What a bumper year it has been for pumpkins! The rosellas may not have been as good as previous years but the pumpkins sure have. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin curry, pumpkin soup and roasted pumpkin.

It’s not too late to get your pumpkins in. In frost free subtropics pumpkins can be planted year round. What pumpkins do need though is plenty of space and ideally a full sun position on a nice mound of rich compost. Be sure to add some calcium to avoid blossom end rot and water in the mornings when necessary to minimise powdery mildew. Plant two vines in your compost and leave them be. No need to fertilise when they have a nice rich compost to grow in. If you find that your pumpkins form but then turn yellow and drop off then it’s most likely a pollination problem that can easily be rectified with simple hand pollination. Find the male flowers (the ones without the telltale bulb at the base and use these to dab into the female flowers. Kids little fingers are also great for this and ours just love dipping their fingers into all the flowers. Pumpkin vines can also last for a few years and the young tender leaves make lovely cooked greens. You can also make stuffed pumpkin flowers, filled with rice etc and baked in the oven. Such a generous crop and well worth growing if you have the right spot for them. Happy gardening.