Growing Pumpkins

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pumpkins

Rate this Article:

Whether you use them for carving or cooking, pumpkins do not disappoint. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest pumpkins!

Note that pumpkins do require a lot of food and 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.

Do not plant this tender vegetable until all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warmed, as the seedlings will be injured or rot. Find your local frost dates here.

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

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.
Slip a thin board or a piece of plastic mesh under the pumpkins.

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.
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!
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

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.
Did you know? A slice of pumpkin pie before bedtime may help you to sleep.
Learn about the history of carving pumpkins. Pumpkins have become a traditional Halloween decoration and treat in the United States. We have great Halloween recipes and craft ideas for you!
Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse! Learn more about winter squash’s health benefits!

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.

Planting Times

Reader Comments

form.antibot { display: none !important; } You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.

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.

pumpkins

For such a specific location, we would encourage you to ask your Nebraska county extension: http://epd.unl.edu/

Pumpkins

Love this article! Do you know if there is a book specifically on growing Pumpkins? About to start growing them. Thank You

pumpkin book

I’m not familiar with any books on growing just pumpkins, but a quick search online does list a few on growing pumpkins in general, or the huge record-breaking kind. For example, “The Perfect Pumpkin: Growing/Cooking/Carving” by Gail Damerow (1997) and “Gardener’s Guide to the Pumpkin and Winter Squash” by Paul R. Wonning (2016). Hope this helps!

Planting seeds

I planted my pumpkin seeds in a big pot this month. Do you think they will survive?

pumpkin underway

Wow, Jacob, there are so many ways to answer your question. Will your seeds survive? For one thing, it depends on where you are. Is it summer there? If there is any risk of frost, see here for when that might be: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/zipcode/03444 You have to be wary of a late frost that might kill your plants.

Even a big pot may not be enough for a pumpkin. Plus, pots heat up (and dry out) faster than the ground soil does. So while that may seem advantageous, it means you need to be ready to water more often. You have not mentioned the type of soil you used; we will presume it is good quality compost.

lease understand that we are not trying to discourage you; we just do not have enough information on your particular situation. With time and your careful attention, you might have a bumper crop of pumpkins! We are just trying to point out a few considerations.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Planting in pots works

Jacob, I planted my very first pumpkin in a wooden pot a few years ago. It was one of those wooden crate looking pots from Lowe's. The soil where I live is horrible but I can't dig down deeply enough because of the granite running below my house.

I kept an eye on the pot (it was a 2' in diameter pot, about 12" deep) and made sure it was well-drained and watered when needed. The vine grew very well and very long. The only issue I had was not enough pollination. All of my pretty flowering plants were on the other side of my house. I know better now!

So yes! Pots DO work for pumpkins. Just keep an eye on it for moisture balance.

I live in Zone 6A, by the way, in case that means anything for you.

growing pumpkins

Old Farmer, You answered so many questions I had. My 6 year old grandkid loved it too!

kids love it too

Hi, Rochelle! This is a delightful message to get on a gray day. THANK YOU for taking the time to get in touch. Happy to hear that you’ve got your grandkid—son? daughter?—interested in the Almanac and, we presume, gardening. Can we take just a minute to suggest that he/she might also enjoy The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids?! You can read about it here (and buy it, if you chose): https://store.almanac.com/product/old-farmers-almanac-kids-volume-6?list...

We just want to let you know that kids can’t put it down (and parents can’t wait to pick it up and read it themselves)!

Have a wonderful day and bountiful season!

Growing pumpkins

Hello,
IAM so thankful to whoever put together this agriculture message.
IAM here in Uganda and want to grow these vines seriously.I have not been employed but I feel this project will do it for me.

Thank you so much!

pumpkin fall when still small

i do not understand why the pumpkins i have planted are growing good but as soon as it grows, after about 5 days its still small and becomes yellow and falls down!! why is that happening? please help someone!

Harvesting Pumpkins

I live in the Pacific NW (on the north Oregon coast) and the rains are getting heavy. Should I leave the pumpkins on the vines? Some of the vines are getting mushy and the fruit is still green. The rainy season has started and my vines are starting to deteriorate, but the fruit is still green. Should I harvest now or let them stay on the vines till the vines are done for? A neighbor already took one to make soup and said it was fine.

pumpkin troubles

If the vines are getting mushy, keep an eye on the pumpkins themselves, which may rot. You might want to harvest the pumpkins soon, especially if the mushy stem area is close to the pumpkins. You can then try to ripen them off the vine. Sometimes this works.

To do this, cut the pumpkin from the vine, leaving about 4 inches of healthy stem (if possible). Wash it, dry it thoroughly, and set it out on a sunny patio or similar dry spot in the sunshine (take in at night). Or, if it is still rainy, you can choose a spot indoors that receives strong sunlight. Rotate the pumpkin during the day to expose all sides to the strongest sunlight. Sometimes, if the pumpkin is past a certain point in its development, it will eventually turn orange (within a few weeks).

Growing Pumpkins

Botanical Name	Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. argyrosperma
Plant Type	Vegetable
Sun Exposure	Full Sun
Soil Type	Any
Soil pH
Bloom Time
Flower Color
Hardiness Zones	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Special Features

Old Farmer's Store Login

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Pumpkins

Share:

Rate this Article:

Planting

Selecting a Site

Planting by Seed

Care

Pump Up Your Pumpkins!

Pests/Diseases

Harvest/Storage

Recommended Varieties

Wit & Wisdom

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Planting Times

What do you want to read next?

Reader Comments

Leave a Comment

Pages

Growing Pumpkins

FREE BEGINNERS GARDEN GUIDE!

The Almanac Webcam

Chosen for You from The Old Farmer's Store