How to grow pumpkins

Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin Group) · cucurbitaceae family · annual crop

Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin Group) — hero (chairman regenerate) — AI-generated reference image. Have a photo of this plant? Suggest one below.

Growing basics

Pumpkin is a warm-season crop, started from seed in the garden or transplanted.

Seeds germinate once soil reaches about 60°F.

Varieties in the library run 95 to 115 days to maturity.

Grows best in full sun.

Frost-tender: plants go out after the last frost.

Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart.

Sources

5 pumpkins in the library

Howden · Jack Be Little · Sugar Pie · Baby Bear · Connecticut Field

Each has a full cited page in the library.

Pests and diseases we cover

Aphid
Cutworm
Pickleworm
Spotted cucumber beetle
Squash bug
Squash vine borer
Striped cucumber beetle
Whitefly
Anthracnose
Bacterial wilt (cucurbits)
Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)
Downy mildew (cucurbit)
Fusarium wilt
Gummy stem blight
Phytophthora blight
Powdery mildew

Identification and treatment for each, with photos, in the library.

Row & Bed covers 5 pumpkin varieties, each with a cited care timeline and fertilization schedule, identification and treatment for the 8 pests and 8 diseases that reach them, and planting windows worked out for your ZIP.

Set up your garden

See something that does not match your garden? Write to andy@rowandbed.com.