Pumpkin is a low-growing vining annual with large, coarse leaves.
The plants flower with yellow blooms in summer, producing rapidly growing fruits for the fall harvest.
All pumpkins are atype of winter squash, but some are simply grown as decoration.
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Read on to learn how to grow pumpkins,.
Plant four or five seeds per hill, about one inch deep.
Keep in mind that pumpkin vines can grow up to 20 feet long with a spread of 15 feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Turn the pumpkins slightly about once per week to keep their growth symmetrical.
Do this gentlyit’s important not to snap the vines.
Soil
Pumpkins prefer rich, loamy, well-draining soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Use caution around the growing vines during waterings, as they are surprisingly delicate.
Watering should preferably be done throughdrip irrigationor ground-level soaking rather than from overhead.
Temperature and Humidity
Like all squash, pumpkins need heatand lots of itto produce good fruit.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Pumpkins grow best at temperatures between 65 and 95 degrees.
Fertilizer
Pumpkins feed heavily to developtheir extensive vinesand large fruit.
Feed these plants every two weeks.
To manually pollinate your plants, locate the male and female flowers.
Types of Pumpkins
Thebest pumpkin varietiesto choose will depend on how you plan to use them.
Harvesting Pumpkins
Pumpkins are long-season growers.
Most need somewhere between90 and 110 days to mature.
Don’t rush harvesting; your pumpkins won’t last long or taste great.
Wait until the color is uniform and the shell doesnt dent when pressed with a fingernail.
At this point, the vines should have begun to dry and shrivel.
Watch for when the tendril closest to the pumpkin turns brown.
That’s the peak time to harvest.
Pumpkins can withstand a light frost, but gardeners should alwaysharvest before a hard frost.
Cut them off the vines with a pruner, leaving 2 to 4 inches of stem.
Pick the pumpkin up from the bottom and try not to break the stem off.
Pumpkins are quite similar to other winter squashes.
They need to be cured to store well.
Allow them to cure for about 10 days.
After curing, they can be stored in a cool, dry spot (about 50 degrees).
Then, leave the seeds out in an even layer to dry.
Once they’re fully dry, store them in a paper bag or envelope.
Terracotta or unglazed ceramic pots are best, as these materials do not hold excess moisture.
Ensure the pot has plenty of drainage holes on the bottom.
After the foliage is growing healthy, start using a high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
Trimming back unnecessary growth is also helpful to control the size of large plants.
Wait until your plant’s vine is at least 10 feet long before pruning.
This is especially useful if your goal is to grow large jack-o-lantern pumpkins.
If you’re transplanting seedlings to an outdoor container, fill it with an appropriate soil mixture.
Gently remove the plants from each seed-starting pot, then plant them in their new garden plot or container.
Water the soil under your pumpkin’s foliage and care for it as usual.
Most damaging are vine borer insects that can infiltrate the stems and kill the plants.
Bugs and Beetles
Squash bugsand cucumber beetles can also be a problem with pumpkins.
Squash bugs most often affect young plants, causing them to wilt and die.
The best preventive measure is to regularly inspect plants and pick off the red eggs or grayish insects.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is the most common disease of pumpkins.
It is due to fungal spores in the soil splashing up onto the leaves.
Fortunately, powdery mildew is rarely fataljust somewhat unsightly.
Anthracnose
Pumpkins can also fall prey to anthracnosea more serious fungal disease.
It thrives in wet, warm conditions and is spread by rainfall or during watering.
Remove and destroy any damaged plant parts as you spot them, and keep the ground free of debris.
Once anthracnose is widely present in the soil, you should rotate crops for the next season.
Don’t plant any pumpkins in that area for two to three years.
These plants require regular fertilizer and an average amount of pruning to produce a healthy harvest.
Borage, dill, and chamomile are all good companion plants for pumpkins, because they attract beneficial insects.
Lemon balm can also repel squash bugs.
The worst companion plants are other squashes, because they will compete for nutrients and space.
