Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

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

(Best months for growing Pumpkin in Australia - tropical 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

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15 May 12, harold reid (Australia - temperate climate)
you can buy ironbark pumpkin seeds from online suppliers .
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04 May 09, Tim (Australia - temperate climate)
Michael, the pumpkins usually turn yellow and die if the female flower had not been fertilised. You could try planting bee attracting flowers around the pumpkin plants or pollinating the female flowers by hand. Just pick one of the male flowers and rub it across any female flowers. Should help. I did this with my passion fruit due to lack of bees and now have well over 70 beautiful fruits developing.
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04 May 09, Michael Stapleton (Australia - temperate climate)
My butternut pumkins flower and then start to grow a small pumkin around 4 cm across then they turn yellow and rot.Can you tell me why? I am only a novis gardener.
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19 Apr 09, dette (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My pumpkin isn't getting any female flowers at all. 4 plants and not a female among them. The squash etc which grow in the same area under same conditions are doing great. Any ideas. Should I rip them out and try again? Or should I just be more patient?
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17 Apr 09, Robert B (Australia - temperate climate)
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.
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16 Apr 09, tony bray (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have plenty of Ironbark Pumpkin seed. They grow very well in Canberra. Also have "crosses' of Iron bark and Qld Blue which is afar superior pumpkin to both it's parents. Martha May give me a call on 62310508
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10 Apr 16, Evelyn (Australia - tropical climate)
I am looking for "Spookie" Pumpkin seeds. Can you help me please? I understand the Spookie is a smallish, hard skinned, long keeping flavoursome pumpkin, that WILL grow well in South Queensland (Gold Coast) ?? Any advice would be valued, Thank you, Evelyn
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20 Sep 13, Seila (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes I would like some seeds too
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26 Jan 13, Sue Richards (Australia - temperate climate)
To Tony, I tried your number because I would like to get some seeds of the cross between the Iron bark and Qld blue, can you let me know what your email or website is so I can order, thank you. Sue
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25 Mar 09, Genine (Australia - temperate climate)
Just wondering if anyone has some advice, I have some butternut pumpkins which have been growing really well, but now the leaves have started to die in the middle, am I going to loose my pumpkins which are nearly ready to pick??
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Showing 641 - 650 of 679 comments
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Great to hear of someone so young who wants to grow things. If this attempt fails, tell her to try next year. Plant around April/May and grow into the winter. If you have or can make a garden bed, tell her to try growing some radishes - nearly the easiest thing to grow. Go to Bunnings or a nursery and buy some punnets of lettuce or other things she likes and plant them. When starting out it is a lot easier to plant seedlings. The hard work has been done to germinate them. Also buy a little container of fertiliser (about 2kg or so) from nursery or Bunnings etc. I use a watering can (9 liters) and add a small tupperware cup of fertiliser to the water. Give it a good stir. Scale this down to say 1/2 to 3/4 of a tablespoon in 1-2 liters of water. Wait until the plants have grown to 3-4-5 inches. Little plants little fertiliser and more as they get bigger. Good luck.

- Mike

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