Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Mar	Apr	May
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 20°C and 32°C. (Show °F/in)
Space plants: 90 - 120 cm apart
Harvest in 15-20 weeks.
Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweet Corn
Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

28 Feb 19, John Saunders (Australia - temperate climate): Thank you for advising people that the pumpkin should be left until the vine dies / drys! It is impossible to by a "real" pumpkin from a shop these days because they are all cut off the vine early. The producers / sellers have even gone to the extent of cutting the stalk remains off so the subterfuge is not apparent. I love a good pumpkin. Where do I get one? Not locally.
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03 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I see pumpkin grown around here and they are left to die off before picking. A pumpkin left to mature will keep for a long time - immature they will not last long. In commercial crops if you left the stalk on when picking it would probably scratch other pumpkins in transport and then ruin them.
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21 Feb 19, Kate Mundy (Australia - temperate climate): I planted JAP pumpkin seedlings about 3 months ago, (coastal Victoria) I have never had a flower but the plants are doing well enough, should I pull them out, or is it possible they will still product fruit?
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22 Feb 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): May have planted too late - try planting earlier next time.
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19 Feb 19, John Kelly (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I've grown pumpkins which have fruited nicely ,havent harvested all of them,the vines are slowly dying back but now the plants are re shooting quite nicely ,will they produce fruit ?
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20 Feb 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I don't think you will grow much on the new growth - you can give it a try and see what happens. It is not a perennial.
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08 Feb 19, eden ande (Australia - sub-tropical climate): i live in Eritrea and work on national agricultural research instiution. in Eritrea pumpkins grows well in the subtropics,tropics and also semi arid places. my question is about powdery mildew, all our pumpkins gets affected by this fungus so i would like to ask if their are any cultivation practices we need to practice to avoid this fungus
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10 Feb 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Read up about organic or in organic sprays for it. Google. Plant in a different area each time. Go to dengarden on the net .com - go to gardening and organic ways to kill and prevent powdery mildew. A mixture of 60 water to 40 milk is quite good.
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07 Feb 19, Haydn Battye (Australia - temperate climate): Can I plant pumpkin seeds now? I live in Mildura VIC which is quite warm at this time of year
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07 Feb 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Did you read the pumpkin guide here. They are the best times to plant.
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No I haven't been able to get any more Windsor Black seeds I only had a couple of seeds that were given to me, I planted them on the side of a very small hill in Heavy soil they grew and branched every where were getting male flowers And the female flowers were forming, but 10 days of solid rain the patch was absolutely saturated the rest of our property was flooded I thought they would be alright but thr female buds went yellow & dropped off. I prayed & begged for the vines not to die but 90% did.I was shattered. one vine in the row above it The McLeay Mongrel survived Another Victorian Pumpkin, was so sick I just forgot it, went down the Hill the other day the grass was 2 & 1/2 feet high and I trod on something in the grass and nearly fell over looked and found one McLeay Mongrel Pumpkin I have collected the seed from what has to be the weirdest Pumpkin ever, But probably the nicest eating Pumpkin ever, I would say it is probably the rarest as well. The McLeay Mongrel Is a very dry pumpkin with superb flavor much like Iron Bark sweeter & nuttier, I have looked at it it is more than likely a Triamble Iron Bark cross Maybe some Qld. Blue. I am offering 4 seeds up for Auction on eBay I do not have many seeds, so thought if I put a good reserve in them only the very serious growers would buy them. Be Warned it is not a pretty pumpkin but needs some serious pumpkin growers to keep it from extinction, it is a heavy solid pumpkin, looks like an Alien lava Rock. visit eBay Pumpkins just to see it. Regards. Sylvia.

- Sylvia Allan

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Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

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Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

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