Pumpkins (*Cucurbita pepo*) create a colorful addition to your lawn. This annual crop comes in a variety of shades and sizes and fits in well in the event that you have the space. Many people split their initials into jack-o-lanterns from the fall, but it is possible to present your pumpkin a face without ever picking up a knife. Instead, use a mould to form the pumpkin as it rises to get something decorative and unusual.
Start Your Own Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a warm-season crop that grows in a lot of the USA. They should be planted after all danger of frost has passed. If you would like them for Halloween, the University of Illinois Extension recommends planting pumpkins in late May for northern climates through early July for warmer, southern areas. It gives them time to develop without maturing so early they turn to mush before Halloween. Plant four to five seeds per hill, spaced 5 to 6 feet apart for the vining classes and 4 feet apart for bush varieties.
Find a Mold
To present your pumpkin a face, you’ll need to find a mould you want. Suitable molds are offered from various nurseries, specialty shops and online sources. They are generally made from aluminum or plastic and are reusable. If you are handy you can also create your own of timber, hammered metal or any other good material. The material has to be tough enough to include the growing pumpkin or the face shape won’t take.
Place the Mold
Pumpkins must be put into molds while they are still young. Should you wait too long they wo not take the form of the mould well and they may crack. The pumpkin must fit in the mould and be small enough it can be held in place by the mold’s backing, straps or other devices. You can use tape to maintain your pumpkin from the face mould, but do not really tape the fruit.
Remove the Mold
Remove the face mould in the pumpkin when the fruit has grown big enough to completely fill the mould. Now the design is put along with the pumpkin will keep the face shape the remainder of its existence. Continue to look after the pumpkin as ordinary. Provide water through prolonged dry spells and hoe around your plants to help keep the weeds down. Harvest your pumpkin when it is mature and fully ripe, usually in late September or the first part of October. Cut it in the plant, leaving 3 to 4 inches of stem attached, and store it in a cool, dry location.