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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20 Oct 08, Jaci (Australia - temperate climate)
Geraldine, each pumpkin plant should produce both male and female flowers. The earliest flowers that emerge will be male and all up there will be more of them produced in total than female. You may or may not have to encourage pollination. If you have bees hanging around they'll do it for you. Consider making your vegie patch more enticing to bees by companion planting some bright flowers (like calendula, nasturtiums, french marigolds, sunflowers, etc) to attract them. Anyway, the way to tell the difference between male and female flowers (in case you didn't already know) is that female flowers will generally have a bulbous base near the stalk, below the flower. Also, since they take up a lot of room, have you considered training the pumpkin vine along a fence or up the side of a garden shed? A workmate of mine had them fruiting up on his shed roof last summer.
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19 Oct 08, Geraldine (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello Pumpkin Growers I am attempting to grow pumpkin for the first time. Do I need to grow at least 2 plants? I am not sure if the plants have both male and female flowers, or are single sex? Any tips appreciated; I do realise I will have to "encourage" pollination.
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03 Oct 08, Warren (Australia - tropical climate)
Liss, Pumpkins are not really heavy feeders in my experience also to seem to require little water. They really like sulphate of potash, that can be either burnt ashes or a comercial product. A few watering every 3 or four days will keep them thriving. A point to remember is that when the fruit begins to develop don't increase the water or the fruit may split. Hope this helps. Warren
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03 Oct 08, Liss (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Are pumpkins heavy feeders? What do they like? In the soil I mean.
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02 Oct 08, Carmen (Australia - temperate climate)
About hand pollination can you please give me some more info on the best practice on doing so??? Thanks
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23 Sep 08, wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
Brendan, I have seen a pumpkin vine that took over a paling fence Approx 15mts. But all the fruit grew on the neighbours side. Lucky we got to share
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05 Sep 08, dennis gibson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
possums eating my pumpkins had to cover with fruit netting worked well
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02 Sep 08, Trevor (Australia - temperate climate)
brendan - have not tried the clothes line, but have tried a pergola of sorts. Grew vine up on to shed and worked a treat, higher, more sunlight.
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11 Aug 08, brendan (Australia - temperate climate)
has anybody ever grown a pumpkin vine up a pergola or clothes line with any success, and if so, how is the best way to go about it? thanks.
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Showing 671 - 679 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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