Growing Pumpkins

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pumpkins

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Whether you use them for carving or cooking, pumpkins do not disappoint. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest 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 American native. However, note that pumpkins do require a long growing season (generally from 75 to 100 frost-free days) so you need to plant them by late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern states.

Wait until ALL danger of frost has passed and the soil is warmed, as the seedlings of this tender crop will be injured or rot. Find your local frost dates here.

That said, pumpkins are easy to maintain if you have the space.

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

Planting

Selecting a Site

Pick a site with full sun (to light shade) and lots of space for sprawling vines. 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.
Pumpkins are big, greedy feeders. They prefer very rich soil that is well-drained and not too soggy. Mix lots of compost and aged mature into the planting site before you sow seeds or transplant. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.

Planting by Seed

Pumpkins do best when the seeds are planted directly in the ground.
If your growing season is very short, seed indoors in peat pots about 2 to 4 weeks before last spring frost. Be sure to harden off before transplanting.
Wait until the plant soil is 70ºF or more before sowing seeds. Optimum soil temperature is 95ºF. Pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold.
Plant seeds in rows or “pumpkin hills,” which are the size of small pitcher mounds. With hills, the soil will warm more quickly and the seeds will germinate faster. This also helps with drainage and pest control.
Prepare the hills in advance with an abundance of old manure dug deep into the ground (12 to 15 inches). If you don’t have manure, loosen the soil and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost
Plant the seeds 1 inch deep into the hills (4 to 5 seeds per hill). Space hills 4 to 8 feet apart.
Your plants should germinate in less than a week with the right soil temperature (70 degrees F) and emerge in 5 to 10 days.
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 rows, sow seeds 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 6 to 10 feet apart. Snip off plants to thin to one plant every 18 to 36 inches.

Care

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 weeks, 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, which reduces the quality of fruit.

Pump Up Your Pumpkins!

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.

Pests/Diseases

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.

Harvest/Storage

Your best bet is to harvest pumpkins when they are 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.
A pumpkin is ripening when its skin turns a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties).
When you thumb the pumpkin, 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.
Pumpkins should be cured in the sun for about a week to toughen the skin and then stored in a cool, dry bedroom, cellar, or root cellar—anywhere around 55ºF.
If you get a lot of vines and flowers, but no pumpkins, you need more bees in your garden to pollinate the flowers. Grow some colorful flowers next to your pumpkin patch this year and you may get more bees and butterflies!
The yellowish pumpkins will soon come handy to give the cows. They help out the fall feed, and if there is anything better for cows in milk we should like to know it.
If you’re saving seeds, they should last for 6 years.
Check out this video for tips on curing and storing pumpkins.

Recommended Varieties

Miniature pumpkins: ‘Jack Be Little’ miniature pumpkin variety, perfect for a holiday table. 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. Miniature pumpkins are very productive and easy to grow, sometimes producing up to a dozen fruits per plant.

Photo Credits: National Garden Bureau. On the left, ‘Munchkin’ miniature pumpkins. On the right, ‘Wee-B-Little’ miniature pumpkins.

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.
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.
Perfect pumpkins for pies: ‘Sugar Treat’ semi-bush hybrid. Ideal for cooking and baking. 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.

Photo Credits: National Garden Bureau. On the left, ‘Cinderella’s Carriage’ pumpkins. On the right, ‘Peanut Pumpkin’.

Colorful pumpkins: ‘Jarrahdale’ has blue-green skin and makes for great decorations. ‘Pepitas Pumpkin’ is orange and green, and ‘Super Moon’ is a large white pumpkin.

Photo Credits: National Garden Bureau. On the left, a ‘Jarrahdale’ pumpkin. On the right, a ‘Pepitas Pumpkin’.

Wit & Wisdom

Pumpkin Trivia

Pumpkins were once thought to cure snakebites.
A slice of pumpkin pie before bedtime may help you to sleep.
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!
Cucubits, 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!
Learn about the history of carving pumpkins.

Recipes

Cooking Notes

See how to clean a pumpkin for cooking.
Don’t forget about the seeds! Roast them with salt or cinnamon for a tasty treat.

Reader Comments

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Pumpkin Shelf Life

With a nice consistent, cooler temperature, pumpkins can last many months inside your home. I literally have pumpkins last 6 to 8 months inside each year. Most of which sit out on our front steps until the temperatures begin to dip near freezing. If you are storing pumpkins inside, just make sure there isn't excessive moisture accumulating between the bottom of the pumpkin & the storage spot. Places like concrete floors in basements often need a buffer of material to allow airflow... Wooden pallets work great for this.

leaves gone

someone went into my garden and pruned the vines, few weeks later decided to remove leaves and more vines. I had lots of pumpkins started but were still a month away from oct. do my pumpkins have a chance or will they rot now?

dog ran through

Last year, after Halloween, when the carved pumpkins were starting to turn to mush, I put about 5 of them along the back of my house, chopped them up, and put dirt on top. Well, right now my backyard is almost gone because there are so many pumpkin plants...about 17 feet each way. Anyway, I have a very large dog, 124lb cane corso, who decided to chase a rabbit all over in the pumpkins. Now the vines are smashed,turning yellow, and look just horrid. Somehow the ends of all the vines are still producing more pumpkins and the ones already turning orange still look okay. Is there anything I should do or just leave itsince they're still producing? I want as many pumpkins as possible so I can donate them to the school for their Halloween party for the kids.

Pumpkins

Hi Andrea,

There’s not much to be done to fix the vines that were uprooted or smashed. Since pumpkins are still being produced and ripen, just leave them be!

pumpkins in row photograph permission

May I please use your photograph of the pumpkins in a row in a circular for a 4-H extension activity at Langston University.
Thank you for your consideration.

Pumpkin Photo

Yes, the photo at the top of this page is in the public domain and may be used however you like! Note that the other pumpkin photos on this page are from the National Garden Bureau, however.

Pruning

I am growing a giant pumpkin and it is about 2 feet wide now but the vine it is on goes about 5 feet past it... can I cut the vine past the pumpkin or will it hurt the pumpkin ? The vine is like 1-2 inches thick now.

Do not cut the vine!

I don't have much time to write, but whatever you do...do not cut the vine as you will have problems. The vines anchor down and draw nutrients from the soil.

Jack o lantern pumpkins

I planted these pumpkins the last week of June. I live in Mckeesport Pennsylvania & I have lots of flowers & vines but no pumpkins yet we have had a lot of rain &they are in full Sun fresh compost every week & there are a lot of bees this year is there any thing I can do this is my first year with pumpkins.My daughter wanted them she even bought the seeds

Pumpkin questions

I planted 3 different types of pumpkins, all in 3 different locations. The small pumpkin plant produced one softball size pumpkin which is turning a yellowish orange. It keeps making new buds, but they fruit is dying off. On my large pumpkin plants, I have a medium size pumpkin that is green and still growing but again, I only have one on that plant. My third is flowering like crazy but just budding now. It is August right now and I was wondering how long into the season that they may still produce new pumpkins. We have also had a ton of rain this year and its hard to keep them from getting too wet. I'm hoping to get at least one pumpkin per plant! The leaves all look very healthy and the flowers. Some stems are yellowing a bit. Any help will be appreciated!

three's the charm

See the Care notes above, Gia. Are you fertilizing? Have you trimmed the stems? Details above. Pumpkins need water; see above, but too much rain can be too much. And pumpkins like—need—hot temps. Some parts of the country have just not been how this summer! Read the advice above and see if you can bring your plants to fruition!

White pumpkins

Hi, I've grown regular pumpkins for many years . This year I planted white pumpkins too. I cannot find any info about what they look like while growing . Do they start out white . ..not green ? I also planted bird house squashes and I have something growing that is white and smooth skinned . I took a picture but don't know how to send . I have a skull mold I want to put on it before getting too big IF it's a pumpkin ! Thank you . Cathy from Iowa

Pumpkin care

I had a wonderful surprise this morning as I looked out into my backyard. Two beautiful yellow blooms. Knowing I had not planted anything there I walked out to discover a pumpkin vine growing. I had thrown out a rotting white pumpkin in the early spring and it has sprouted on its own. It's about 4 feet long and appears very healthy at this stage. It seems to have 5-6 blooms. I live in north Florida. The vine is growing in a natural setting. The soil is rich with pine and oak leaves. There is morning glory vine creeping very near that concerns me. What is the best way to protect and hopefully bring my pumpkins to maturity. The vine was obviously not planted in a usual way such as a mound etc. Hasn't had any fertilizer etc. thanks.

surprised by a vine!

Hi, Mary! What a great surprise! Everything you should need to bring these beauties into fruitfulnes and harvest is in the tips, above—care, maintenance, fert, the works! Let us know if you need anything else. Cheers!

Pumpkin Patch Soil

I decided to try and grow a few pumpkins for fall decorations rather than buying them this year. I planted seed from to medium sized varieties (I think one was called jack-o-lantern). Anyway, I intended on planting only a couple of hills but I had the seed and decided to plant all of them while I had them in my hand! Anyway, I did no soil amendment prior to planting and I was wondering what could I add as a side dressing to help my pumpkin plants thrive. I planted most of the seed along the back side of my father's workshop a foot or so away from the foundation. They are in a sunny, western location and receive rain runoff from the roof and from the watering can when it is dry. The remaining seed are planted along the north side of the workshop and do not receive as much sun but they are thriving and the vines are starting to run. The soil is a little better on the north side as my father used to dump wood ashes there but the back side is mostly red clay. Any simple and cheap ideas for improving the soil for the pumpkin plants on the back side of the workshop would be appreciated!

Side-dressing pumpkins

Good for you! You’ve hit the jack (o lantern) pot! We are especially impressed with your plants on the north (least sunny) side. You must have a green thumb.

Good questions, good plan! You’ll find good answers about everything above, in the bullet points related to planting and caring for your vines and fruits. Side-dressing is a form of fertilizing, so consider that as you read.

Here’s hoping for a hefty harvest!

Thanks for your expert knowledge on pumpkins.

We grow pumpkins in England, mainly for carving (grandchildren love them) to cooking. Your advice about mulching has been taken on board and our grass clippings are being used, the runners will be cut to allow three per runner. I have also mounded soil over the runners in the hope they put down more roots. Have you tried pumpkin curry? We will make one when ours are ripe. Cheers Alan and Cath in Crewe England.

sprinkler system setup

My plants are already coming out and the vines are coming. I am going to set up a sprinkler system,but what I am wondering is I can place the sprinklers so it justs comes out with a light spray. How far out of the ground should I leave them and can I place it right between the 2 plants that are practically next to each other or should I place it further away. I am trying to avoid getting the leaves wet as much as possible but I know that is hard to do. In between the mounds I can place one that can keep the soil wet for the vines. I am inexperienced but I am trying to learn by trial by error. Also, one other question. On on of the mounds I placed 4 and they are fairly close together. I never weeded it out. WOuld it be best for me to get rid of one or 2 of them. Thanks for your time

watering pumpkins

About thinning: thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill by snipping off unwanted plants without disturbing the roots of the remaining ones. Do this before you do anything else. And weed. Once the plants spread vines there should be far weeds. And mulch.

Drip irrigation is a slow, fairly steady release of water that gets to plant roots. Aim to replicate that with water of one inch per week, more during fruit set.

Water is important but read the “Pump Up Your Pumpkins” advice above; fertilizer is also going to improve your chances for a hefty harvest.

Pumpkin vine damage (unknown critter)

So I have a huge pumpkin vine growing I went out about a week ago the root was dug up and ripped out. I saved it (had just set second root week before, saved me full loss) but it's hurt.
I go out this morning, my Thai pepper is ripped up, the huge pumpkin root (but not root area), we've sighted skunks in the neighbor hood, are they digging for Pill bugs in my roots (which i have an infestation of) or something else? How do I fix this, by removing the food source (killing whatever they're eating)?

Pumpkin Vine

Hi David,

We’re sorry to hear of your garden troubles! It sounds like it could be a skunk doing the digging, though it could also be a raccoon or a couple of squirrels. Getting rid of the pill bugs might stop the animal from coming around; spread diatomaceous earth around plants and throughout the garden to reduce the number of pill bugs. Also, try putting up a short fence—2 to 3 feet high—and see what happens. Skunks can climb fences, but they usually choose not to.

Pumpkin vine base

I live in Philadelphia PA. We have a pumpkin vine that is growing amazingly. But we just returned from a 5 day holiday and the base of the vine has darkened and the base leaves are a bit yellow. I'm hoping this is just the vine "hardening". We have an irrigation system that waters the garden for 15 min in the morning and evening. If we need to bump up the watering we can, seems like I need to snip some vine tips (per other advice), but any other insight you can provide would be really helpful. We have raised beds. Base of vine is in partial shade, but majority of vine is predominately full sun. Thanks in advance!

pumpkin care

Yellowing leaves at the bottom of the plant (the older leaves) sometimes mean an iron deficiency. Pumpkins are big feeders so perhaps they at a lot when you were gone and you need to feed them some more! We’re not sure what you mean by the vine “darkening.” As the pumpkin reaches maturity, the vine is more likely to turn yellow. If the leaves start to wilt, look at the base of the plant and ensure you don’t have the squash vine borer. See more about identification and control: http://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer

... what to do?

I've got about 15 plants; n a 3'x3' planter here in my So.California yardyard and they're all already a foot talltall each. What should I do about the area they each need for growth? I have room for the vines, to sprawl outout just don't know about them having room between each other...? -im Clueless but wanting to learn!

pumpkin spacing

The spacing will depend on the type of pumpkin you are growing. (The 15 plants are all pumpkins, right?) Ideally, follow the suggestions on the seed packet or transplant. In general, mini pumpkins may need about 1.5 to 3 feet between each after thinning, while standard pumpkins need about 3 to 5 feet. In a planter, the giant type of pumpkin likely wouldn’t be appropriate. For standard types in a 3x3 bed, thin out your 15 pumpkin plants to just 1 or 2, snipping the stems off at the soil surface, so as not to disturb the roots of the plant(s) you’d like to keep. For mini pumpkins, you might be able to keep 2 or 3 plants. (For pumpkins, it’s better to have a deeper container, such as 2 to 3 feet deep, if possible.) Good luck!

Small Sugar Pumpkins

Hoping someone can help me as I have scoured the internet and fpund very little information about my issue with my small sugar pumpkin plants. Grew them last year and the vines got very long and were very healthy, but I never once saw a female flower on any of them, only the males, so obviously I didn't get any fruit either! Anything I can do this year to encourage growth of the female flowers? They were in ground in full sun, sharing the same patch as my cucumbers. Thanks!

female flowers on pumpkins

Try adding a high-phosphorus fertilizer to increase bloom production. Some pros say that if plants are too close the competition between plants can reduce the number of female flowers; could this be it?

Soils

Would like to know the appropriate type of soil for pumpkin

Soil for growing pumpkins

Pumpkins love fertile soil. Before planting, spade the soil about a foot deep and mix in some compost, manure, or well-balanced fertilizer. Then plant two or three seeds in a group about an inch apart in moist soil.

Best hybrids by location?

I was wondering what would be the best hybrids to grow in Sarpy/Douglas County Nebraska? If you have a top three.