Growing Pumpkin (Ugu) vegetable
By Fatima Muraina
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Land preparation
A farmer needs to clear the land, till the soil either mechanically or manually, for roots penetration and proper germination of the seeds.
Planting materials
Seeds of the vegetable are grown into seedlings in a nursery and are transplanted into the growing fields. The pod bearing the seeds are harvested at the end of a cycle, the seeds are extracted and dried for a day or two. They should not be over-dried to preserve the viability of the seeds. The drying of the seeds helps them to be resistant to pests that could have eaten them up in the soil. It also prevents them from rotting.
Planting of pumpkin
Dig a hole of 4-5cm into the soil and plant the seed with the tip facing down. Cover the seed with a little sand; be sure the ugu is well covered to avoid exposure to the sun. After 10 days, place a stick of 1m-2m heights close to the pumpkin seed. The plant will climb around the stick while growing. It is better to use a stick because the plant will grow better when it climbs around something. An acre will require roughly 4,000 seeds
Irrigation of pumpkin plants
After planting the seeds, start irrigating (watering) the farm and its surroundings every two days, morning and evening.
Irrigating or wetting with water might not be necessary in the rainy periods, but during dry seasons or droughts, intensive irrigation is required.
Weeding/pest control
Weed prevention methods of mulching, herbicides, as well as manual weeding would be required to maintain the pumpkin farm. Mulching means covering the farm with nylon, sawdust, or other materials to increase moisture and suppress weeds infestation. Early weeding is the best thing to do if herbicides and mulching are not applied. When weeding is delayed, the leaves will turn yellowish because the weeds will always feed on the nutrients on the soil too.
Soil fertility boosting
Livestock or poultry compost manures are usually applied on the soil before planting, after four weeks and after six weeks.For those who want to use inorganic fertiliser, they should apply after planting and wait after adding the fertiliser for eight days before harvesting to avoid food poisoning. However, the organic fertiliser has proven to be more economical and safer than inorganic one. Since harvesting is done daily or weekly, depending on the size of the farm, there is need to give the soil enough nutrients so that the pumpkin can keep growing well.
Maturity and harvesting
With adequate water, pumpkin germinates 10 days after planting. Farmers can start harvesting two to four weeks after planting or when the stems are long. Framers should use hands or knives to cut the stem a little distance away from the bottom of the stem. Position your hands where you have the nodes and cut.
The pod is ripe for harvest when the tendrils are dried; sometimes they fall off on their own. With a lot of water and manure, the vegetable would do well, and much could be made in the dry seasons.
Economics of pumpkin cultivation
Pumpkin is one of the most consumed vegetables in Nigeria. An acre size of the vegetable farm is capable of turning in about N500,000 in a cycle of four months and it will take you less than N100,000 to cultivate. However, strategic marketing to hotels, eateries and hostels could make the farming more profitable than selling through the middle women.