Pumpkin facts as Halloween approaches...

• The word pumpkin comes from the Greek ‘pepon’ which means ‘large melon’
• Pumpkins are grown on 6 of the 7 continents, Antarctica is the only one they can’t grow on
• They originated from Central America
• Pumpkins are members of the Cucurbit family and are actually a fruit
• Other members of the Cucurbit family are gourds, cucumbers, squash, melons, and chayote
• The Bottle Gourd was one of the plants used for containers in the Old and New World before Columbus discovered America
• Native Americans dried strips of pumpkins and wove them into mats
• They also roasted long strips over an open fire and ate them
• The tradition of pumpkin carving in America was started by the Irish immigrants, their tradition originally started with the carving of turnips back in Ireland. When they came to America they found pumpkins aplenty and much easier to carve
• Pumpkins are a wonderful food, low in calories, fat and sodium, even the flowers are edible
  They are high in fiber and loaded with Vitamins A & B and Potassium
• Pumpkin seeds can be roasted and are high in protein and an excellent source of B vitamins and iron
• Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies, muffins, breads, and cookies and can be added to many other dishes
• To grow your own Great Pumpkin start the seeds indoors in April-May. Plant outside in June in a sunny-facing bed enriched with organic compost. They need regular water and lots of room, expect about 2 pumpkins per vine. Pumpkins can also be grown on a vertical form, with the fruit supported by cloth slings. Protect pumpkins from wet soil by placing a flat stone or dry board under the fruit. Pumpkins are prone to powdery mildew, water only in the morning and avoid wetting the leaves. Harvest when the skin has hardened and leave a 1”-2” stem, the pumpkin will keep longer with a stem
  
  Sources: Golden Gate Gardening by Pam Peirce, www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/, www.pumpkinnook.com