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
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Moving, but I love my plant!
I accidentally planted a pumpkin back at Halloween.I now have vines and flowers(central FL) I am moving in April and I cannot imagine leaving my plant babies behind.Can I trim the plant down ,replant and keep it alive?If so,what is the minimum amount of pruning I can do to a pumpkin? Thanks and Merry Christmas all!
pumpkin transplanting
Pumpkins take about 3 to 4 months to mature (5 months for giant pumpkins), depending on the type, so yours is probably almost halfway through its cycle and, if all conditions were good, it would mature around end of February. In central Florida, though, it looks like your first frost is around late December into January. Pumpkins can withstand some frost, but not repeatedly. For light frosts, you can cover the plant with sheets or blankets overnight. Unfortunately, pumpkins do not like their roots disturbed and usually don’t transplant well. It is especially hard on them at later stages, when they are flowering etc. It doesn’t look like you have too many options: you can try to keep the pumpkin in the ground until it matures, giving it frost/cold protection when needed. Or, you can try to dig it up–including as many roots as you can and as much soil as you can, limiting the amount of pruning (which can stress it), and transplanting it to a container inside over winter. It likely will not survive until April, however, since the plants usually don’t live that long. Good luck!
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are NOT vegetables they are fruit
How to plant pumpkin,water Mellon, okra and where to thier seedl
i will like you to educate me on how to plant the above mention vegetables, the suitable soil and where can i get their seedling for planting in Nigeria, especially lagos state.
I am new into agribusiness, so i need your advice please.
I will appreciate hearing from you immediately.
Thanka and my best regards.
Ogunlewe O.A
This is my first year doing
This is my first year doing pumpkins and I can't really complain. My only real question is do I pull the vines at the end of the year? I'm asking because I've gotten mixed answers previously. And I didn't see anything about that in the article that I read on this page. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Pull at Will
Hi, Mike: Thanks for the great question and special thanks for setting a good example by reading the page first. We pull them up, as they serve no real purpose. Of course, if they decomposed quickly, that would be another (organic) matter. But you can pull them up and put them whole into your brush pile, or chop them up and put them into your compost pile. In the latter instance, make sure that they aren’t diseased or unhealthy-looking, in which case you would want to burn them, not compost them. Thanks again!
Green Pumpkin
I have a pumpkin that I plant from store buy pumpkin last year. I have one pumpkin and it is still vary green and it get cold here will it ripen or not?
Green Pumpkins
Leave the pumpkins on the vine as long as possible. Remove any large leaves that shade the pumpkins. Once there is a killing frost, however, the pumpkin will not ripen on the vine any further. If you have to pick pumpkins when they are still green, wash and wipe them with a mild bleach solution to prevent any mold. Place them in a sunny spot on a patio or deck or bring them indoors. If you store them indoors put them in a bright room with big windows. You can try the grow light but keep it high enough so it doesn’t heat the pumpkins.
Plant but no flowers
Ive been growing my white pumpkin plant for about a month and half. i have a decent size vine but still no flowers. whats up?
no flowers on pumpkin
Karra, you do not say where you are, but in many parts of the country, pumpkin season is finished. Pumpkins typically have a long maturity period spanning the heart of the summer season—including and especially the days with the longest periods of sunlight. Your plant may be growing but it is probably not getting enough sunlight, even if it gets sunlight all day. Remember, it’s October and the days are shorter now than they are in May, June (especially June), and July. It’s also possible that your plant is getting excess nitrogen, which promotes leaf growth over fruit, but it is more likely that it’s the lack of sun.
Next year, start your plant indoors some 4 to 6 weeks before your area’s last average frost date. When all danger of frost has passed, transplant it outside so it can enjoy the long, hot, sunny days it needs to thrive and produce flowers and fruit.
pumpkin
I just went out to harvest my pumpkins, the largest has a hole in the bottom. Would it be safe to bring it in real quick and cook it?
Hi! I live in new Hampshire,
Hi! I live in new Hampshire, and my pumpkins did not really take off until later summer. I do have quite a few large green pumpkins, but I am unsure if I should pick them now and try to orange them up on my deck, or let them keep going until threat of frost. The vines are mostly still healthy. Thanks!
You can leave them on the
You can leave them on the vine until a frost threatens.
I live in Filer, ID and i
I live in Filer, ID and i just moved into a house that had a pumpkin patch in the front, i get sun in the area only during the evening hours from 2 till sundown i have 6 pumpkins this year but only 1 is big the others are small how can i tell the difference between male and female blooms?its september 10th and only 3 are turning orange-yellow, is this normal? i trimmed the vines back a little but i wonder if i went overboard, most of the time they were growing there were weeds choking them are they salvageable or should i just cut my losses and harvest the yellow ones and wait till next year to grow pumpkins? i need help! unsure what to do.... also this is my first time tending to pumpkins.
You will see a bulb at the
You will see a bulb at the base of the flower that looks like a tiny watermelon on the female.
Female blossoms have a
Female blossoms have a swollen area at the base that will turn into a pumpkin if pollinated. Cutting back your vines may have inspired a second set of fruit which could explain why some are smaller and late to ripen or weed competition could have hindered their growth. Since the average first frost date for the Twin Falls area is Oct 1-10, you have plenty of time for your pumpkins to color up some more. They can change from yellow to orange quite quickly at the end of the season. Be patient and pick them if frost threatens, otherwise leave them until the vines die back. Next year consider moving your pumkin patch to a sunnier location.
I live in Iowa and my
I live in Iowa and my pumpkins are ORANGE already. Should I pick them off the vines? Also will they last until Halloween? The vines are dying. This just seems way to early.
Thanks NAN
If the vines are dying it is
If the vines are dying it is time to pick your pumpkins. Handle them gently and follow the directions in this article about curing and storing and they should last well past Halloween.
Hello, This is my first year
Hello,
This is my first year growing pumpkins and have lost 2 pumpkins so far out of 4. The first one was about the size of a soft ball and slowly turned yellow and broke off. The second one was almost the size of a basketball and did the same thing. It slowly turned yellow and fell off and now all mushy. I have to other pumpkins that are dark green right now and almost the size of a basketball and I don't want to lose the same way I lost the others. What is the reason for them to turn yellow and break off? Is there a way to stop that? Also the pumpkins patch is directly on soil. For next year can I lay down mulch and grow my patch on a mulch bed?
thank you
Yellowing followed by death
Yellowing followed by death of the fruit MAY be caused by insect attack. cut open the fruitlet and you are likely to discover some worms inside. If this is the case, then know that the cause may be attack by fruit fly. To control : spray with an insecticide for fruit flies as per directions. Good luck!
hi,is it to late for me to
hi,is it to late for me to grow pumpkins in florida?
Is there a certain time to
Is there a certain time to stop watering? Worried about overwatering
Pumpkins are very thirsty
HELP!!!! The grasshoppers are
HELP!!!! The grasshoppers are not only eating the plant leaves but also my pumpkins..... I don't use any chemicals is there anything I can do with home products ... Or do I take them off the vines in late aug and hope they are still goodin October ? Very sad a d disappointed as I was growing them for my grandchildren
I disconnected a vine from
I disconnected a vine from the main and discovered a green pumpkin. Will it get orange without being connected or should I toss it?
A green pumpkin that is off
A green pumpkin that is off the vine can sometimes be encouraged to ripen. If you can, keep several inches of stem on the pumpkin. Clean the pumpkin and then place it in a warm, dry, sunny area with good ventilation, such as a patio (bring it in at night) or windowsill. Keep rotating the pumpkin every day so that all sides receive sunlight. Check for signs of rotting. In a few weeks, the pumpkin may turn orange. If not, it still can make a nice jack-o-lantern.
You might try handpicking,
You might try handpicking, and then placing fine-mesh metal screening over your plants (such as window screening). Grasshoppers may eat through cloth, plastic screening, and row covers, so be sure to use metal. Sometimes it also helps to grow a trap crop of tall grass around the border of your garden--some grasshoppers may prefer that to your pumpkins. Hope this helps!
Hi, Melissa: Yay! Good for
Hi, Melissa: Yay! Good for you! Don't do anything -- wait until fall, and when your pumpkins turn a deep, rich orange, cut them from the vine. Have fun!
This is my first growing
This is my first growing pumpkins and they are growing out of control and I am not sure what to do I have pumpkins on some of the vines
This is my first year growing
This is my first year growing pumpkins and I have a lot of male flowers that have bloomed but the female flowers keep falling off before they open so they can't get pollinated. What is the problem and what should I do?
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