How to grow Pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo
Pies, jack-o’-lanterns, and seeds.
Pumpkins need warmth, rich soil, and a lot of room to ramble — plant on compost-rich hills and let the vines run. Time the planting so fruit ripens by your first fall frost.
Grow Pumpkin with step-by-step help for your exact yard.
Start free in Seededly →Pumpkin at a glance
| Sun | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6.0–6.8 |
| Spacing | 48 in |
| Harvest | 95–110 days |
| Plant | After last frost |
| Note | Needs room |
How to grow Pumpkin, step by step
Sow on rich hills
- Direct-sow after frost in warm soil on compost hills.
- Thin to the two strongest plants per hill.
Let it run & feed
- Vines sprawl 10–20 ft — give space or train them.
- Rich soil and steady water size up the fruit.
Cure for storage
- Harvest when the rind is hard and deep-colored with a corky stem.
- Cure in the sun 1–2 weeks, then store cool and dry.
Pumpkin problems & fixes
Pumpkin — Lots of vine, little fruit: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Early male flowers are normal; females come later. Encourage bees or hand-pollinate.
Pumpkin — Fruit rots on the bottom: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Damp soil. Slip a board or straw under each pumpkin.
Pumpkin — Vines wilt and collapse: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Squash vine borer or bugs. Check stems; control beetles early.
Recommended pumpkin varieties
- Sugar Pie — Cooking. Small, sweet, the one for pie and puree.
- Jack O'Lantern — Carving. Classic carving size and shape.
- Dill's Atlantic Giant — Giant. Grow a county-fair monster.
Pumpkin month-by-month
| January | Off-season. |
|---|---|
| February | Plan a big sunny patch. |
| March | Order seed. |
| April | Wait for warm soil. |
| May | Sow after frost on hills. |
| June | Vines run and flower. |
| July | Fruit sets and swells. |
| August | Pumpkins size up and color. |
| September | Harvest hard-rind fruit; cure. |
| October | Store the keepers cool. |
| November | Carve or cook. |
| December | Off-season. |