Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S S                  
        T              
        P              

(Best months for growing Pumpkin in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 68°F and 90°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 35 - 47 inches apart
  • Harvest in 15-20 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweet Corn
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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17 May 19, Vic (Australia - temperate climate)
Possums ate mine - so did the rats! So you need to store them where these sharp-toothed creatures cannot reach them.
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16 Apr 19, Lynette (Australia - temperate climate)
I have pumpkins coming up now from garden compost. Is it too late to let them grow?
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22 Apr 19, Robyn (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Depends what climate zone you live in, what type they are and if you have cold conditions and frost. They probably germinated due to the warmth of the compost so if they are in a warm sheltered position you could let them grow and see if they reach maturity. Then you will be able to keep the seeds as they will be acclimatised to local conditions and should always grow better than seeds introduced from elsewhere. All depends on if you have the room to experiment.
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13 Apr 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
Vine shows no signss of dying off 12 April but only 1 big pumpkin and some small ones.Melbourne.Will they grow now or is it too cold
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06 Apr 19, Diahann Jackson (Australia - temperate climate)
I have 19 butternut pumpkins on my vine and it is starting to die off, how long should I continue to feed the plant for and is it best to wait till the plant has completely dead before harvesting the pumpkins?
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16 Mar 19, Margaret Reynolds (Australia - temperate climate)
I live on the NSW South Coast in Australia and my butternut pumpkin gets pumpkins up to about 4 inches then they go yellow , die and fall off. Should I pull them out and try again next year.
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17 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do some research on the internet butternut pumpkin turning yellow and falling off. Many reasons why it is happening.
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15 Mar 19, LESLEY MCCUBBIN (Australia - temperate climate)
I am trying to grow Queensland Blue pumpkins. They are next to a lavendar bush and well polinated. Lots of baby pumpkins, but they do not grow very big before they go yellow and die. Some of the leaves have gone brown, so I have removed them. Any thoughts on how I can remedy the situation.
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17 Mar 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
You have lavender but do you have bees? Do some research about the subject - going yellow and falling off. In temperate climate I would start my pumpkins in Sept Oct and grow into the summer. Prepare - manure/compost/fertiliser the soil for a few weeks before planting and plant in a different position each year.
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18 Mar 19, LESLEY MCCUBBIN (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks. I do have lots of bees. The grandchildren love to watch them in the pumpkin flowers..so no problem there. I planted them in Oct. and manured, composted and fertilized the soil, but at time of planting,not 2 weeks before. Does this make a difference? Thanks for the tip, I will do some more research.
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Showing 171 - 180 of 679 comments
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I have been growing Queensland Blues & Jap Pumpkins here in Sydneys West for a while and would like to know the following : Male flowers are plentiful usually at the start of the vine & female flowers are not as many but as the vine lengthens more females appear, so how far do you let the vine grow. If cut does the right ratio of flowers continue shoot or that stops everything, what you have is all you get and do you plug the cut end to prevent disease getting into the vine (read that on the net) Also everyone says when the vine withers pick your crop, mine was going great and green but I picked them (stem still green & firm) as I felt they were large enough but several had started to rot inside, we saved them luckey as another couple of weeks would have lost the lot. So how do you know when to pick. heard about tapping it sound hollow its ripe, pick a piece of skin with fingernail the skin can give you an idea. Noticed in the fruit shop many pumpkins have fingernail pieces dug out ??? somebody know something !!!!! As the pumpkin is pollinated & starts to grow do you sit it on a tile or similar keeping it off the ground ( for air & warmth circulation) sometimes when left on the ground the under side looks soft and worms and bugs seem to love that position.

- Robert B

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