Growing your own pumpkin is a lot of fun. Watching the vines grow, the flowers bloom and the little courgettes form is simply exhilarating. They need between 6 and 8 hours of sunlight per day, nutrient-rich soil improved with compost, and plenty of room or something to climb. 

They are very easy to grow and can come out of your compost without your help. Pumpkin leaves are also very useful and Africans used them in their dishes and eat them. African called pumpkin leaves as ugu leaves. You can also buy fresh ugu leaves from various online sources.

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Pumpkin belongs to the genus Cucurbita and family Cucurbitaceae, which includes zucchini, watermelon, melon, squash, cucumber, and squash. The word pumpkin comes from the word "pepon" which is Greek for "big melon". It is classified as grapevine and requires a lot of room to grow. 

Pumpkins take up a lot of space and can flatten other plants if left unattended. Well if you have a small garden and don't want to be attacked by trifid plants then we suggest you plant it next to a fence or shed or place some kind of trellis and train the tentacles next to it. 

The good thing about tying is that it rids the fruit of pests like snails and slugs as well as diseases like fungus. If space isn't an issue, let them roam. You will find that you have a floating sea of huge pumpkin leaves surrounding your garden. If they do some damage, just cut them off, it won't hurt them.