The pumpkin patch is officially started. The kids are finished with school for the year so last night was a great time to forget about homework and get their hands a little dirty.

Planting Seeds

We had a lot of ground to cover and Sissy and Potato Boy figured out a routine quickly. With a stick in hand they each went down one side of the compost row and put a small hole every 12-18 inches. I’d hand them a seed, they’d drop it in the hole, and cover it up with a tap. On to the next hole. Even LuLu got it, though were she was planting the seeds was a little random.

Stick... Seed... Cover... Repeat

I’ve had some bad luck with getting pumpkin seed to sprout in the past, so I thought I’d get some of the seeds started before the kids planted them this year and had good luck. If you haven’t tried this, it’s pretty simple. About 3 – 5 days before you want to plant, soak the seeds for about 3 hours in warm water. Then, take a few sheets of paper towel and wet them with warm water. Wring out any excess. Fold the towels in halves or quarters and place them in a Ziploc style baggie. Place the seeds between the layers of wet paper towels and set them some place warm, but don’t seal the bag closed – we used a south facing window sill. Make sure the paper towels stay damp and in a few days you should see some action.

A Sprouted Pumpkin Seed

Of course the kiddos weren’t finished after planting. They needed to water everything. At one time this would have been a simple process with a long enough garden hose. Problem is I haven’t replaced the long hose that Pip shredded one day last fall. (That was when her teething habit was just starting and we were silly enough to leave stuff like garden hoses where she could get them.) So, the kiddos put in a little extra sweat equity and carried water.

Sissy With The Watering Can

Potato Boy With His Bucket

LuLu Pitched In With Her Watering Can

Now to sit back and watch them grow… at least for me. Sissy and Potato Boy have some weeds to pull. I wonder if the rabbits were watching?