How to Grow Pumpkins and Puttin' on the Pounds!
Get Growing
The seed search has begun! Can you feel the excitement!? Yes, 2025 is going to be a great year for gardeners. When it comes to finding seeds for the new season, pumpkin growers and gardeners in general waste no time. The varieties of seeds in stock quickly narrow. Accordingly, smart gardeners begin their seed search even before the New Year’s ball drops at Times Square in New York. We look for something old, something new, nothing borrowed, and occasionally something blue… Yes, there are blue pumpkins! If you do not have your seeds yet, what are you waiting for!? Garden Seed & Supplies
They say the early bird gets the worm. And at this early point in the seed search, every variety you can imagine is in stock. As soon as the new year begins, seeds of all kinds are flying off the shelves. Make certain you get the varieties you want, by getting them now …… before someone beats you to them.
Thanks to notorious natural cross-breeding, there’s no shortage of Cucurbita varieties that you can grow. As a matter of fact, you’ll find hundreds of varieties to choose from. Will you plant your old favorites again this year? Or, will you try a new and different variety?
Giant Pumpkins – Every grower feels the urge to grow a mammoth Cucurbita at least once in their life. Those who try, often are hooked for life. The challenge is huge. While there are many varieties out there, we highly recommend you look for Dill’s Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds, the granddaddy of them all.
Looking for unique and wacky seed varieties? There are over 200 varieties of pumpkin seeds. But, the trouble is most seed manufacturers carry only a limited number of the most common varieties. While most seed companies carry about 3 – 6 varieties, Livingston Seed Company markets the largest variety we’ve ever seen. They offer about twenty varieties, including Jaradale (blue color) Red Warty, Peanut, Howden, Cinderella, and many more. So, if you are looking for an uncommon variety, or to grow something new, start your seed search here. More on Livingston Seed Company
The Focus right now is on seed selection. All too soon, we will turn our attention to the germination of the seeds we are now acquiring. Then, we will be preparing your patch for this year’s crop of big and beautiful pumpkins. Will you directly sow seeds into the garden? Or, will you start them indoors? Early starts are better begun indoors, where temperature and soil moisture can be best controlled. For bigger varieties, like the Atlantic Giant, we encourage you to start your plants indoors. Providing bottom heat with a germination mat is also recommended. It results in faster and more successful seed germination. However, on the downside, you have to pamper and tend to indoor transplants.
Ask any kid, and he or she will tell you they want a big, big pumpkin. So, you must deliver. Your mission, should you choose to accept it (and you have), is to fuel the growth of your fruit to produce the biggest one you've ever seen. Then, in August, you also need to be diligent and guard against insects and plant disease, especially powdery mildew.
Keep your patch well watered.
Turn over a spadeful of soil. Is it moist down several inches? Great! More on watering your plants.
Add a layer of compost.
This feeds the plant and helps to retain soil moisture. And it also helps to keep weeds down.
Big pumpkins have big appetites.
Use regular applications of fertilizer. Over the season, your plant needs different levels of Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous. More on fertilizers.
Tender loving care.
Maintain the health of your plants. Keep a vigilant eye for insect problems and plant disease. Apply insecticides and fungicides before problems arise.
Cover the vines with garden soil.
This promotes secondary root growth. It anchors the plant and feeds the fruit. And best of all, it results in much bigger fruit.
How to grow pumpkins.
Get much more informaton on how to grow them.
Today’s Quiz question: Cucurbitas come in many colors. Which colors are pumpkin colors?
A. Orange
B. White
C. Blue
D. Green
E. Red
F. Yellow
In addition to our website, our sister site Gardener's Net News is also on Facebook - Read about gardening happenings and your favorite plants. Leave garden related comments, too. Or, share a picture of your prize winning pumpkin or roses. Like us on Facebook.
Let's Talk Gardening and Pumpkin Growing! Do you want to talk about gardening, read seasonal appropriate articles about gardening, or share some pictures of your garden.? Join in on the fun, visit the garden blog!
Aside from giant pumpkins, most varieties can be sowed directly into your garden, if you have enough frost free days. Find out more
You are experiencing poor pollination. It's pretty common, too. Here's how to assure pollination of cucurbita flowers. Find out more
The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed well over a ton. There's a lot of other amazing records too. See them
There are many festivals and weigh-off sites all over the U.S., and Canada. And, many others around the world. Also, there is a weigh-off category for Giant Squash, another member of the cucurbita family. Find one near you
Without a doubt, growing pumpkins is fun. It’s addicting, too. Like other gardening activities, researchers tell us it’s therapeutic. And, when they ripen, eating them is healthy for you. Add a little pumpkin to your diet all year long. In late summer and fall, you can get it fresh and make all sorts of recipes with it, including grilling it. At other times of the year, buy a can of pumpkin and bake cookies, a cake, or some muffins.
Did You Know? In addition to being healthy for you, they also have medicinal uses. So, this is one food item you can never have enough of.
More on Pumpkins and Your Health
See a plethora of pumpkin recipes in Pumpkin Nook’s Cookbook
In addition to pumpkins, there are several other members of the Cucurbita family. Also among them are:
Did You Know? Members of the Cucurbita family are generally prolific cross-breeders. As a result, there are many varieties of these plants.
