NIKA SEEDS – Vegetable Pumpkin Queensland Blue (Cucurbita Maxima) – 10 Seeds

PUMPKIN QUEENSLAND BLUE A late (120 to 140 days), Australian heirloom variety. Beautiful blue and grey-blue pumpkins with smooth, coarse-grained skin and weight 6 to 11 oz. A thick, bright-orange, and sweet pulp with an exceptional taste and unusual aroma. Great storage qualities up to 6 months.   Planting instructions:   Sow in fertile, warm soil after danger of frost has passed. Sow seeds directly in the garden. Give large-fruited pumpkins plenty of room to ramble. For improved drainage sow in mounds, or hills, of soil 12 inches in diameter, 6-8 inches tall. Sow 4-6 seeds in groups about 3 inches apart. Each group should be about 4-6 feet apart. Cover with 1 inch of fine soil and firm lightly. Keep evenly moist. Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days. Do not plant pumpkins and other squash family crops in the same spot 2 years in a row. Thin seedlings to 2-3 per group when they are 1-2 inches high. Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Keep the soil moist but not saturated. Do not move or step on vines as they are quite fragile. Monitor for pests and diseases. If you are trying to grow extra-large pumpkins, allow only one fruit per plant to mature. Beds of vigorous, sprawling pumpkin vines can be bordered by corn, towering pole beans, sunflowers and other trellised or vine vegetables. Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the rinds are hard and a rich shade of orange or white depending on the variety. Allow the pumpkins to cure in the sun for a week to harden skin. Store pumpkins in a cool dry place.