Whether you use them for carving or cooking, pumpkins do not disappoint! Learn all about growing pumpkins—when to plant ornamental pumpkins in time for Halloween, how to pick the right pumpkin variety, how long it takes to grow a pumpkin, and how to harvest and cure this nutritious winter squash! It’s all in the Almanac’s Pumpkin Growing Guide!
About Pumpkins
Did you know pumpkins have been grown in North America for almost 5,000 years? It’s a lot of fun to grow this native plant.
There are two requirements to growing pumpkins: having the space to grow them and a long growing season (generally, from 75 to 100 frost-free days). Growers in northern locations need to plant by late May; in extreme southern states, plant by early July.
Pumpkins are heavy feeders and require a lot of nourishment. That said, if you feed and water them as directed, pumpkins are easy to maintain.
Of autumn’s wine, now drink your fill;
The frost’s on the pumpkin, and snow’s on the hill.
–The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1993
Pick a spot with full sun (to light shade) and good soil that drains well (and doesn’t get soggy). Sandy soils high in organic matter are best. If the soil is heavy clay, it might help to add organic matter such as compost, aged manure, or green crops plowed under. The idea pH ranges from 6.0 to 6.8. Test your soil and follow any recommendations given.
Pumpkins also need space for sprawling vines to run: 50 to 100 square feet per hill. If space is limited, plant at the edge of the garden and direct vines across the lawn; vines will be bothersome for only a few weeks. Vine varieties need 50 to 100 square feet per hill. However, if your garden space is limited, no worries! Plant pumpkins at the edge of the garden and direct vine growth across the lawn or sidewalk. The vines will only be bothersome for a few weeks. You can also grow pumpkins in big 5 to 10 gallon buckets! Or, try miniature varieties.
Preparing Soil for Pumpkins
- Pumpkins are big, greedy feeders. At least two weeks before you plan, mix lots of compost or aged manure into the soil at the planting site.
- Strongly acid soils will need to be limed. If your soil test finds that your soil pH is too lower, add the recommended amounts of lime.
Learn more about preparing soil for planting.
When to Plant Pumpkins
- Pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold. They should not be planted until frost is past and the soil is between 65° and 95°F, the optimal temperature range. For cooler climates, this is often in late May but for warmer climates, you can often wait until late July. Our Planting Calendar shows you the FIRST planting date for your location.
- Pumpkins have extensive root systems and respond to an application of 3 to 4 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet. Fertilizer should be broadcast evenly and worked into the top two to three inches of soil prior to seeding.
- To have pumpkins for Halloween, look at the seed packet for how many days to harvest. Count backward from Halloween to know when to sow the seeds.
How to Plant Pumpkins
- Pumpkin seeds are usually sown directly into the soil after danger of frost has passed.
- Where the growing season is very short, sow indoors in peat pots, 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost.
- Harden off seedlings before transplanting into warm, aged manure/compost-enriched soil.
- There are two ways pumpkin seeds are usually planted: rows or hills. Note: A hill does not mean the soil has to be mounded; it’s a spot containing a group of plants or seeds. Hills warm soil quickly (so seeds germinate faster) and aid with drainage and pest control. Prepare hills by digging down 12 to 15 inches and mixing/filling in with lots of aged manure and/or compost.
- For rows: Sow seeds about 6 to 12 inches apart in rows that are 6 to 10 feet apart. Once the seedlings grow, thin to one plant every 18 to 36 inches.
- For hills: Plant 4 to 8 feet apart. The soil at each hill may be mounded or left level with the rest of the area. Set seeds 1 inch deep with 4 or 5 seeds per hill. Keep seeds moist until germination. When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill by snipping off unwanted plants without disturbing the roots of the remaining ones.
In this video, Ben shows us his method for growing pumpkins!
How to Grow Pumpkins
- Use row covers to protect plants early in the season and to prevent insect problems. However, remember to remove covers before flowering to allow pollination by insects!
- Pumpkins are very thirsty plants and need lots of water. Water one inch per week. Water deeply, especially during fruit set.
- When watering: Try to keep foliage and fruit dry unless it’s a sunny day. Dampness will make rot and other diseases more likely.
- Add mulch around your pumpkins to keep in moisture, suppress weeds, and discourage pests.
- Remember that pumpkins are tender from planting to harvest. Control weeds with mulch. Do not overcultivate, or their very shallow roots may be damaged.
- Most small vine varieties can be trained up a trellis.
- Larger varieties can be trained upward on a trellis, too—though it is an engineering challenge to support the fruit—usually with netting or old stockings.
- If your first flowers aren’t forming fruits, that’s normal. Both male and female blossoms need to open. Be patient.
- Bees are essential for pollination, so be mindful when using insecticides to kill pests. If you must use, apply only in the late afternoon or early evening, when blossoms are closed for the day. To attract more bees, try placing a bee house in your garden.
- Pumpkin vines, though obstinate, are very delicate. Take care not to damage vines, as this can reduce the quality of fruit.
Growing the Perfect Pumpkin
- Pumpkins are HEAVY feeders. Regular treatments of manure or compost mixed with water will sustain good growth.
- Fertilize on a regular basis. Use a high nitrogen formula in early plant growth. Fertilize when plants are about one foot tall, just before vines begin to run. Switch over to a fertilizer high in phosphorous just before the blooming period.
- Pinch off the fuzzy ends of each vine after a few pumpkins have formed. This will stop vine growth so that the plant’s energies are focused on the fruit.
- Pruning the vines may help with space, as well as allow the plant’s energy to be concentrated on the remaining vines and fruit.
- Gardeners who are looking for a “prize for size” pumpkin might select the two or three prime candidates and remove all other fruit and vines.
- As the fruit develops, they should be turned (with great care not to hurt the vine or stem) to encourage an even shape.
- Place a thin board or heavy cardboard under ripening melons and pumpkins to avoid decay and insect damage.
- Squash bugs and cucumber beetles are common, especially later in summer. Contact your local Cooperative Extension for potential controls.
- Aphids
- Squash Vine Borer
- Powdery Mildew
- Anthracnose
- Poor light, too much fertilizer, poor weather at bloom time, and reduced pollinating insect activity can negatively impact fruit set.
Every pumpkin has a best purpose. When it comes to choosing a pumpkin, think about what you want to do with it. All pumpkins are edible, but some taste better than others. Then there are those that are best for carving. Here are a few of our favorite varieties, with their best use!
Miniature Pumpkins
Miniature pumpkins are very productive and easy to grow, sometimes producing up to a dozen fruits per plant.
- ‘Jack Be Little’, a miniature variety, is dual purpose. Store-bought shiny (painted) ones make an ideal decoration for a holiday table. Remove the seeds from farm- or home-grown specimens and then bake them for a tiny treat. Vine variety. Days to maturity: 90 to 100 days.
- ‘We-B-Little’ is an All-America Selection winner, and ‘Munchkin’ is another great miniature pumpkin.
Pumpkins for carving
- ‘Autumn Gold’ great for carving, decorating. All-America Selection winner. Vine variety. Excellent for Jack-o-Lanterns. Days to maturity are generally 100 to 120 days.
- The larger ‘Magic Lantern’ and ‘Merlin’ are a;sp great for carving and decorating.
Giant pumpkins
- ‘Dill’s Atlantic Giant’ jumbo variety can grow to 200 pounds. Great for those who want to grow a giant pumpkin. Vine will spread to 25 feet, so space is a must. Days to maturity are 130 to 160 days, so plant early! Thin to the best one or two plants. Feed heavily but keep cultivation shallow. Remove first 2 or 3 female flowers after the plants start to bloom so that the plants grow larger with more leaf surface before setting fruit. Allow a single fruit to develop and pick off all female flowers that develop after this fruit has set on the plant. Take care that the vine doesn’t root down near the joints to avoid breakage.
- ‘Big Max’, ‘Big Moon’, ‘Jack O’ Lantern’, and ‘Funny Face’ are some of the best giant pumpkins for carving.
Perfect pumpkins for pies
- ‘Sugar Treat’ and ‘New England Sugar Pie’ are two of the best for cooking and baking. ‘Sugar Treat’ semi-bush hybrid. Days to maturity are generally 100 to 120 days. ‘Hijinks’ and ‘Baby Bear’ are both All-America Selection winners and have sweet flesh for pumpkin pie.
- ‘Cinderella’s Carriage’ is also perfect for pies or soups.
- ‘Peanut Pumpkin’ also produces very sweet flesh and can be great in pumpkin pie or pumpkin puree.
- Heirloom ‘Winter Luxury Pie’ (aka Livingston’s Pie Squash) gets raves for taste but boos for not lasting too long on the vine.
- ‘Baby Pam’; ‘Small Sugar’; ‘Spookie’, a cross between ‘Sugar Pie’ and ‘Jack O’ Lantern’; and ‘Spooktacular’ are great for cooking or carving.
Colorful decorative pumpkins
- ‘Jarrahdale’ has blue-green skin and makes for great decorations.
- ‘Pepitas Pumpkin’ is orange and green.
- ‘Super Moon’ is a large white pumpkin.
How to Harvest Pumpkins
- Your best bet is to harvest pumpkins when they are fully mature. They will keep best this way. Do not pick pumpkins off the vine because they have reached your desired size. If you want small pumpkins, buy a small variety instead!
- A pumpkin is ripe when its skin turns a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties).
- When you thump the pumpkin with a finger, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow. Press your nail into the pumpkin’s skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe.
- Harvest pumpkins and winter squashes on a dry day after the plants have died back and the skins are hard.
- To slow decay, leave an inch or two of stem on pumpkins and winter squash when harvesting them.
- To harvest the pumpkin, cut the fruit off the vine carefully with a sharp knife or pruners. Do not tear. Be sure not to cut too close to the pumpkin. A liberal amount of stem (3 to 4 inches) will increase the pumpkin’s keeping time.
- Handle pumpkins very gently or they may bruise.
How to Cure, Store, and Display Pumpkins
- Pumpkins should be cured in the sun for about 10 to 14 days to harden properly. This is a great time to display your pumpkin on the front porch! If you’re carving a pumpkin, carve no more than three days before Halloween or the pumpkin will begin to rot.
- Store pumpkins (after curing) in a cool, dry bedroom, cellar, or root cellar—anywhere around 55ºF
- Check out this video for tips on curing and storing pumpkins.
Pumpkin Trivia
- Pumpkins were once thought to cure snakebites.
- A slice of pumpkin pie before bedtime may help you to sleep. (That’s what we tell ourselves, anyway.)
- Pumpkins have been grown in North America for almost 5,000 years.
- Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse! Learn more about winter squash’s health benefits!
- Cucurbits, such as pumpkins, are subject to an ongoing myth—that planting different family members or varieties will result in strange fruit. Actually, it is the seeds resulting from cross-pollination that are corrupted, so this is a factor only if you are planning to save seeds for next year’s planting.
Carving Pumpkins
- Pumpkins have become a traditional Halloween decoration and treat in the United States.
- Inscribe messages on growing pumpkins with a large nail. The letters will scar over while the pumpkins grow and will still be visible at harvesttime.
- See 5 tips for picking the perfect pumpkin for carving!
- See how to clean a pumpkin for cooking.
- Don’t forget about the seeds! Roast them with salt or cinnamon for a tasty treat.
