Why a pumpkin planted in pure compost may struggle to grow
Gardening experts explain why pumpkins planted directly in pure compost can weaken, pointing to soil composition and weather as possible causes.
On Latvian Radio's programme "Kā labāk dzīvot", gardening specialists addressed why a pumpkin planted in pure compost might start to wither and grow poorly.
Vija Rožukalne, director of the Jānis Aldermanis horticultural school and a doctor of biological sciences, explained that the composition or structure of pure compost may simply not suit the plant. She advised that soil should always be mixed into compost rather than planting directly into compost alone.
Gardener Maruta Kaminska, owner of the Dzērves plant nursery, offered another possible explanation — the pumpkin may have been affected by cold, damp weather at the start of the growing season.
The two specialists thus pointed to different possible reasons why pumpkin seedlings can weaken when planted in pure compost, citing both soil composition and early-season weather conditions as contributing factors.
