PUMPKINS (UGWU) FARMING IN NIGERIA: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO START

Fluted Pumpkins popularly known as Ugwu (Ugwu leaves) is a vine plant that is essentially consumed by a great number of the populace of Nigeria and is commonly found in the West Africa region. It is used to prepare some very nice Nigerian soups, such as egusi, ogbono, edi kain kong, etc.

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Over the years, Pumpkins farming has remained a lucrative business in Nigeria. Though a few persons engage in it on a subsistence basis, then a greater percentage of those who see the great economic potential dive into it without hesitation.

Having said this, why should Pumpkins farming be recommended to someone who is considering an agro-based enterprise to venture into?

• High Demand
  Basically, vegetables, Pumpkins, in particular, are of tremendous nutritional value and as a result are in great demand by a large fraction of the population, including both the rich and the poor. Hardly will you see a household that will not need Pumpkins to cook the next soup that the family would eat and even, some other delicacies.

• Require Little Capital
  Provided that there is a land to plant, the capital requirements for starting a Pumpkins (Ugwu) is relatively low that anyone can venture into it.

• Quick Earnings
  This is because the Pumpkins plants grow on time, and in fact, one can plant about 3times in a year.

You see why you (and anyone else) should start giving Pumpkins Farming a good thought, as an amazing business idea to explore this year, next year or ... Ha ha! (Only God knows)

Now, stay with me as I walk you through the basic steps you need to know when you are comtemplating of dabbling into Pumpkins (Ugwu) farming.

#1. Site Selection & Land Preparation

This is the very first step anyone who wants to cultivate a farm for Pumpkins farming business needs to take. And the size of the farm to be selected depends basically on the extent of the kind of harvest you would like to have. I mean he that sow bountifully, will reap bountifully… As a matter of fact, Pumpkins can grow virtually anywhere in the country.

After you have selected the desired site, you will need to prepare the land for cultivation, by clearing off all forms of debris and stumps from the land to be used.

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Then, you might want to make beds or ridges for the seedlings you want to germinate. It is not compulsory you make them before planting, but it's a good thing when you do.

#2. Seed Sourcing And Preparation

After you have carefully prepared the land on which the Pumpkins is to be planted, the next critical step is to get the needed amount of seedlings to be planted. You can decide to buy pods or dried (ready-for-plant) seeds from local markets around or directly from farmers who have Pumpkins farms and want to sell some extra Ugwu pods.

Pumpkin's seed

Then, cut the pods, and bring out the Pumpkins seeds and dry them under the sun for at least 1 to 2 days. Do not allow them to get over dried so as to preserve the growing strength of the seeds. As a matter of fact, the drying of the seeds helps to protect them from pests that are likely to eat them off in the soil, which in turn prevents them from decaying.

#3. Planting

Pumpkins farming does well on a sandy-loamy soil.

Now, after the soil has been carefully and nicely dressed, __planting__is the next thing to do. This should be done when the weather is pretty cool, preferably very early in the morning or at late evening. The holes should not be deeply dug, say about 3-5cm into the soil, that’s when you do not make bed or ridges for the Pumpkins. But in a case where beds are made, you plant (say 2 to 3 seeds per hole) at a depth of 20-25cm. Also, after the seeds have been properly placed in the soil, a little sand should be used to cover the hole.

Pumpkin's (Ugwu) Pod

Also, the spacing of seeds when planting is another thing to consider; it should be about 500cm-1m. Based on estimation, a hectare will require 10,000 seeds while an acre will require 4,000 seeds.

Note, the seeds are not just planted anyhow; you place them in the soil based on their shape— the pointed part of the seed is placed downwards, though, some seeds seem to be round all over, in such a case just lie it flat on the ground and then cover with the soil.

#4. Harvesting

Two weeks to 4weeks after planting, when the stems are pretty long, you can start harvesting. The harvesting is by pruning, that is cutting below the lowest acceptable leave. You can use your hands to do this by cutting the stem not too far away from its bottom position, where you have the nodes and cut. Well, if you’re inexperienced with the use of hand (as a newbie) you can employ the use of a knife.

Note, for the pods you will have to cut them off when the tendrils are dried, or at times, they fall off on their own.

Meanwhile, there are crucial things you need to know in nurturing Pumpkins (Ugwu) Plants. They are:

• Irrigation

After planting the seedlings, you then need to start irrigating the farm every day or two days; depending on the weather. In other words, you will need to water the farm more in the absence of rainfall.

• Weeds/Pest Control

Weeds and pests are a thing to keep in check to ensure that the growth of the pumpkins is not retarded. On this ground, early weeding is advisable because failure to do so will make the plant to be starved of its nutrient (nitrogen), and then, turns yellow.

• Fertilizer

To boost the growth of your Pumpkins plant, then the use of fertilizer is needful. You can either apply organic or inorganic fertilizers.

However, the use of organic fertilizers is encouraged because of the complication associated with inorganic fertilizers such as the NPK 15-15-15 and urea, coupled with the fact that they can set your plants at risk. So, livestock dungs such poultry droppings, pig dung etc., depending on where you’re staying, you can purchase some of these dungs at relatively cheaper prices. Hence, these organic manures can be applied within 8-10 days after germination or 15-18days after planting. However, note the application rate is discretionary. But for prescription sake, a 4kg custard bucket is considered okay for 4 stands of the vegetable.

Disclaimer:The author disclaims any liability in connection with the use of the information contained in this post. Information provided is strictly for assistance purpose.

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@degreatmyke

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