Grow Your Own Pumpkins

From the Halloween front porch to the Thanksgiving table, the pumpkin harvest marks the end of the garden season and the beginning of fall celebration. With enough time and space, pumpkins are easy to grow at home and bring endless possibilities for use and reuse.

Planting

Pumpkins are warm weather crops, and most varieties require around 100 days before they’re ready to harvest. Given our unpredictable spring and fall weather, the challenge is to get your pumpkins started as early as possible while avoiding spring cold snaps. Like other cucurbits, pumpkins do not tolerate root disturbance, so they can be tough to transplant if started indoors. Keep an eye on the weather, but aim for starting pumpkin seeds directly in the garden about a week after the average last frost, in late May.

Mound the soil into a small hill, and plant three to five seeds one to two inches deep in the center of the hill. Once seedlings have emerged, thin plants, keeping the strongest two seedlings per hill. Keep in mind that each plant will grow to five feet or larger in diameter. Provide plenty of space and a mid-season boost of nutrients to support this vigorous growth.

Flowers, Fruits and Harvest

Pumpkins have separate male and female flowers. The first flowers on each plant will be male, with female flowers beginning to open about a week later. Pumpkins rely on insects to transfer pollen from male to female flowers. Seed savers should keep in mind that if other pumpkin varieties are planted within ¼ mile, pollinators can visit multiple plants, leading to crossing of the varieties.

Leave pumpkins to mature on the vine until the skin hardens and can’t be easily broken with a thumbnail. During this time, the vine will begin to dry, allowing for easy harvest with a good set of pruners.

Storage

After harvesting, allow pumpkins to cure off the vine in warm temperatures, which will make them tastier and prolong their storage life. If weather allows, you can cure pumpkins by simply leaving them outside exposed to sun for up to 10 days. Make sure pumpkins are removed before a hard freeze.

Pumpkins can be stored in a cool (50-60°F), dry location for many months, or go ahead and use them right up with the fun activities and delicious recipes below!