Broke but love expensive fall decor? Me too. We bought our house in August of 2021 after spending a year and a half of hunting. My birthday is also October 30th, day before halloween baby! With all of these things combined, you can imagine how excited I was to decorate our front porch for fall the first year. I went overboard, as expected, and spent over $100 on these pumpkins.
They scarcely created the look I wanted, making me sure I’d never be able to have the Pinterest porch of my dreams. As we’ve grown into our home over the past two years, as has my love of gardening. This year felt like the right time to just go for it and see if making a pumpkin patch at home will save me tons of money with the dream decor I want!
I have never claimed to be any form of professional gardener. At all. In any capacity. I’m a broke ADHD Millennial who loves a good deal and a world covered in flowers. I’m here to share my growth, both successes and failures, so that we can all grow together! Here are the steps I took to get my Pumpkin Patch started:
- Choose a spot: Look for a sunny area with good drainage. Avoid low-lying areas that could become waterlogged. I live on a huge hill, so I decided on the very top corner of our fence.
- Prepare the soil: Use a garden rake to clear the area of debris and rocks. Mix in compost or other organic matter to help improve soil quality.
- Plant pumpkin seeds: Choose a pumpkin variety that is well-suited for your area. I like the look of the specialty ones, so I ordered several different varieties of seeds. Make a mound for each variety, as pumpkins love water but don’t love to sit in it! Plant 2 or 3 seeds about an inch deep and three to four feet apart. Water seeds thoroughly.
- Cover with pest netting until they begin to flower. Make sure to uncover them when they flower as you’ll need the bee’s to pollinate them!
- Care for your patch: Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, and weed regularly. As the pumpkins grow, you may need to support them with stakes or cages.
By following these simple steps, you can create your own pumpkin patch and enjoy the fruits of your labor come harvest time. I’m very hopeful about my patch and I’m excited as you watch with me to see how it goes!