After the seeds are planted, sprinkle a quarter cup of blood and bone meal, available at most garden centers, over the mound and water. This organic mixture will provide a long-lasting meal for your plants. Remember, great pumpkins are well-fed pumpkins. As the seedlings emerge, they will not look much like pumpkins. If you see two round, opposite leaves, they probably belong to a pumpkin and not some noxious weed.
Nothing looks more tasty to a hungry bird than tender young pumpkin plants.
Netting can be used to cover the plants until they are a little more mature and a little less tempting. Remember, great pumpkins are protected pumpkins. This next step is the most important. If you don't follow my advice, you will have pumpkins coming out of your ears. You must cut all but one pumpkin off each vine.