How to grow Pumpkin

Cucurbita pepo var. pepo

Full Sun
Medium

Pumpkin plants are heavy feeders, meaning they need a lot of fertilizer to grow well. Water at stem or use a soaker hose to help avoid pathogens.

Harvesting Pumpkin

Harvesting is normally is autumn².

Seed Saving Pumpkin

Collect seeds when fruits are fully ripe. Clean the seeds, removing all flat ones. ¹

How long does Pumpkin take to grow?

These estimates for how long Pumpkin takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Pumpkin to germinate?: 9 days
Average 9 days | Min 1 days | Max 25 days (265)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Pumpkin?: + 20 days
Average 20 days | Min 2 days | Max 70 days (40)
Days to Maturity How long until Pumpkin is ready for harvest / bloom?: + 106 days
Average 106 days | Min 72 days | Max 167 days (17)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Pumpkin?: = 135 days

When should I plant Pumpkin?

Our when to plant Pumpkin estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Pumpkin before or after your last frost date.: 14 days before Last Frost Date

The pumpkin was commonly used medicinally by Central and North Americans². The Mayans applied the sap of the plants to burns, some North American tribes used the seeds as a diuretic, and European settlers used the seeds as a de-worming agent².

Other names for Pumpkin

Field pumpkin, Garden pumpkin

Cucurbita pepo

Misspellings: Cercerbita pepo, Pumkin, Cucubrita pepo

Footnotes

¹ :The New Seed-starters Handbook; Published 1988

² :The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants: A Practical Reference Guide to over 550 Key Herbs and Their Medicinal Uses; Andrew Chevallier; published 1996