Gardening

A Beginner's Guide to Growing Pumpkins

By
March 15, 2020

If you have never grown pumpkins before it is an experience like none other. It’s not recommended that you attempt growing pumpkins if the only garden space you have is a small patio or deck area. Yes, pumpkin can grow in pots or containers but the vines will take over your outdoor space fast if space is limited. Although, if you are trying to grow pumpkins in your patio then you can try Madbury Road Patio Furniture that will help you in limiting the growth of your pumpkins and will allow you to grow them despite area limitations. 

Your average run of the mill pumpkin plant will send out anywhere from 1 to 10 runners off one plant. These runners or vines can grow in length to as much as 50 or more feet. The vines themselves also send off sprouts that will twist and wrap around other plants or whatever they can reach and also root themselves in any soil they find.

On top of the vines, you will find leaves developing that range in size from that of an average adult hand to 3 feet across. Yes, one leaf and each vine will be covered with leaves so thick that it may take some doing to find the pumpkins themselves. You will, however, be able to judge approximately where your pumpkins will be as large orange to yellow blooms will open before the fruit develops.

If you do have an open space where you would like to grow a few or a bunch of pumpkins it can be a very rewarding experience. Pumpkins come in a wide range of varieties offering the grower different sizes, shapes, and colors. The smallest pumpkins being about the size of a softball to the largest being over 1000 pounds. Pumpkin colors are normally white, yellow, or the traditional deep orange.

Pumpkins grow well in most average soil and don’t require a lot of care once the plants are started. If you live in an area where there is a short growing season you may want to start seeds indoors but be warned if doing this don’t start them too early or you will need to report several times before they can go outside and you may end up with pumpkins too early in the season to enjoy for Thanksgiving or Halloween.

Normally you can plant seeds outside after the danger of frost has passed. By placing a mini-greenhouse (a plastic jug such as a milk or juice carton with the bottom cut out) over your seeds you will accomplish several things. First, it helps to remind you where you planted the seeds. Second, it helps keep the ground warm at night. And, lastly, it helps to hold moisture in helping the seeds to germinate faster and the seedlings to get off to a good start.

Once the seedlings pop up through the soil you can place mulch around the plant. This helps keep down weeds as well as hold moisture in the soil so you don’t have to water as often. In average soil pumpkins only require watering about once a week. If they do need watering they will let you know though as the leaves will start to wilt. Don’t panic though, just give them a good watering and the leaves will pop right back.

As the season progresses you will want to keep an eye on the pumpkin vines. As stated earlier they do tend to be invasive and it’s much easier to move them back where you want them early on rather than waiting until they have attached themselves to your favorite rose bush or garden hoe left in the garden. Just gently pick them up and direct them where you want them. You will want to wear garden gloves or some protection though as most pumpkin vines are prickly and although they don’t cause harm can be uncomfortable to the touch.

As your pumpkins start to grow you may want to also adjust the fruit themselves. The pumpkin will grow however they feel but by setting them up on end early they develop in much more uniformed shapes. Ones left on their side may develop flat spots or upside-down ones that may break the stem away from the vine and rot before they are mature.

You will know when your pumpkins are finished growing when the vines die off. First, the leaves will wither and die then the vines. The stems connected to the pumpkin fruit will be the last to die. Once this happens simply cut the pumpkin stem 5-6 inches from the fruit and remove it from the garden.

Your pumpkins are now ready to cut and cook for pumpkin pie, carve as Jack-o-Lanterns, or set on your doorstep as autumn decorations.

Health

Is Your Back Pain Something Serious?

By
March 15, 2020

Aside from the common cold, back pain is probably the most common ailment around the world today. It doesn’t discriminate between genders, social classes or ethnic groups. You’re at risk for suffering back pain at some point in your life, regardless of who you are.

There are many causes for back pain. Many of them are the result of an injury from overuse or overextension of the muscles in our back. Some other common causes for back pain are poor posture, standing or sitting for long periods of time, wearing shoes that don’t support your feet correctly or conditions of the foot which cause pain like heel spurs. Age and loss of muscle tone in the supporting muscles can cause back pain. Causes of back pain can range from something as simple as a sore muscle in your abdomen, to something more obvious like a broken leg in a cast. Your back will try and compensate for the fact that you are favoring a particular area of your body because it’s in pain, which we all inevitably do whether consciously or unconsciously.

Most back pain is caused by circumstances which are easily traceable. However, what do you do when your back pain is not so easily diagnosed? You and your physician must start looking at less common differentials. There are diseases and conditions which cause back pain which need to be diagnosed as soon as possible so treatment can be started for them. Recuperation after surgery varies depending on your general health of the person. The health of the person should be good for the treatment through the surgery. The surgery should be done through the experts of the region. 

One such condition is called osteoporosis. This is common the older a person gets. Approximately 1 out of 5 women over the age of 50 in the U.S. suffer from the condition and Caucasian women are at higher risk. Osteoporosis can also affect men, although it’s more common in women. In the later stages of the disease lower back pain can be caused because of fractures in the spinal bones because of low bone density. This condition can be tested for before symptoms occur with a non-invasive bone density scan. It’s advisable to get one if you’re over 50 years of age.

Another less common cause of back pain is a disease called ankylosing spondylitis (AS for short). This is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints that connect the lower spine to the pelvic bone at the hip. This disease is primarily seen in men, developing between the ages of 18-35. It is considered an autoimmune rheumatic condition and has been shown to be related to certain genes. This disease causes inflammation between the vertebrae of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. As it progresses it can cause the vertebrae to become fused together. As with other autoimmune diseases, there is no cure. Treatments are available, though, to reduce the inflammation, pain and other symptoms.

These are only a couple of examples of more serious conditions that can cause back pain. It is far more likely that you have a simple strain or you have been sitting in front of a computer for a prolonged period of time and that is what’s causing your back pain. However, if bed rest, hot and cold compresses and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories are not improving your pain or it is becoming worse, you should actively seek out a physician’s care. Although the possibility is remote, it’s possible that you may have a more serious, undiagnosed condition that needs long term care.