Pumpkins are remarkably easy to look after once they establish, needing only plenty of warmth, sunshine and water.
In the early stages, you should feed them with a high-nitrogen fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure, watering it in with warm water every three to five days.
Once the pumpkins start to swell, change to potassium-rich liquid tomato food to bulk up the flesh.
The growing fruits can be protected from excessive dampness by placing them on tiles, bricks or mats. Leave pumpkins on the vine as long as possible to allow them to develop fully.
Pumpkins can be harvested as soon as the skin hardens.
Once this happens, cut them from the plants leaving a longish piece of stalk and leave them in the sun for a week or two to continue ripening.
If a frost is expected protect them by covering them with sheets or blankets overnight; if very wet or cold weather is forecast you can move them into a warm shed or greenhouse for a couple of weeks instead.
The fruits are fully ripe once they sound hollow when tapped. They should last up until midwinter in storage.
Jamie Oliver might know his Cavalo Nero from his cauliflower, but do you?
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