How to Plant and Grow Pumpkin

From giant pumpkins that weigh hundreds of pounds to miniature pumpkins that fit neatly in the palm of your hand, there's a pumpkin for every gardener. Growing pumpkins is easy though it requires ample space. There's a reason it is called a pumpkin patch: These autumn treasures need room and grow several feet out in all directions.

Traditional orange jack-o'-lantern pumpkins are a top choice for carving, but it's also fun to try pumpkins in other colors (white, buff, blue-green, or scarlet), sizes, and shapes. While all pumpkins are edible, some varieties are primarily used as ornamentals and others are also good for cooking and baking.

Where to Plant Pumpkin

Plant pumpkins in a location with full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil.

Pumpkins are sprawling plants. Unless you select a compact, bush-type variety, make sure you have anywhere from 5 to 20 square feet. If you don’t have sufficient horizontal space, you can let smaller varieties grow vertically on a sturdy trellis, arbor, or pergola.

Following crop rotation is crucial for plant health—don’t plant pumpkins in the same spot where you grew other pumpkins, melons, squashes, and cucumbers in the past two or three years, ideally even longer.

How and When to Plant Pumpkin

Wait for the soil temperature to be consistently above 65 degrees F and daytime air temperatures in the 70s before planting the seeds. To get a head start on the growing season, most gardeners start the seeds indoors about four weeks before the last average frost date and transplant the seedlings after there is no more danger of a late spring frost.

Before planting, work generous amounts of compost or well-rotted manure into the soil.

Create “hills” (a low mound of soil), which lets the soil warm faster and thus speeds up germination. Space the hills 4 feet apart and plant 4 to 6 seeds in each hill, 1 to 2 inches deep depending on the size of the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist and water in the absence of rain.

In 7 to 10 days, the seeds will have germinated. When the seedlings are 4 inches tall, snip off all but the healthiest two seedlings.

If transplanting seedlings that you started indoors, harden them off first. Space your plants 3 to 6 feet apart depending on the type (bush or vine habits).

Pumpkin Care Tips

Pumpkins have a long growing season but they don't need much regular attention other than keeping them well-watered.

Light

Regardless of the variety, pumpkins need full sun. 6 to 8 hours per day is considered the minimum, more is better.

Soil and Water

The soil should be rich in organic matter and well-drained with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. If the soil has high sand or clay content, amend it generously with organic matter such as compost.

Pumpkins need plenty of water, especially during hot summer weather. Water the plants deeply in a 2-foot circle around the plant without getting the leaves wet. Since pumpkins have such a long growing season and need to be watered regularly, consider installing drip irrigation in your pumpkin patch.

Temperature and Humidity

Pumpkins are cold-sensitive plants that thrive in hot weather, provided they are given ample water. Given the number of frost-free days it takes for a pumpkin to mature, gardeners in northern climates are often better off growing faster-maturing varieties.

Fertilizer

In addition to amending the soil with compost before planting, pumpkins need fertilizer to grow into large fruits. Use an organic fertilizer for vegetables, ideally a slow-release granular fertilizer, or, for fast results, a liquid vegetable fertilizer, and follow the label directions for amounts and frequency.

Pruning

Especially if space is an issue, it is recommended to prune the vines to keep them under control and improve airflow. This is usually done in late summer or early fall when pumpkins are already well underway and new fruit that is forming on the vine would not reach maturity. Cut excessively long vines around 10 to 15 feet beyond the last pumpkin on the vine.

Pollination

Pumpkins depend on insects for pollination. Make sure not to use any broad-spectrum pesticides that indiscriminately kill pollinators and pests alike. Plant flowers nearby that attract pollinators, such as sunflowers, bee balm, goldenrod, etc.

Potting and Repotting Pumpkin

For container growing, see the tips for growing pumpkins in containers. Select miniature and sugar pie pumpkins and those that maintain a bush-like growth habit. The container should have a capacity of at least 10 gallons, better 20 to 25 gallons.

Pests and Problems 

The three major pests affecting pumpkin plants are squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and melonworms. Squash bugs transmit bacteria that cause cucurbit yellow vine disease. Regularly inspect the plants for the bugs, which look like stinkbugs, and also check the underside of leaves for their golden-orange eggs. For small numbers, hand-picking is efficient.

Towards the end of the season, the plants often get powdery mildew. It does not affect the quality of the pumpkins.

How to Propagate Pumpkin

 Pumpkins are propagated from seeds, as described above under How and When to Plant Pumpkin. Collecting seeds from your pumpkin to use for propagation is only recommended if you are growing an heirloom (open-pollinated) variety. Seeds of hybrid varieties (marked as F1 in seed catalogs) do not produce pumpkins that are true to the parent plant.

Harvesting

Leave pumpkins on the vine until the skin turns the appropriate color for the variety and the rind feels hard when pressed with your thumbnail. Harvest before a hard frost by cutting the stem from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving a 2-inch stub on the fruit. Always lift the pumpkins from the bottom so you don't break off the stem. Some experts recommend washing the outside of the pumpkins with a bleach solution to prevent rotting.

Cure the harvested pumpkins at 80 to 85 degrees F in a dry, well-ventilated place. For long-term storage, place them in a dark location at 50 to 55 degrees F.

Types of Pumpkin

'Baby Bear' Pumpkin

'Baby Bear' produces 1- to 2-pound, deep orange fruits just the right size for youngsters to handle. As a bonus, the semi-hulless seeds are excellent for roasting. 105 days to maturity

'Blue Doll' Pumpkin

The 'Blue Doll' hybrid is a green-colored pumpkin with bright orange flesh. This pumpkin has an average weight of 15 to 20 pounds. 110 days to maturity

'Casperita' Pumpkin

'Casperita' is a mini variety of white pumpkin (1/2 to 1 pounds) that tastes similar to acorn squash. These hybrid pumpkins are disease-resistant. 77 days to maturity

'Connecticut Field' Pumpkin

'Connecticut Field' bears light orange fruits that are a good size for carving. Fruits range from 15 to 30 pounds, so you'll have a choice of sizes for your jack-o'-lantern. 100 days to maturity

'Crystal Star' Pumpkin

'Crystal Star' is a hybrid pumpkin great for carving and decorating. It has a globular shape and maintains its bright white color without discoloration. The fruit weighs 25 to 35 pounds. 100 days to maturity

'Flat White Boer Ford' Pumpkin

This cultivar looks exactly as the name indicates—very flat and white. This pumpkin variety stretches wider than tall and weighs 10 to 15 pounds. The flesh is sweet-tasting and keeps well outdoors. 105 days to maturity

'Jack Be Little' Pumpkin

Primarily grown as an ornamental rather than an edible, this little variety produces 4-inch-wide fruits that have a golden-yellow color. 100 days to maturity

'Knucklehead' Pumpkin

'Knucklehead' pumpkin gets its name from its warty appearance. While the fruit is orange, warts themselves will present themselves as green. Its weight ranges from 10 to 15 pounds. 105 days to maturity

'New England Cheddar' Pumpkin

This pumpkin variety bears flattened, ribbed, buff 15-pound fruits that look like a large wheel of cheese. The deep orange flesh is excellent for pies. 110 days to maturity

'Orangita' Pumpkin

'Orangita' is a beautiful mini pumpkin in a deep orange color with sharp ribs on its rind. This hybrid variety only grows to 1-1/2 pounds and is perfect for decorating purposes. 90 days to maturity

'Porcelain Doll' Pumpkin

'Porcelain Doll' is a hybrid with a unique color. The sweet flesh is used for pies, soups, and more. It takes on a flatter shape, similar to 'Cinderella''. The blocky, deeply ribbed fruit weighs 16 to 24 pounds. 110 days to maturity

'Rouge Vif D'etampes' Pumpkin

This classic French heirloom pumpkin has short, squat fruits with a bold orange color, reaching 15 inches in width and a weight of 15 to 20 pounds. 110 days to harvest.

'Small Sugar' Pumpkin

'Small Sugar' was bred to have a rich, sweet flavor perfect for homemade pumpkin pie. The skins are rich orange and the fruits mature at 7 inches across. 105 days to maturity

Garden Plans For Pumpkin

Easy Children's Vegetable Garden Plan

Enjoy growing healthy produce while spending time with little gardeners. This easy children's vegetable garden plan will please gardeners of all ages with unusual and fun-looking vegetables. They'll enjoy large plants like sunflowers and tiny plants like the 'Kaleidoscope' carrots that produce bright red, deep purple, salmon-orange, yellow, and white varieties, each with a unique flavor. There's even a shade-providing playhouse made out of bean vines.