These cute Baby Boo (Casperita) White munchkin pumpkins are so fun! They are easy to grow and make a wonderful harvest, producing as many as 12-15 pumpkins per plant! I had Baby Boos coming out of my ears last year! It’s a good thing they store so well!
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Kids love them!
Baby Boo Pumpkins (Or Casperita Pumpkins) are the perfect Child size pumpkin to get your little ones excited for Halloween! Not only do my children love growing them, they love picking them too. I think we picked around 40 last year, from only 3 plants! They are heavy croppers with no Quit! So make sure you have room for them, they love to sprawl!
Not Just For Show!
This variety of Pumpkin is often seen on Pinterest, Instagram or in glossy magazines as a showcase for Autumn Decor. Yes they are beautiful! But they are much more than a prop, they taste pretty wonderful too! A cooked Baby Boo Pumpkin tastes a little like Nutty Mashed Potato, I love to roast and stuff them with a delicious Autumnal filling. Want the recipe?…
Stuffed Baby Boo Pumpkin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Baby Boo Pumpkin
- Filling
- Pre cooked Quinoa Wheat Grain (I used Worldwide Foods Red & White Quinoa from Aldi)
- Tinned Sweetcorn
- Roasted Onion
- Roasted Squash & Roasted onions
- Green Olives
- Shredded Spinach
- 1 tsp of Basil Pesto
- Salt & Pepper to Season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius
- Place the Pumpkin in an Oven Proof Dish
- Carve a circular lid out of the top of the Pumpkin
- Scoop out the seeds
- Put the Pumpkin Lid Back on
- Pour 1-2 cm of water into the Oven dish
- Cube a handful of Butternut Squash
- Peel and slice 1 Onion
- Place the Squash and Onion in an oven proof dish, drizzle with olive oil and season, set aside
- Place the pumpkin in the Oven on the middle shelf for 45 minutes.
- After 15 minutes have passed place the Squash and Onion on the bottom shelf for the remaining 30 minutes
- Bring out the Pumpkin, Squash and Onion, set aside
- Microwave the Quinoa and pour into a bowl.
- Stir the onion, Squash, Quinoa, Sweetcorn and Pesto together, season with Salt and Pepper
- Stuff the cooked Pumpkin with the Quinoa Mix
- Serve with a side of Olives and Shredded Spinach
How To Grow Baby Boo Pumpkins (Casperita Pumpkins)
Baby Boo pumpkins can weigh around 3 pounds or less, but don’t let their small stature fool you, they can take up quite a lot of space! So be sure to set aside a bed large enough to accommodate them.
How to Sow Baby Boo Pumpkin Seeds
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Sow Indoors : April-May, around half-inch deep, 1 per pot or module, edge down in good quality compost. Place on a Sunny Windowsill and cover with a Propagator lid or Cling Wrap, remove when seedlings appear. Harden off around late May, plant out in June.
What Does Hardening Off Mean?
Plants raised indoors or in a greenhouse environment, need to be acclimatised to cooler temperatures and increased air movement for about two to three weeks before they are planted outdoors permanently . This is a ‘toughening up’ practice to prepare the plants for their new environment.
How to Harden Off
Place your plants out for a couple of hours in a shady part of the garden. The next day, leave them out again for two hours, but this time allow the plants an hour of direct sunshine in the morning. Gradually continue to increase the length of time the plants are in direct sunshine over the course of roughly two weeks.
Sow Outdoors : May-June, sow 2 seeds per position, edge down, half-inch deep. Allow around 1 metre between each sowing. Thin out to the strongest seedling when plants are large enough to handle.
Where to Plant Baby Boo Pumpkins
- Plant in a sunny sheltered spot
- In a well drained soil ( I like to add some fresh compost to the planting hole for an extra boost)
- Pumpkins like to sprawl out and need plenty of space, so make sure you position your pumpkin plants at least 90 cm between each one.
Can You Grow Baby Boo Pumpkins Vertically?
Absolutely! Baby Boo Pumpkins are particularly good for vertical growing. Although traditionally grown on the ground this Tiny variety of pumpkin, can be grown on a trellis or up a fence or on a handmade bamboo structure. This can free up precious garden space and often help with air circulation, preventing fungal growth and pest attacks.
Can You Grow Baby Boo Pumpkins in Pots ?
Yes! Just Provide them with a large enough pot. This is a wonderful solution for Urban Gardens with Limited space, grow them on your patio or even on a balcony! Just give them something robust to climb or let them sprawl, dependant on your space.
Baby Boo Pumpkin Care
- Keep the soil moist but not sodden, water from the bottom not from above
- Keep the Pumpkin Bed weed free to allow for good air circulation.
- Once the Pumpkins begin to develop, feed every 2 weeks with a tomato type fertiliser.
When To Harvest Baby Boo/Casperita Pumpkins
It takes around 100 days for a Baby Boo Pumpkin to mature, simply cut from the vine (around September-November)
How To Store Baby Boo Pumpkins
Baby Boo Pumpkins have quite a long shelf life, as long as 3-4 months! But only if stored efficiently. Store them in a cool dark place, stalk down in an apple crate or similar.
Want To Grow A Vegetable Garden?
Have a look at my DIY Greenhouse , DIY Potting shelter and Potting Shed and have a gander at these ‘How To’ Veggie Posts…
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