WashingtonGardener: Pumpkin Plant Profile

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Pumpkin Plant Profile

Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) are a summer squash that is used for a fall decoration and baking pies.

They are native to North and Central America. They are hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9.

Pumpkins are easy to grow from seed. Wait until the soil has warmed to 65 degrees in the spring and then form a mound of soil and plant 3 seeds in the top of it.

If all three seeds emerge, you can thin them to the strongest one or two seedlings. I place a small wire cage on top of the seedlings until they are several inches high to protect them from birds plucking them out.

Pumpkin vines need lots of space to sprawl and should be planted in full sun. Spread straw or other mulch around the mound as the vines expand to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.

They need consistent watering of 1-2 inches per week. Fertilize them weekly.

Avoid overhead watering which will wet leaves as humidity breeds mildew.

Another tip is to make sure your vine grows away from your pumpkin, so your pumpkin will not grow over the vine and snap off the stem.

When you see a pumpkin forming on the vine, put a piece of cardboard or thin board underneath it so it doesn’t sit in moist soil and rot. This also helps discourage mice and other creatures from chewing a hole and moving in.

If you are looking to grow a giant pumpkin, you need to source seeds for the Atlantic Giant variety. You then need to start with soil preparation in the fall, by preparing the soil with compost and testing the soil conditions to see if they need amending

Smaller varieties of pumpkins can be grown in containers and trained on a trellis. They do not require the heavy watering and feeding that the large pumpkins do.

To harvest a pumpkin, wait until it reaches its mature size and fully colors up and the stem starts to harden. Then cut the stem about 3 inches above the pumpkin. Then set the pumpkin in a sunny spot to cure for about 10 days before storing it in a root cellar or basement.

Pumpkins: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Ellen Isaacson

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