Top 10 Best Fertilizer for Pumpkins (2022 Review)

Pumpkins commonly known as a vegetable item is technically a fruit item that is a member of squash species of plants. They are quite popular all over the world and used for different recipes. Aside from that, they are an important part of the culture of many countries. There are even competitions for giant pumpkins held regularly.

So, pumpkins growers better know what fertilizer to use for getting the best result. Because the fertilization process determines how the pumpkins will grow. But why use fertilizers? What benefits do they provide? What is the best fertilizer for pumpkins?

Well, plants get their nutrition from the soil. But often there is a deficit of some nutrients leading to reduced crop growth. Fertilizers provide the soil with adequate nutrients and thus boosts the growth of plants. We are here to help you pick fertilizer for pumpkins available in the market that will perfectly suit your needs.

Types of Fertilizers for Pumpkins:

The type of fertilizer to use for pumpkins depends on the stage of growth they are in. So, there can be different types of fertilizers that will be best for a specific stage of plant growth. And each type will promote different kinds of growth. Which makes it difficult to choose fertilizer for pumpkins (link)

Let’s look at the type of fertilizers available for pumpkins to get a better idea about it.

Organic Fertilizers for Pumpkins

Organic fertilizers usually consist of different plant-derived matter or manure. They are natural and free of chemicals. They are great for improving the soil and ensure adequate nitrogen supply. The lack of Potassium and Phosphorous can be compensated by adding wood ash and grass clippings. Many growers prefer to prepare organic fertilizers on their own. But the downside is that it is hard to balance the nutrition ratio properly. And It will require some time to gain enough experience to understand these parameters.

Luckily, organic fertilizers are available for purchase commercially. They are produced in a controlled manner and have a proper proportion of the nutrients required. It will save you the trouble of going through several trials and errors before you get the desired result.

Synthetic Fertilizers for Pumpkins

Synthetic or Inorganic fertilizers are industrially produced fertilizers that may contain a single nutrient or multiple nutrients mixed together in a specific ratio. They are great when the soil lacks a specific nutrient or the plant requires a nutrient to be available in plenty.

Pumpkins usually need fertilizers with a Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium ratio shortly known as the NPK ratio of 5-10-5. Synthetic fertilizers have these nutrients in the correct ratio. The nutrient ratio is more important if you want to grow giant pumpkins. Because they require some specific nutrients in plenty at different stages of their growth.

Choosing fertilizer:

Fertilizers for Pumpkins – Buying Guide

Pumpkin is a wonderful, amazing and fast-growing vine. If these plants are well maintained and fertilized properly, you can get a surprising outcome at the end of the season. You can even get a pumpkin that weighs 1000 lbs.! All you need to do is nurture your plants correctly and use the best fertilizers to your pumpkins. Choosing the best and the right fertilizer can be a hassle. Luckily, we are here to help you out by giving you a complete pumpkin care guide along with the best possible fertilizers list.

What Types of Fertilizers for Pumpkins Exist?

Pumpkins are sun-loving plants. Surprisingly, they will eat whatever you are going to provide them. But of course, the orange and lovely vegetable you are expecting depends on your fertilizing habit. Different types of fertilizers are available in the market. But basically, there are two types, Organic and Synthetic. You can use any of them depending on your soil types and your desired pumpkin types and size.

Organic

Organic fertilizers are literally the best for any plant. It is also safe for the environment and living beings. Most of the farmers use natural organic fertilizers to make their land fertile. Since it has no chemical, there is no chance to burn your soil and plants. There are multiple natural organic fertilizers available in the market. You can go through their characteristics and function to choose the best organic fertilizers for pumpkins. Yet, Wallace Organic Wonder is a great soil and plant booster and the best fertilizer for giant pumpkins.
However, homemade compost fertilizer can also be a good fertilizer for pumpkins. You can make it simply by using manure, vegetable ingredients, bone, kelp meal, and other kitchen scraps. Just make sure it is properly decomposed and keep a balance among nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other major nutrients.

Synthetic

There are tons of chemical fertilizers are available in the market. You can choose them by reading their label as per your soil requirements. Before you buy any synthetic fertilizer, be sure about what your soil actually needs. Before you apply them, it is good to get your soil tested. Generally, you should have a good idea of the NPK ratio before you buy them. The best possible fertilizer for pumpkins can be with an NPK 5-10-5 ratio. Initially, you can fertilize your pumpkins with a fertilizer having NPK 10-5-5 ratio as nitrogen boosts pumpkins growth. Then when the flower starts to form, switch to a fertilizer with much phosphorus percentage. It will help with plentiful blossoms. And once the fruit comes out, apply fertilizer with high potassium percentage as it will help to grow healthy food.

When to Fertilize Pumpkins?

Fertilizers are very important for pumpkins. Ideally, there are two types of flower available in pumpkin plants, male and female. The male flower appears before females during July or later. Each of them needs different types of feeding. But fertilizing your pumpkins always depends on your soil condition. Although you can fertilize your land by dividing the whole season into three parts: seeding stage, flowering stage, and fruiting stage.

1. Seeding: You should prepare your land first. Once seeding is done and new leaves come out, apply fertilizer with a high nitrogen percentage. Nitrogen will help your plants to grow fast. As pumpkins love Sun, May or June can be the best time for seeding.
2. Flowering Stage: Pumpkin flower has two types, male and female. Male comes first usually during July or later, then comes female. It is good to use fertilizers with a high phosphorus rate as this will help flowers to grow plenty and healthy.
3. Fruiting Stage: When the fruit starts to come, you should apply fertilizers with a high potassium rate. This helps fruits to grow healthy and robust. Do not over-fertilize your land during this time. You can use compost every two weeks to give them an extra boost.

How Often Do You Need to Fertilize?

Fertilizing your land completely depends on soil and plant’s need. A good and healthy pumpkin requires a good seed, best fertilizer and proper nurturing. Generally, it is enough to fertilize pumpkins once in every two weeks. But depending on every stage of pumpkins, fertilizers should be different. It is good to use organic fertilizers over synthetic as they cause no harm even on over-use. Do not over-fertilizer your land to get more production. Keep a balance among your fertilizers and maintain a cycle during fertilization.

Other Things You Should Keep in Mind

Watering: Watering your land is the most important to get a robust pumpkin. Since pumpkin is a sun-loving plant, it requires enough water to grow healthy and strong.

Location Choosing: Pumpkin plants love the sun and they need a lot of it. So, you should choose your location by keeping this information in mind. You should choose an open and sunny area to get proper pumpkins.

Weed Removal: Weed removing is necessary as they will try to consume the water from pumpkin plants. You should keep your plants clean.

Disease Control: Pumpkin may easily get affected by insects and other harmful micro agents. To get healthy and most importantly giant pumpkins, you should identify the disease and use pesticides to control the disease.

The Best Fertilizer for Pumpkin

Looking for fertilizer for pumpkins but not much time on hand? Chill! We are here to help you to get fertilizer. Just check the list below and get the desired one.

Conclusion

Pumpkins are usually pretty large and even the smallest varieties are larger than most other vegetables out there. They are heavy feeders and will consume a load of nutrients, which explains their massive size.

They are very easy to grow with just a little help from fertilizers. With the right one, you can get a giant surprise from your tiny plants. To get your desired hearty pumpkin, you can choose the best fertilizer for you as per their functionality and characteristics.