7 Must-Know Tips for Growing Pumpkins Like a Pro

Tips

• Select the right pumpkin variety for your climate and available space; for short-season areas, choose quicker-maturing varieties or start them indoors.
• Calculate planting time based on days to maturity and local frost dates to ensure the plant has enough days free of frost.
• Plant pumpkins in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun a day and provide 5 to 20 square feet of space depending on the variety.
• Wait to plant until daytime temperatures reach the 70s and nights are frost-free, and add compost or well-rotted manure to the soil.
• Sow three to five seeds in a pumpkin hill and snip off all but the most robust couple of seedlings once they reach about 4 inches tall to prevent crowding.
• Water in a 2-foot circle around the plant rather than at the base to avoid stem rot, and avoid getting water on the leaves to prevent powdery mildew.
• Use compost as mulch and water with liquid vegetable fertilizer once a week to provide necessary nutrients for large fruit development.
• Do not use insecticides to protect pollinators; instead, pick off squash bugs and their eggs by hand.
• Plant varieties resistant to fungal diseases and treat powdery mildew immediately if it appears.
• Harvest pumpkins when the skin is leathery and colors fully develop, cutting the vine on either side of the stem with a clean knife or pruning shears rather than cutting the stem itself.
• Wash the outside of harvested pumpkins with a 1-2% solution of bleach and water to stave off rot, then rinse and store in a cool, dry place.
• Turn pumpkins every few days while they grow to prevent misshapen development and ensure uniform shape and color.