20/09/2026
🎃 NOT LONG NOW… PUMPKIN & SQUASH DEEP DIVE! 🌱
This one’s for the pumpkin enthusiasts, keen backyard growers and anyone who loves seeing a sprawling vine turn into a seriously good harvest!
We’re spending a full day at Limestone Permaculture diving deep into the wonderful world of Pumpkins, Squash & Cucurbits — from seed right through to harvesting, storing and saving seed for next season.
🌱 WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
Explore the fascinating history of pumpkins & squash, the traditional Three Sisters growing system, the different Cucurbit families and some brilliant varieties for growing, eating and storing.
And pumpkins aren’t the only stars of the Cucurbit family — there are plenty of others that can give you some serious “Bang for your Buck!”
🎃 KNOW YOUR PUMPKIN
Roots, vines, nodes, tendrils, leaves, male & female flowers, fruit and seeds — understanding how the plant works can make a huge difference to how you grow it.
🌱 FROM SEED TO VINE
Seed selection, germination, direct sowing, seedlings, planting out and protecting young plants while they get established.
💩 FEEDING THESE HUNGRY BEASTS!
Compost mounds, in-situ composting, lasagne beds, boosted garden edges, mulch, manure and smart watering strategies for vigorous vines and productive plants.
🌿 LET THEM RUN… OR SEND THEM UP!
Pumpkins don’t have to take over the entire backyard! We’ll look at growing them across the ground, along fences, over arches and up trellises and structures — including vine training, rooting nodes and supporting developing fruit.
🐝 FLOWERS, BEES & POLLINATION
Get to know what’s happening between those male and female flowers, how natural pollination works and how hand pollination can help improve fruit set.
✂️ WHEN IS IT ACTUALLY READY?
Discover the signs that tell you a pumpkin has properly matured, including the rind, stem and plant — plus correct harvesting and handling.
🏡 CURING & STORAGE
A great pumpkin harvest shouldn’t disappear in a few weeks! We’ll cover curing, storage conditions and simple ways to help keep your harvest going for months.
🌻 SAVE IT FOR NEXT SEASON
Bring the whole cycle full circle with seed saving — cross-pollination, choosing your seed fruit, controlled pollination, extracting, cleaning, drying, labelling and storing your own seed.
🙌 AND THIS ISN’T JUST A DAY OF TALKING ABOUT PUMPKINS!
There’ll be hands-on demonstrations throughout the day, plenty of opportunities to ask questions and a good look around the different growing systems here at Limestone.
YOUR DAY INCLUDES:
• A full day immersed in all things Pumpkin, Squash & Cucurbits
• Practical, hands-on demonstrations
• A variety of Pumpkin & Squash seeds to take home
• Digital take-home resources
• Inspiration from a variety of garden systems
• Morning tea & lunch
• Plenty of Q&A throughout the day
🎃🌱 Come spend a day exploring, growing, pollinating, harvesting and getting seriously enthusiastic about PUMPKINS!
