How to Grow Pumpkin Seeds: Plant and Harvest Pumpkins

Choosing a pumpkin variety should be informed by what they’ll be used for: Come fall, will they be decorative, or on the menu?

• For carving. Most carving pumpkins have relatively bland flesh—the same goes for giant pumpkins like the Atlantic Giant, which can be eaten, but are usually bloated with excess water come harvest time—and miniature pumpkins like Jack Be Littles aren’t typically good candidates for culinary purposes.
• For culinary uses. Small to medium-sized varieties like the Small Sugar, Baby Bear, or Cinderella pumpkin are delicious roasted, or pureed into soups and pies.
  

The easiest plants to grow from seed are those with large seeds, including peas, beans, corn, squash, melon, cucumbers, and pumpkins.

1. 1. Soak the seeds in water overnight before planting to catalyze the germination process. You can also start seeds planted in tiny pots in a sunny window, where they’ll be cozy and safe, allowing you to begin growing in late winter as you wait for the weather to warm—pumpkins need a soil temperature of at least 70 degrees before planting. You’ll find heat mats, grow lights, and other paraphernalia at garden suppliers to ensure the seeds germinate and get off to a good start. Pumpkins have one of the longer growing seasons; depending on location, plant seeds in late may (Northern locales) to early July (Southern locales) to get the most frost-free days as possible.
2. 2. Plant pumpkin seeds in a spot with full sun and allow plenty of room for pumpkin vines to eventually spread: plan for about 50–100 square feet per row or “hill,” a shaped planting technique that helps to trap heat and encourage drainage and resembles a pitcher’s mound of soil. Each hill can hold about 4–5 seeds, and should be at least four feet apart. Wherever you plant them, make sure to sow seeds at the proper depth (check out a guide that outlines the planting depth for different seeds), tamp the soil firmly over them with the palm of your hand, and water them whenever the surface of the soil dries out.

• Fertilizer. Pumpkin plants require rich soil—lots of compost or a fertilizer like manure mixed into the planting site should do the trick—that’s well-drained.
• Drainage. Pumpkins are known as “heavy feeders:” They’ll need a lot of water over the season, so a pot or garden bed that allows for a moist but not soggy soil is key. When watering, take care to avoid soaking the pumpkins and vines themselves to avoid rot. Adding a layer of mulch around the plants will also help with moisture retention and warmth.
• Covers. Row covers can be used to protect pumpkin seedlings until the appearance of the first flowers. (A pumpkin plant’s female flowers require insect pollination, so be sure to remove row covers in order to let them in!)
• Companion planting. Pumpkins are targeted by any number of pests: squash bugs, cucumber beetles, squash vine borers, and aphids can all be a problem for developing fruit. Companion planting pumpkins with heat-tolerant, pollinator-attracting neighbors like borage and nasturtium can help manage and repel destructive insects.

Powdery mildew, a fungal disease that gives leaves the appearance of having been sprayed with white paint, can slow growth or even kill the plants if not addressed. Affected leaves can be carefully removed or sprayed with a natural fungicide like neem oil or lime-sulfur.

Harvest pumpkins when they have reached their estimated full size, and taken on a deep, full color. A fingernail should not be able to puncture the rind; it should feel hard and make a hollow sound when thunked.

1. 1. Use pruning shears or a knife to cleanly separate the pumpkin from the vine, leaving 4 inches of stem. This will lengthen the shelf life of the pumpkin.
2. 2. Cure the mature, harvested pumpkin in the sun for up to a week to further harden its rind before storing in a cool, dry place.
3. 3. If by the end of the season, the pumpkin plant is still all vines and flowers without any fruit, it’s a sign of inadequate pollination: Plant lots of colorful pollinator favorites nearby next time to encourage more beneficial insects to the patch.

Grow your own food with Ron Finley, the self-described "Gangster Gardener." Get the MasterClass Annual Membership and learn how to cultivate fresh herbs and vegetables, keep your house plants alive, and use compost to make your community - and the world - a better place.