Pumpkins and other winter squash are bright symbols of the bounty of our gardens' harvests. Ironically, in many areas of the country, they can be among the most challenging vegetables to grow organically. During their long, hot growing season, they suffer from the ravages of wind, insect and disease pressure as well as from other conditions such as nutrient deficiency and lack of pollinating insects. Here are some tips to help you actually get some pumpkins from the pumpkin seeds that you plant. Keep in mind that these tips apply to all types of winter squash, not only to pumpkins.

Make sure soil conditions are right
Pumpkins need a lot of nutrients, especially nitrogen and potassium, and dislike very acidic soils. Before you seed your pumpkins, you will need to make sure that the area where you want to plant them has a pH in the neighborhood of 6.0 to 6.5. Pumpkins can tolerate a pH of around 7.5, so those of you with alkaline soils can rejoice.

You will also want to add compost or aged manure and a good source of potassium, such as alfalfa meal or wood ash. Use this sparingly because it can lead to soil salinity problems.

Give them room to grow
Pumpkins like warm, well-drained soil, so they are usually direct-seeded into hills spaced 5 to 12 feet apart. The hills are easy to make: Just rake some soil into a mound and, if you're so inclined, amend it with compost. Then plant a few seeds (3 to 5) in each mound. Once the seeds sprout, thin the seedlings so that you're left with one to three plants per hill. You can also plant your pumpkins in rows. Pumpkin plants should be at least two to five feet apart in rows that are six to eight feet apart. The spacing will vary according to which variety of pumpkin you're growing: bush or short-vined varieties, such as Jack Be Little, will need much less space than large-fruited or large-vined varieties such as Howden or Big Max.