the pumpkin’s skin; it is ripe if it does not puncture.
- Harvest pumpkins on a dry day after the plants have died back.
- To slow decay, leave an inch or two of stem on pumpkins when harvesting.
- To harvest, carefully cut the fruit off the vine with a sharp knife or pruners; do not tear. Severe 3 to 4 inches from the fruit to increase the pumpkin’s storage period.
- Carry them gently to avoid bruising.
Curing and storage
- Cure in the sun for a week to toughen the skin and then store in a dry room with a temperature of 12 to 13 degrees Celsius.
- Pumpkin seeds should be stored in clean airtight containers and should last for six years.
- Pumkins fruits can last three and seven months when stored in cool well aired and dry stores. Regularly check for soft spots or other signs of rot from time to time. Throw away rotting pumpkins or cut them up and add them to the compost pile.
Marketing:
They are popular in all Kenyan markets and a small half kilo pumpkin will retail starting at Kshs20 to Ksh40. Large fruits will sell at between Ksh100 and Ksh200.
Traders can also slice the fruits into small slices which each retailing at Kshs20.
Recommended varieties
The common varieties available in Kenya include white giant from South Africa, Israel giant, Egyptian giant, squash, and dola.