Greetings from Miami.... just planted Seminole pumpkins about 6 weeks ago ( 8 plants spread out around planting bends and edges my fenced property) and they have really taken off. The have vine lengths 10 - 15 ft long so, as you suggested, I pick them up and turn them in different directions ( u-turn, left/right) or whatever the planting area allows me. They are already flowering and have set approx 7 fruit so far. Thanks for your advice on plant selection. As another Floridian and vegetable/fruit garden hobbyist, I know it is a struggle to "grow things' during our hotter months. Thanks again for the suggestions.
I planted 4 seminole pumpkin vines last fall and they all did well. So tasty that I direct sowed about 50 seeds this past spring, but something ate them. In May I started another fifty in a greenhouse and planted them in ground when they were about 6 inches long - but only one survived. One by one insects bit the young vines in half. I believe it was some type of cutworm. Prior to them getting wiped out they grew far slower than the vines planted in the fall (which grew 10-20 feet long in about 2 months). The one survivor is only about 1.5 feet long after 3 months. The temperature May-July was 100 degrees in the shade, and they did not do well in the heat, despite being planted in partial sun to dappled shade, they never grew long enough to put down roots at leaf nodes, so those chomped by cutworms did not survive. The heat and drought killed about 10 plants. After nearly 4 months the one survivor is only about 16 inches long. Half that length occurred when the weather cooled to 90-95 degrees. The survivor was planted in the most shady area of the pumpkin patch. I will start more this last week in August for an early fall planting. There is less insect pressure and it's cooler. Many say that Seminole pumpkins thrive in heat and are maintenance free, but that hasn't been my experience. They require a fair amount of water every day to survive 100 degree months, and a bit of fertilizer too. Growing in fall in full sun was much easier, but they began to die back when the temperature was consistently below 40 (didn't require a freeze), so it is a short growing season resulting in smaller pumpkins. Hopefully someone finds this info helpful.
@@sovereignsoul yeah, they're not 100% maintenance free. David the Good says he's gotten the best results from ones that accidentally came out of his compost pile.
I remember him saying that. He has an elaborate method of preparing the planting hole like a mini compost area. My 25' fall vines grew vigorously with compost added as mulch, but the older leaves and vine closest to the hole died first, whereas the growing end continued to flourish in sand/mycellium. My summer pumpkins were planted the identical way but failed. Same seeds used both times. Insect pressure and heat differed. That said, I do use a compost pile to start mangos and avocado (that will be used as root stock if their fruit is unimpressive). Seeds contain the energy and nutrients seedlings need, but the insects in the pile strip the fruit off the seed reducing fungal issues, and the compost pile retains an ideal amount of moisture for germination. I've only been growing plants for 1.5 years, have lots to learn, and watch a high volume of UA-cam for ideas and methods. Watched dozens on seminole pumpkins. Yours was very good, and the only one I've seen that [accurately] advises that they are not 100% maintenance free. If I watered my summer crop daily more would have survived, but believing the hype about them being maintenance free I only watered every 3-4 days, and cutworm survivors dried and died in the interim. It was an exceptionally hot and dry summer though, with no rain till mid July. And I grow in a forest, which has different pest pressure than growing on a grass lawn.
Really? Imagine walking from Ecuador, carrying something! Even if it sort of diffused and it took generations and a thousand local trades... it's still a long way!
Thank you for Florida gardening, we need more Florida gardeners to help educate.
Greetings from Miami.... just planted Seminole pumpkins about 6 weeks ago ( 8 plants spread out around planting bends and edges my fenced property) and they have really taken off. The have vine lengths 10 - 15 ft long so, as you suggested, I pick them up and turn them in different directions ( u-turn, left/right) or whatever the planting area allows me. They are already flowering and have set approx 7 fruit so far. Thanks for your advice on plant selection. As another Floridian and vegetable/fruit garden hobbyist, I know it is a struggle to "grow things' during our hotter months. Thanks again for the suggestions.
I planted 4 seminole pumpkin vines last fall and they all did well. So tasty that I direct sowed about 50 seeds this past spring, but something ate them. In May I started another fifty in a greenhouse and planted them in ground when they were about 6 inches long - but only one survived.
One by one insects bit the young vines in half. I believe it was some type of cutworm. Prior to them getting wiped out they grew far slower than the vines planted in the fall (which grew 10-20 feet long in about 2 months). The one survivor is only about 1.5 feet long after 3 months.
The temperature May-July was 100 degrees in the shade, and they did not do well in the heat, despite being planted in partial sun to dappled shade, they never grew long enough to put down roots at leaf nodes, so those chomped by cutworms did not survive. The heat and drought killed about 10 plants.
After nearly 4 months the one survivor is only about 16 inches long. Half that length occurred when the weather cooled to 90-95 degrees. The survivor was planted in the most shady area of the pumpkin patch.
I will start more this last week in August for an early fall planting. There is less insect pressure and it's cooler.
Many say that Seminole pumpkins thrive in heat and are maintenance free, but that hasn't been my experience. They require a fair amount of water every day to survive 100 degree months, and a bit of fertilizer too. Growing in fall in full sun was much easier, but they began to die back when the temperature was consistently below 40 (didn't require a freeze), so it is a short growing season resulting in smaller pumpkins.
Hopefully someone finds this info helpful.
@@sovereignsoul yeah, they're not 100% maintenance free. David the Good says he's gotten the best results from ones that accidentally came out of his compost pile.
I remember him saying that. He has an elaborate method of preparing the planting hole like a mini compost area.
My 25' fall vines grew vigorously with compost added as mulch, but the older leaves and vine closest to the hole died first, whereas the growing end continued to flourish in sand/mycellium. My summer pumpkins were planted the identical way but failed. Same seeds used both times. Insect pressure and heat differed.
That said, I do use a compost pile to start mangos and avocado (that will be used as root stock if their fruit is unimpressive). Seeds contain the energy and nutrients seedlings need, but the insects in the pile strip the fruit off the seed reducing fungal issues, and the compost pile retains an ideal amount of moisture for germination.
I've only been growing plants for 1.5 years, have lots to learn, and watch a high volume of UA-cam for ideas and methods. Watched dozens on seminole pumpkins. Yours was very good, and the only one I've seen that [accurately] advises that they are not 100% maintenance free. If I watered my summer crop daily more would have survived, but believing the hype about them being maintenance free I only watered every 3-4 days, and cutworm survivors dried and died in the interim. It was an exceptionally hot and dry summer though, with no rain till mid July. And I grow in a forest, which has different pest pressure than growing on a grass lawn.
Very good information! We love Seminole Pumpkins.
They are likely native to Ecuador and acquired via inter-tribal trade.
Really? Imagine walking from Ecuador, carrying something! Even if it sort of diffused and it took generations and a thousand local trades... it's still a long way!
can you send me some some seminole pumpkin seeds, w leroy, PO Box 35 Cape Coral fl, 33993..thank you
I'll send you some if you'll pay the shipping cost. $5