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How to Plant and Grow Pumpkins

two orange pumpkins on a green vine growing in the garden
Image Credit:
Maximkabb/Getty
Botanical Name
Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. argyrosperma
Grown as
Annual
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
High
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
20+ feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Attracts Pollinators
Resilience
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Vegetables
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Give neighbors “pumpkin” to talk about by growing your own pumpkin patch and harvesting spooky jack-o-lanterns, tasty pie pumpkins, or award-winning giants right in the comfort of your own garden (or patio!) 

From planting to harvest, this guide will teach you all you need to know to grow any sort of pumpkin in beds or containers, and how to identify pumpkins that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick.

Planting

When to Plant Pumpkins

Pumpkins are sensitive to transplanting and cold weather, so it’s best to sow seeds directly outdoors well after the danger of frost is past and soil has warmed to around 65° to 95°F (18° to 35°C). Make sure to check seed packets for “days to harvest” information if you want to harvest pumpkins in time for Halloween. Different varieties mature at different rates; however, planting seeds by late May in northern climates or as late as early July in the deep south should ensure most varieties have enough time to mature before frost.

If you’re working with a very short growing season, you can also sow seeds indoors about 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost. Just make sure to use biodegradable pots to minimize root disturbance and harden the seedlings off before transplanting them outside when the weather warms.

Where to Plant Pumpkins

Compared to other crops, pumpkins are particularly demanding about space, so always ensure that you provide enough space for the varieties you’d like to grow. Ideally, you’ll want around 1,000 square feet per plant for giant types, 50 to 100 square feet for regular-size varieties, and about 15 to 36 square feet for miniature types. That said, you can keep small varieties like ‘Baby Boo’ or ‘Small Sugar’ in 20 to 25-gallon containers and use a small trelllis to train their trailing vines.

Aside from space constrants, full sun and fertile, moist, and well-draining soil is a must for growing pumpkins. I always recommend blending plenty of compost or aged manure about 12 to 15-inches deep into the soil before planting seeds. You can also plant pumpkins atop simple “melon pits” to fuel their growth.

How to Plant Pumpkins

Pumpkins can either be planted in rows, in hills, or solo in pots depending on your space.

  • In hills, plant 4 to 5 seeds per hill, space hills 4 feet apart, and thin the seedlings to 2 to 3 plants per hill once their true leaves form. If you’re short on space, direct the vines to the outer edge of the garden bed. Hills can either be mounded or flat, but mounding soil helps it warm up faster in spring and drain better!
  • In rows, sow seeds 6 to 12 inches apart and then thin the seedlings to one plant every 18 to 36 inches when they’re a few inches tall. Individual rows should be spaced 8 feet from each other.
  • In pots, select containers that are 20 to 25-gallons in size and small varieties of pie or miniature pumpkins. Installing a trellis at planting time can help you avoid damaging delicate vines later on.

To plant, set the seeds 1 inch deep in rich soil or seed starting mix and keep the seeds good and moist until they germinate.

In this video, Ben shows us his method for growing pumpkins!

Growing

Watering

Pumpkins need about 1-inch of water per week, either from your hose or rainfall. For best results, water plants deeply in the morning and on very hot afternoons — especially during fruit set — and do your best to direct water straight to the plant roots. Keeping pumpkins leaves dry is one of the best ways to avoid rot and common diseases like powdery mildew.

Fertilizing

Blending compost or aged manure into the soil before planting helps pumpkins grow better and encourages larger fruit production. After that, side-dress plants with additional aged manure or compost mixed with water as needed and feed with a high nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are about 1-foot tall and the vines are just about to run. When flower buds form, switch to a high phosphorus fertilizer to fuel rapid pumpkin growth.

Pruning or Maintenance

Covering pumpkins with row covers early in the season can reduce some pest problems, but covers need to be removed before flowering to allow for pollination. Bees and other pollinators are essential for pumpkin growth, so avoid using pesticides whenever possible and consider growing flowering companion plants near pumpkins to increase pollinator activity. Placing a bee house in your garden is an effective way to draw bees in too.

Careful pruning can reduce disease, increase fruit size, and is key if you want to grow prize winning pumpkins. To do this, pinch off the fuzzy ends of pumpkin vines after a few pumpkins form to stop vine growth and focus the plant’s energy on fruiting. Once the fruit develops, remove all but the best 1 to 3 pumpkins per plant as well as all late blooming flowers, prune the main and secondary vines to 10 to 15 feet, cut away the smaller, tertiary vines, and bury the cut vine tips in the soil to optimize fruit development.

As the fruit matures, turn pumpkins carefully to encourage even growth. Placing a thin board, stone, or piece of tile under pumpkins can protect fruit from rot and pest damage as well.

Tip: If your first flowers aren’t forming fruits, that’s normal. Both male and female blossoms need to open for pollination to occur. Patience is key!

Seasonal Care

Maintaining a regular watering and fertilizing regimen is essential if you want to grow the best pumpkins. It’s also a good idea to add mulch around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds. When needed, weed carefully to avoid damaging delicate pumpkin roots and vines.

If you’re growing pumpkins on a trellis, support developing fruit with a hammock or old nylon stocking to prevent vine breaks.

Spacing for Pumpkins

Harvesting

When to Harvest

Pumpkins should be harvested when they’re fully ripe and reach the mature size of the variety of pumpkin you’re growing. Most pumpkins take 90 to 120 days to mature; however, it’s best to use visual cues to determine if pumpkins are ready to pick or not.

  • Color. Pumpkin rinds should turn a deep, solid color as the fruit ripens. This is orange for most varieties, but can vary.
  • Stem. Stems will harden and take on a brown, woody appearance or detach from the vine all on their own.
  • Sound. Thump the pumpkin with a finger. If it sounds hollow, the pumpkin may be ready. 
  • Fingernail test. Press a fingernail into the pumpkin’s skin. If it’s hard and resists puncturing, it’s ripe!

How to Harvest

Ideally, pumpkins should be harvested on a sunny day when the weather is dry.

To harvest, cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp knife or pair of pruners and leave about 3 to 4-inches of stem attached to each fruit. Handle pumpkins gently to reduce brusing and never carry them by their stems to avoid accidental falls.

Storage

Before storage, carving, or use, pumpkins should be cured by placing them in a protected, sunny spot for 10 days. During this time, temperatures should stay between 80º to 85ºF and humidity levels should hover around 80 to 85%. This process toughens pumpkin rinds so they store better, helps minor abraisions heal over, and intensifies pumpkin flavor.

After curing, store pumpkins in a cool, dry cellar or root cellar at 50º to 55ºF for 2 to 3 months. If you’re carving pumpkins, carve them no more than 3 days before Halloween or the pumpkin will begin to rot.

Check out this video for tips on curing and storing pumpkins.

Pests and Problems

Environmental factors like poor lighting, inclement weather, and reduced pollinator activity can result in poor fruit set and other issues. No matter what types of pumpkins you’re growing, here are some common problems to be on guard for and what to do about them.

Common Problems

  • Poor fruiting or flower drop may indicate pumpkin flowers aren’t being properly pollinated. Growing flowering companion plants and avoiding pesticides can naturally invite bees and other beneficial bugs in!
  • Blossom-end rot can produce sunken spots on the blossom end of developing fruit. This is usually caused by irregular watering, buy may also indicate pumpkins are craving extra calcium

Common Pests

  • Aphids are sap-sucking insects that can cause pumpkins to develop distorted leaves or coat plants with a sticky “honeydew” residue. Companion planting can naturally reduce aphid activity, while active infestations can be managed by spraying plants with your hose or regular applications of an organic insecticidal soap spray.
  • Cucumber beetles target plants in the Curcurbit family, and pumpkins are no exception. Installing row covers at the beginning of the season can help keep these wee, striped beetles from munching holes in pumpkin leaves, while hand-picking is the best way to reduce active problems.

Plant Diseases

  • Anthracnose is a fungal issue that causes spotting on pumpkin leaves and sunken lesions on fruit. The best way to control its spread is to destroy infected plants, purchase disease resistant varieties, and avoid overhead watering.
  • Powdery mildew and downy mildew are also caused by fungal spores and can cause spotting on pumpkin leaves or stunt pumpkin growth. Watering plants at the soil line and spacing pumpkins well apart should naturally reduce mildew issues, or you can preventatively spray plants with a mixture of 40% milk and 60% water.

Types

Pumpkins come in different sizes and colors and can be used for different purposes. Athough all pumpkins are technically edible, some are better for carving or display, while others are ideal for cooking. Knowing how you’d like to use pumpkins will help you select the very best varieties for your goals!

  • Miniature pumpkins like ‘Jack Be Little’ and ‘We-B-Little’ are great for ornamental use and small spaces. They’re also super productive and easy to grow.
  • Carving pumpkins like ‘Autumn Gold’ or ‘Merlin’ are the pumpkins you want for jack-o-lanterns.
  • Pie pumpkins like ‘Sugar Treat’ and ‘Peanut Pumpkin’ are prized for their sweet flesh and can be used for pies, soups, curries, and purees.
a green pumpkin turning orange on the vine
Image: Arina P Habich/Shutterstock

Wit and Wisdom

  • Pumpkins are native to North American and have been cultivated for around 8,000 to 10,000 years.
  • According to folklore, pumpkins were once believed to cure snakebites. A slice of pumpkin pie before bed was thought to help you sleep!
  • Carving faces in pumpkins and veggies like turnips is an old timey Celtic practice that was thought to scare away evil spirits.

Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Haywood</span> Mon, 09/30/2013 - 14:59
Last year I disposed of a rotting miniature pumpkin in a hole (from a removed shrub), and this year I have pumpkins growing. I never prepared the soil or anything. My luck is that I can only grow what I don't want or try to grow them, so very happy that I have 4-6 pumpkins growing. Probably needed to thin them out to have better growth, as I have about 8 different vines - they have survived my neighbor mowing over them, and even have some powdery mildew. Have watered every day (or every few days) and given a few scoops of dog "treats" to help them along. Temps have dropped to below 60 at night, but everything still looks great. Most are still dark green, so not sure when they will turn or when I should harvest..which brought me to your site. Thanks for the wonderful information.
<span>Aleks</span> Sun, 09/29/2013 - 16:06
We are first time pumpkin planters in Calgary AB. We planted from a big box seed packet we bought. The pumpkins that grew are yellow. will they eventually turn orange? or is it a variety of yellow that I've never heard of? Also, we had our first frost a few days ago, and the leaves are all dead. But the vines still look viable. Will my pumpkins still grow?
<span>Dk</span> Thu, 10/10/2013 - 11:12
Hello, we are in Windsor Ontario and first time growers as well. Ours started as a bright yellow (like a squash) and then turned, eventually, into a beautiful orange. Yours will get there as well!!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 10/01/2013 - 11:34

Harvest the pumpkins if there is a chance of more frosty nights. They will not grow much more on the vines. Store them in a sunny sheltered place or bring them indoors. The pumpkins may turn a light orange but they will probably stay yellow.

 <span>Heather In Oregon</span> Fri, 09/27/2013 - 13:28
This year we had a volunteer pumpkin start in our compost pile. I kept it watered through the summer and it has thrived. There are 6 good sized pumpkins on it, all of which are at least 1/2 ripe. However, we are due to get a big, big storm this weekend and I suspect that if I don't want them damaged I need to pick them. It's not likely to ever get warm enough for me to set them out to "cure" in the sun before putting them in storage. We're not even due any sun for at least the next week. Can I pick them now and just put them into storage? Is there are way to increase their longevity without them having had a chance to toughen up? My kids really want these as their Halloween pumpkins but I'm wondering if that is feasible given the circumstances.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sat, 09/28/2013 - 09:39
Hi Heather, Though it's best to harvest pumpkins when they are mature, they will ripen off the vine IF they are already turning color and if held under the proper conditions. Cut pumpkins from the vines gently with a sharp knife or pruners and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached so they will keep longer. Ideally, ripen in a well-ventilated barn or greenhouse at temps of 80 to 85 degrees F with a relative humidity of 80-85%. Night temperatures should not drop below the 60s. Even if pumpkins are ripe, a period of curing can improve storage life. The curing period should be about 10 days. During this process, the fruit skin hardens to keep it from rotting. Then, just store in a cool, dry place where the temperature is between 50 and 60 degrees F.
<span>Sunny Gene</span> Fri, 09/27/2013 - 00:49
I have a pumpkin vine on which half of the fruit started light yellow (and is turning orange) and half dark green (not changing color). I now have large beautiful orange pumpkins and small dark green ones. The seed package shows orange pumpkins so I'm confused as to why I have green ones. Will they eventually grow and ripen?'
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 09/27/2013 - 08:56

Some pumpkins just ripen faster than others and it could be related to their location on the vine, how much sun they're getting, and other factors. Unless frost is coming, just let those immature pumpkins ripen on the vine; cut any leaves back to give them plenty of the remaining sunlight.

 <span>Tracey C</span> Thu, 09/19/2013 - 22:41
Hello. Live north of Edmonton AB and got frost last night. Didn't cover pumpkins. Leaves are done. Will pumpkins still ripen on the vine if we cover at night to protect from further frost? Thanks
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 09/20/2013 - 13:16

A light frost will destroy the vines but should not harm the fruit. You could keep it on the vine but it won't grow; we'd probably remove it to avoid pest and disease issues. A hard freeze may damage the fruit.