Pumpkin
Carving Pumpkin, Pie Pumpkin, Sugar Pumpkin, Connecticut Field, Acorn Squash, American Pumpkin And Summer Squashes, American Pumpkin, Bitter Bottle Gourd, Brazilian Pumpkin, Bush Squash
Plant in hills (3–4 seeds per hill) after last frost with 6–8 ft between hills. Needs 90–120 frost-free days. Water at base to avoid mildew on leaves. Mature when rind is hard and stem turns brown and corky. Hand-pollinate if fruit set is poor.
- Germination
- 4–10 days
- Soil temperature
- 18–35 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 75–120 days
- Spacing
- 90–150 cm
When to plant pumpkin
Sow outdoors 1–3 weeks after your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow pumpkin
- 1
Sow
Sow 3–4 seeds 2.5 cm deep per hill once the soil is at least 18 °C, 1–3 weeks after the last frost, then thin to the best two. Space hills 2–2.5 m apart.
- 2
Water and feed
Work in plenty of compost before sowing. Water at the base to keep mildew off the leaves, especially once fruit starts to swell.
- 3
Protect the fruit
Rest each pumpkin on a board or straw to stop rot underneath. If fruit set is poor, hand-pollinate in the morning.
- 4
Harvest
Pumpkins are ready 75–120 days after sowing, when the rind is hard all over and the stem turns dry and corky. Cut with a long stem and finish before hard frost.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
High water
Temperature
15–32 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-sensitive — protect below 0 °C
Days to maturity
100 days
Plant spacing
90 cm
How Tomatograph watches your pumpkin
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- Forecast of 2 °C or lowerFrost alert the evening before: cover plants with fleece or bring pots inside.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for powdery mildew, which thrives in those conditions.
- Under 5 mm of rain forecast over 3 daysWatering reminder: water deeply at the base, early in the morning.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Pumpkin questions
- When should I plant pumpkin?
- Sow outdoors 1–3 weeks after your last spring frost.
- How long do pumpkin seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 4–10 days at a soil temperature of 18–35 °C.
- How long until I can harvest pumpkin?
- About 75–120 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant pumpkin?
- Allow 90–150 cm between plants.
- What grows well with pumpkin?
- Good neighbours include corn, green bean, nasturtium.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).