Q: I am growing pumpkins this year for the first time. Right now my pumpkin sprouts look great Each hill has three to five plants coming up. Do I need to thin them ?

A: Yes, thin the seedlings so there are two or three plants per hill. Simply clip the unwanted seedlings with scissors, don’t try to pull them out. Don’t forget that pumpkins are heavy feeders. Apply a water-soluble fertilizer now and again in four weeks. Four weeks later, switch to a fertilizer product that has high second and third numbers (phosphorus and potassium) compared to the first number (nitrogen) of the fertilizer analysis. Keep an eye on water needs as well. Those big leaves can emit more than a gallon of water per day.