Helpful Gardening Tips For Growing Pumpkins For Next Fall Season

You know it’s fall when everywhere you look there are pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavored everything in stores. Pumpkins have become synonymous with autumn mainly because that’s when the vegetable is finally ready for picking. While today most people see pumpkins either as decorations or tasty treats, this versatile vegetable has had many uses over the years. Of course, pumpkins are great to eat. They are high in vitamin A, beta-Carotene, and iron making it a great addition to any fall dinner. While pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse, in the past they were thought to cure snakebites. Although they don’t live up to that claim, there are some claims that pumpkin seeds can help treat bladder irritation. 

Pumpkins have been grown in North American for almost 5,000 years and are native to northeastern Mexico and the southern United States. With that said, it can grow pretty much everywhere (except Antarctica) so long as you have some time and space. Despite being one of the most popular crops in the United States, 50 percent of the world’s production of pumpkins comes from China and India. The United States ranks fifth in pumpkin production. Still, the pumpkins you do get for jack-o-lanterns are raised in the states - most likely in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or California. 

If you want a rarer option or just want to know exactly what’s going into your plant, the best thing you can do is grow them yourself. Not only do you get to control how much (if any) pesticides you use, you also get the added benefit of seeing the fruits of your labor grow, literally. You don’t need to have a huge farm to grow pumpkins, but you do need to keep in mind the essentials for a successful harvest.

Do You Have Enough Room

Before you start gardening, the first thing you should know is that pumpkins will need space. Depending on the variety you choose to grow, some will grow vines as long as 20 feet! Most pumpkins will need 50 to 100 square feet per plant, so plan accordingly.  

If you have limited space in your garden, you don’t have to worry. You can plant pumpkins at the edge of your garden or in 5 to 10-gallon buckets if you’re really short on space. Luckily, you can train the vine to go where you want them. Just make sure to do them early on before it starts flowering and setting fruit. Another great option if you’re short on space is to get smaller varieties like Jack Be Little. These mini pumpkins are a great option if you just want some pumpkin decoration as they offer a bright orange hue, though they’re not edible. If you do want something you can eat, look for ‘pie pumpkins’ or ‘sugar pumpkins.’ Not only are they great for carving, but they are also great for cooking and tend to be on the sweeter side.

Pick Your Pumpkin Seeds

Now that you’ve determined how much space you need for your pumpkins, it’s time to buy the seeds. Pumpkins come in hundreds of varieties with varying sizes, colors, taste, and texture. There’s no ‘best’ when it comes to what option you should choose. It really depends on what you’re looking for. With that said the following options can help you get started on your hunt: 

• Autumn Gold - these are the pumpkins you most often see for jack-o-lanterns

• Sugar Treat - this hybrid is perfect for cooking and baking as it has more sugar than other pumpkins

• Jack Be Little - these miniature pumpkins are an excellent option for people who don’t have a lot of space in their house and just want something cute for decoration

• Baby boo - if you’re looking for something that will add a ghostly pallor to your porch, then this pumpkin is the perfect one for you. Not only are these white, but they also are mini so you can use them as decorations in your home. The downside - if you leave these pumpkins out in the sun they will turn yellow.

There are plenty of other options available including blue pumpkins, bright orange ones, giant ones, and more. Only you can decide which one you want to plant. Besides space considerations, you should also think about how and where you want to use these pumpkins. If you only want edible ones, your options will be much more limited than if you want to use them purely for decorative use. 

Plant The Seeds In a Full-Sun Spot

As mentioned earlier, pumpkins are native to northeastern Mexico and the southern United States. Despite its iconic status as a fall mainstay, it requires a lot of sunlight and doesn’t really do well in cold weather. When choosing a place for your pumpkin hill find the sunniest place in your garden and then get to planting! Remember, pumpkins take a long time to grow for the most part. Depending on the variety you get, some can take as long as 100 days to reach maturity.

With that in mind, you really want to pick a spot that does not have any shade from trees or bushes. Space the seeds based on the recommendations provided on the packet. You can also seed the plant indoors and then transfer them outside once the seedlings have gotten strong enough. If you use this method, you will need to make sure the seedlings get around 12 hours a day of sunlight. You can also supplement natural sunlight with grow lights to encourage healthy growth. Once the seedlings have reached 3 to 3.5” tall it’s time to move them outside. If they get too large, the plants will become unwieldy and difficult to transplant, leading to potential losses.

Water and Care For Your Pumpkin Plants

Besides needing a lot of sunlight, pumpkins are also very thirsty plants. While you don’t have to water them every day, you should water them at least an inch per week. Once the fruit sets, you’ll want to make sure the water actually penetrates deep into the soil into the roots as it will aid in transportation the necessary nutrients from the soil to the pumpkins.

Just because the plants are thirsty doesn’t mean they can’t be overwatered. In fact, overwatering is a common mistake, which can lead to things like root rot. To avoid this issue, you will need to pay more attention to the weather. If you received a lot of rain in one week, you might not need to water your pumpkin plants at all. On the flip side, if there was no rain that week, you’ll want to ensure the plants get the full inch of water. Be forewarned, pumpkin leaves can often look wilted in the afternoon heat, but you will have to resist the urge to water. The best rule of thumb is to stick your finger about an inch into the soil to see if it’s moist or not. If it’s dry, you should water. 

Even if you don’t overwater, you might still run into root rot. This might happen because your soil has poor drainage. If that’s the case, you’ll want to transplant the plants either to an area in the garden that has better drainage or into a large bucket. On the flip side, you might find that the plants aren’t getting enough water despite giving it the requisite one inch a week. If you’re running into this issue, your soil is too porous and you will need to add some finer soil to hold the water. You can, and should, mulch your garden to help keep the plants consistently hydrated and tamp down weeds. 

Unlike other vine plants, you don’t need to prune your pumpkin plants. The large leaves help the plant produce more carbohydrates, which leads to more pumpkins. If you plan on growing giant pumpkins, you might want to thin out the plants so it just has one or two fruits. However, if you’re just looking to grow these for your personal use, you don’t need to worry about pruning. 

One of the main things you should watch out for, besides overwatering, is pests. Pumpkins typically attract a variety of insects including squash bugs, aphids, cucumber beetles, and squash vine borer. You can use insecticides to protect your crop, but you should spray your plants at night so it doesn’t affect bees. While you can get insecticides from the hardware store, you can also try more natural options. For example, planting marigolds next to your crops can fend off most of these bugs. You should also regularly check your plants for signs of pests and immediately remove the bugs and potential egg sacks. Most bugs hide under the leaves and the fruit themselves, so make sure to check every day. General garden hygiene such as cleaning up any fallen leaves and clearing off excess mulch can also keep the bugs away.

Fertilize The Soil As Needed

Much like tomatoes, pumpkin plants need a lot of nutrients to produce the fruit. In general, they prefer well-drained, fertile, loamy soil, with a neutral pH. They can grow in clay soil so long as their roots are not continually wet. Before you plant the seeds, you should prepare the soil and enrich it with organic matter and a balanced fertilizer. You can purchase an all-purpose vegetable garden fertilizer or you can make your own. In general, you want to use a high nitrogen formula in the beginning. Once the vines are about a foot tall and right before it starts blooming you should switch over to a high phosphorous fertilizer to encourage fruit growth. 

Once you have added compost and fertilizer to the soil, you are ready to plant your pumpkin. However, that doesn’t mean you’re done! You should fertilize on a regular basis, about once or twice a week. You should also mix in manure or compost with water to encourage sustained growth. You should also test your soil every few years to make sure the pH and nutrient levels are balanced. These measurements will also help you plan accordingly when it comes to purchasing or making your own fertilizer.

Harvest Your Pumpkins

Most pumpkins take between 90-100 days to reach full maturity. You can tell the plants are ready for harvesting when the rind hardens and they have reached the desired shade of orange (or white or blue). You can also tell ripeness by sound. If you hear a hollow sound when you thump the pumpkin with your finger, it is ripe. 

Pumpkins don’t actually do well in cold weather, so you’ll want to harvest before it gets too cold. Otherwise, the frost will damage the skin and flesh. When collecting, use a pair of garden shears or a sharp knife to neatly cut the fruit from the plant. You want to keep about 3-4 inches of the stem as this will increase the pumpkin’s longevity. From there, you should cure the pumpkin in the sun for about a week to further toughen the skin. After that, store it in a cool place like a root cellar or basement.

Is it too late to plant pumpkins?

While pumpkins might signal autumn, if you want a good harvest you’ll need to start planting in the spring or summer if you want to get a good yield. In general, you want to plant after the last frost of the year and at least 3 months before the winter frost sets in. If you plan on germinating indoors, you can start around three weeks earlier than you normally would as the plants will be nice and snug in your warm home. In colder climates, pumpkins might take longer to mature, so make sure to check the information on the packet to see the average maturation time.  

If you’re growing pumpkins for Halloween you’ll generally want to plan in late May in the north or July in extremely southern areas. Planting too early means there’s a greater chance of the pumpkin rotting before you reach Halloween. Of course, if you’re just using the pumpkins as sources of food, you can plant earlier.

Other Helpful Tips To Growing Pumpkins

While the above tips should help get you started, you might run into a few issues down the line especially if you plan on growing pumpkins the following year. One important thing to remember is that pumpkin plants have a male and female flower. If you want to actually grow pumpkins you will need to pollinate the female flower with the male flower. If you live in an area with a lot of bees, they likely will do the heavy lifting for you. However, you can never be too careful so you can and should cross-pollinate your flowers to ensure you get pumpkins. 

Speaking of pollinating, pumpkins can cross-pollinate with other members of the squash family. That means you could end up with a pumpkin that looks a bit off and/or is inedible. Unfortunately, you won’t know that is the issue until the following year when you sow your seeds. If you want to avoid this combination, you’ll need to research the squash you’re planting and find out which ones you can grow next to each other. Some will only cross with squash of the same species so you can grow them together with the pumpkins. However, the best defense is giving your vegetables plenty of space to avoid accidental pollination.

While pumpkins like to drink a lot of water, they are susceptible to developing both powdery and downy mildew. In order to combat both types, you will need to keep a close eye on your plant so you can identify the disease immediately. Once spotted, you should remove the affected leave and then spray it either with a commercial or natural fungicide.

Helpful Harvest Tips For A Healthy Pumpkin Patch

If you’ve never grown anything before, trying to garden and grow a pumpkin might seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, it isn’t as difficult as it might appear. Pumpkins might need a lot of sunlight, water, and nutrients, but they don’t require constant attention. The most you will need to do is practice good garden hygiene and check your plants for any signs of potential disease. 

So forget buying a pumpkin at the store. Try to plant your own for Halloween. It might require more effort and time, but once it has grown you’ll have a pumpkin you can be proud of!

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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