Question
QUESTION: Firstly, I have never gardened, ever. This is my first attempt, I need help! Here goes:

I planted pumpkins in my garden a few weeks ago (I know, I'm a little late, but it's Houston and always hot).

I planted three seeds per hole, four feet apart, and three holes. They are in a very sunny spot.

The last group of seeds did not sprout, but the other two groups sprouted two plants right next to each other four feet between them. Before they get bigger, should I separate them? Should I just leave them be or pull one out? I seem to already have the powdery mildew problem. I washed it off. Was that wrong? Suggestions?

The garden that I'm working in was full of weeds and I did the best I could to weed it. After that I layed fresh soil and now the weeds are coming back. What should I do? The weeds are mostly thin, tall grass with long roots. I haven't used any chemicals at all.

While I was loosening the soil, I found several ants, pincher bugs and spiders in the dirt. Are they harmful to my plants?

I am considering buying a trellis for the plants since they are up against a brick wall. I can think of creative ways to support them. When I planted them I had no idea that the vine would get huge. As of now I have four small plants paired right next to each other in a small area (apprx 3ft x 10ft). I don't want to give up and at least prove to my fiance that I can make this work, if possible.

Please give me some advice, friends and family are clueless. It has been very hot here in Houston but also very wet and rainy this month. The soil is a bit soggy, I haven't had to water them but once.

Thanks in advance for the tips and suggestions.

ANSWER: You can leave the two plants, there is room for each to grow.  Your soil is too damp.  Before you plant, you should test your soil and conditionion it.  For information on how to do this next time before you plant go to our website:  http://www.avant-gardening.com and see "soil building".  After you test and balance your soil with needed nutrients and organic matter, then you will have better crops.  

The insects will probably not bother your plants if they are healthy.

Weeds can be kept at bay by mulching the soil with alfalfa hay, broken up by hand.  This will keep the ground an even temperature and prevent weeds from coming up through it if it is about 3 inches thick.  Worms will also love the alfafa and they will fertilize your soil.

Pumpkins are heavy feeders and you will need to make sure they have NPK in the proper ratios, and you will want to grow organic.

So let the soil dry out, mulch, and feed your plants.

Trellising them is a very good idea, they love to grow up and take up less space.  The vines will grow strong and hold the pumpkins onto the trellis.  The bricks will keep them warm.  As they grow wind them in and out of the trellis (carefully, they break easily) and they will have more support for the pumpkins. You can trellis upward any squashes that vine.

I would spray the leaves with Spray a 0.5 percent solution of baking soda (1 teaspoon to 1 quart or 1 liter water).  Pick off the affected leaves first.

Good luck!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Pumpkin Garden   QUESTION: Good advice. What I ended up doing is separating the four seedlings about two feet apart from each other. Then I bought some mulch (not alfalfa, but a mix). Today they got very wilted because of the hot sun and not enough water. I promply watered them and then again about four hours later after the sun went down. They seem to be doing better. I think the mulch halted the ants for a while, too.

After the trauma of separating the seedlings and the wilting, is it to early to spray with a baking soda solution? And what is NPK? I have not used any kind of miracle grow products but do you recommend them? I wish I could show you a better picture but as of now they have the first two leaves and a third one. They are about 3 inches tall. This was taken by my phone, before the wilting. The garden is wider than the picture shows.

Thank you for all your help! If I have another question in a few weeks I'll ask again.

Answer
Wilting is normal in the mid-day sun. The baking soda will not hurt them in any way.  NPK is your nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus...nuturients needed for good plant growth.  I would never use miracle grow....find an organic source for nutrients.... like fish fertilizer for N.  Did you go to our website to read about soil building?  That will tell you about everything you need to know about growing organic.  Just think, would you like to drink the chemicals in miracle grow?  Because that is precisely what you doing when you fertilize anything edible with it, and over time it ruins your soil with salt build up from chemicals.  You want your soil to be sustainable....renewable....with hopefully your own organic compost.  We all need to consider our carbon foot prints now that the planet is in crisis.  We each need to contribute.... our lives on the planet really depend upon it.