The perennial pumpkin plant actually exists. Not particularly tasty, but so highly decorative that the prairie pumpkin is worth propagating. This is how you use the long runners for vegetative propagation through division.
How to propagate a pumpkin by division?
To propagate a prairie pumpkin by division, runners should be cut into sections in the fall and treated with charcoal ash. The root cuttings are then planted in pots and left to overwinter frost-free before being planted out in spring.
The runners root in no time at all
The prairie pumpkin is out of line in the large cucurbit family. It anchors itself deep in the ground with a taproot up to 150 cm long. Thanks to the numerous runners, it also offers plenty of material to propagate the plant vegetatively. Hobby gardeners who don't feel like having to deal with sowing have a choice here.
- Carefully lift a runner out of the ground in autumn
- cut off several pieces to a length of 5 centimeters
- the outward facing interface is being cut
- the opposite cut runs diagonally for better orientation regarding polarity
Both cut surfaces are immediately treated with charcoal ash to protect them from attack by fungal spores or pests. More than half of a runner should not be removed. If you want more root cuttings, dig up another specimen.
To the frost-free quarters throughout the winter
The prepared root cuttings are planted without a long delay so that they begin rooting quickly.
- fill small pots with peat sand or commercial potting soil
- A drainage layer prevents the formation of waterlogging
- Place one root cutting 5 cm deep into the substrate
- the diagonally cut end points towards the bottom of the pot
- place in a partially shaded, protected place in the garden until the first frost
The plants spend the winter in a frost-free room or in a cold frame. During this time they only receive enough water to ensure that the small pumpkin plants do not dry out. Once two to three pairs of leaves have developed in spring, plant the young pumpkins in a suitable location. From this point on they are cared for like an adult pumpkin.
Tips & Tricks
If you miss the fall deadline to propagate a prairie squash by division, no problem. As soon as the ground thaws in spring, the procedure can also be carried out. In this case, the root cuttings can be planted immediately in the designated place in the bed or pot.
