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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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?
Many factors could be at work
Many factors could be at work here. High temperatures - nights above 65 degrees and days in the nineties - will cause blossoming issues.
Cut open a flower and look for black streaks. They are a sign of something called stigma death which means no pumpkins.
Soil moisture needs to be consistent - not too wet or too dry so mulch is important.
A pH imbalance can throw things off so test the soil.
An assault from insects can cause blossoms to fall off prematurely also.
Our first flowers were all
Our first flowers were all girls, at the beginning of July, then two weeks later the boys came and since the first appearance of the girls, no more girls period. Here it is August 8th and STILL no more girls. What gives? What could have happened? We grew 15 plants.
Thanks
Stress (including heat waves)
Stress (including heat waves) may affect plant flowering and fruit set. Too much nitrogen can delay flowering. You might try adding a high-phosphorus fertilizer to increase bloom production. Some experts say that if plants are spaced too closely together, the competition between plants can reduce the number of female flowers. If this sounds like a possibility, try spacing your plants out a little further next growing season.
Hello, im a first year
Hello, im a first year grower and my plant and pumpkin went great til a few days ago i noticed that it stopped growing as fast and now i realized that the Stem on the pumpkin has kracked and teared itself almost from the vine, it has still like a 1/3 of the stem onto the vine, should i give up or will it still grow?
Since your pumpkin gets all
Since your pumpkin gets all its nutrients through that stem, it could mean this is as large as it is going to get. Growers of giant pumpkins are very careful to support their pumpkins as they grow to reduce the amount of stress on the stem. That said, even pumpkins with split stems can still continue to grow if the stem is still attached to the fruit. I'd adopt a wait and see approach. If after another week it hasn't grown any larger then you'll know it has reached its peak size.
I live in Georgia, first time
I live in Georgia, first time planting pumpkins. It is late July and my pumpkins are orange and the vines about dead. One already is off its vine. Will they keep until October? If I need to keep them cool my best bet is in my
House where it's about 72. Also we are thinking about planting more since they say they can be planted in July. Your thoughts?
You might be able to plant
You might be able to plant more pumpkins--it will depend on your area, your first expected fall frost, and the type of pumpkin you plant (days to maturity). You'll want to harvest before a hard frost--a light frost might damage the vines, but not the pumpkin. For a few frost dates in Georgia, see:
http://www.almanac.com/content...
Or, contact your county's Cooperative Extension:
http://www.almanac.com/content...
Choose a variety that has a short growing season.
As for storing your pumpkin -- it might just make it to Halloween, depending on the variety and how well it has been stored. (See above article.) Leave plenty of stem on the pumpkin (3 to 4 inches), if you can, and avoid any damage (bruises or cuts) to the rind. Be sure to cure it for about a week, then store in a cool (50-55 F) and dry area so that it is not touching any other pumpkin or fruit/vegetable and is not in the vicinity of ripening apples etc. Make sure there is plenty of air circulation. Pumpkins may store for 2 to 3 months.
Ginny I also am a first time
Ginny I also am a first time grower am on the east coast of Ireland and this summer has been pretty cool I wish I was at the stage you are at but I have just got my first flower it is going to be a challenge wish me luck as I do for yours
This was a great thread to
This was a great thread to read for a new pumpkin gardener. The question and answer format was so helpful. Thank you.
Minimum soil temp of 70F,
Minimum soil temp of 70F, optimum 95F?
That's a joke right?
Here's a second reference
Here's a second reference guide on minimum soil temperatures for pumpkin seed germination: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene61ea.html
My grandson and I planted
My grandson and I planted pumpkin seeds from out last year's pumpkin.
It has grown really big with lots of flowers, but the flowers fall off and there is no evidence of fruit. What do I need to do to ensure he won't be disappointed by no pumpkins.
You may need to read up on
You may need to read up on pollinating them by hand especially if you don't have a lot of bees around. Also make sure you're not over or under watering!
I have been trying to grow
I have been trying to grow pumpkins for several years and only ever get male flowers. Lots and lots of male flowers. How do I get female flowers?
Almost all squash varieties
Almost all squash varieties have male flowers bloom before female, so it may be a matter of time. Try adding a high-phosphorus ferilizer to increase bloom production. Some pros say that is plants are too close the competition between plants can reduce the number of female flowers; sound like you? (Powdery mildew can be a sign of overcrowding and poor circulation.) Hope this helps!
1st year pumpkin planter. To
1st year pumpkin planter. To be safe, I planted four seeds in each hole in my pumpkin patch. Just my luck all four sprouted and are growing fine. My question is: If I don't thin out the plants, will they still produce pumpkins? I have 10 planting spots and would hate to kill 30 young plants.
Thanks,
Bob
Hi, Bob, It depends on what
Hi, Bob, It depends on what your plants' growth habit it.
If the plants are vining type, thin to the best 2 or 3 plants.
If the plant is semi-bush varieties, thin to 2 plants per hill.
If the plant is a bush variety, thin to a single plant.
If the plant is a miniature variety, thin to the single best plant.
To thin, snip or cut off the stem at ground level, with scissors or a blade or the like.
You can certainly try to transplant a few of the seedlings, instead of thinning them. In so doing, disturb the remaining plant/s as little as possible and give it a little TLC when you've finished.
I Need to know if it is
I Need to know if it is normal for pumpkins to start out colored like a Water-mellon. This is my first garden ever
Most pumpkins are green when
Most pumpkins are green when they start developing and growing. They turn orange when they are fully grown.
We are renting a house in
We are renting a house in Japan right now and there isn't a lot of room for growing pumpkins. I chose a smaller pumpkin and i plan to try and grow them up a trellis. I am waiting till after the rainy seasons ends to start growing ( mid july). Is there anything i can do to ensure the best possibly outcome. Im not looking for A lot of pumpkins just enough so my daughter can cut one off like we did before we moved here.
hi every one grow Pumpkin i
hi every one grow Pumpkin i look on post every day some nice info
i start grow last year 405lb
that on path now i strat growing in Poytunnel looks pumpkin very happy keep fingers cross hi grow nice
seb
My daughter brought home a
My daughter brought home a pumpkin seed she planted in a planting pot (the kind that can be planted directly into the soil). It obviously hasn't sprouted yet as she just planted it. I live in Virginia where its pretty hot already. Do I need to start the seed indoors and then plant it in the soil once its a bit bigger, or can I just plant it directly into the soil now (Mid June) since we won't be worried about frost?
For Virginia, now is a
For Virginia, now is a perfect time to plant pumpkin seeds outdoors. Happy gardening!
May I know why did my pumpkin
May I know why did my pumpkin plant have white , dark green and translucent spot on leaves? How can I solve this problem?
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