Each year, as seed catalogs pile up, I hand random ones to my kids and tell them to pick three things to grow. I thought this would get them involved in gardening, and it does. They engage in planting seeds, watering and harvesting. However, they want to grow the same thing every year — pumpkins.
Fortunately, pumpkin breeders have developed many types of pumpkins, so my kids can plant different varieties each year and still not grow them all. While they gravitate toward traditional orange jack-o’-lanterns, we have also grown white, blue, warty and odd-shaped pumpkins. My favorite has been Jarrahdale, a beautiful, blue-tinted pumpkin that looks great as decor and is delicious in a pie.
While June seems early to plan for autumn, if you want pumpkins for fall, it’s time to plant your seeds. Let’s cover pumpkin-growing basics so you can enjoy homegrown winter squash this fall.
Don’t be late to germinate
Pumpkin is a very tender vegetable. The seeds do not germinate in cold soil, and frost injures seedlings. Do not plant until all danger of frost has passed and the soil has thoroughly warmed.
Plant pumpkins for Halloween from late May to early June in northern Illinois, early to mid-June for central locations and in early July in southern Illinois. If pumpkins are planted too early, they may soften and rot before Halloween. Check your seed packet for “days to maturity” to help calculate when to plant.
More room to bloom
Pumpkins are massive, vining plants. Space may be the most limiting factor, considering each pumpkin requires a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet of growing space per hill. A hill often has four to five seeds, which are thinned down to two or three plants after the seeds sprout.
Be sure to read your seed packets to know the recommended spacing of your specific variety. If space is in short supply, there are miniature or bush-type pumpkins that require less growing area.
Irrigate and cultivate
Pumpkins undergo rapid growth over the summer, and to support that growth, regular irrigation is important. Being heat-loving plants, pumpkins can tolerate short periods of hot, dry weather fairly well. However, Illinois often has prolonged periods of drought over the summer, which may require watering by hand. In the tangle of vines, direct water to the main root system where the seed sprouted.
With such a big growing space, weeds can take over before the pumpkin vines create a canopy over the soil. Shallow cultivation of the soil and mulching will suppress weeds long enough to let the pumpkin vine cover an area.
Mildew, pests and unwelcome guests
Each year, my pumpkins suffer from powdery mildew on the leaves, which is surprisingly worsened by drought and improved by rain. Squash bug and squash vine borer are two common pest insects that can completely ruin a pumpkin plant and discourage a gardener from ever growing pumpkins again. There are control options, including insecticides. It is important to note that pumpkins require pollinators to produce fruit, so any pest insect controls must account for protecting pollinators.
A gourd hoard
Pumpkins can be harvested whenever they are a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties) and the rind is hard. If vines remain healthy, harvest before heavy frost. It is common for vines to die prematurely from disease or other causes, so harvest the mature fruit and store them in a moderately warm, dry place until Halloween.
Harvest by cutting pumpkins from the vines carefully. Use pruners or a sharp knife. Leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached. Snapping the stems from the vines results in many broken or missing “handles.” Pumpkins without stems usually do not keep well.
June is a great time to get your fall pumpkins started. Because Illinois is the top pumpkin producer in the U.S., University of Illinois Extension has a website dedicated to the favorite winter squash. Visit extension.illinois.edu/pumpkins to learn more about growing pumpkins in Illinois.
