Growing Pumpkin

Cucurbita sp. : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Pumpkin in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 68°F and 90°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 35 - 47 inches apart
  • Harvest in 15-20 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweet Corn
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

21 Jul 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Google "Gramma Pumpkin seeds" and you will find where to buy them. I can't put other company names on here. .
09 Aug 17, Terry Forster (Australia - tropical climate)
I ordered them today, thanks for the advice.
26 Jun 17, Pauline (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
From time to time I will have a pumpkin from my garden that when I cut it, it has white lumps in it that are hard and when the pumpkin is cooked it remains hard. Do you know what causes this, maybe something in the soil? something lacking in the soil? a virus? I would love to find out and see if I can avoid or cure this problem.
23 Sep 23, Brenda Jenkins (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Did you ever find out what was causing the hard white lumps in your pumpkins
09 Aug 17, Rana (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I heard that is has something to do with uneven watering or spurts of drought.
16 Jun 17, Dilsie Evans (Australia - temperate climate)
I've grown pumpkin for the first time, 6 pumpkins. Just cut up the largest, the centre seems a bit soft and has lots of seeds. Is this normal??
19 Jun 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You have the skin and then a layer of firm to hard pumpkin - then in the middle is soft tissue and seeds. You don't eat the soft tissue.
05 Jun 17, Lynda Hagar (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My pumpkins started to form late January. I preserved with them watering Ocassionally when needed. They are now a reasonable size now after all these months and the leaves are starting to die off. When the leaves are gone I will harvest the four pumpkins and allow the stalks to dry off before use. They are in a very sunny spot so have had sun all Autumn. I grew Jap pumpkins. I think some people call them Kent pumpkins. Anyway personally I would leave them alone until the leaves die off as long as they are getting plenty of sunshine. Good luck.
09 May 17, Beverly (USA - Zone 7b climate)
In a large garden plot how far apart should potatoes and pumpkins be planted?
10 May 17, John (Australia - tropical climate)
The only real consideration is to allow the pumpkins to spread if they are the 'running' type. Bush pumpkins can grow to about six feet across and you would need a bit of space to work around them. potatoes could be planted about a foot apart. The limit there is more on the available nutrients in the soil and management of the plants. Trust this helps.
Showing 401 - 410 of 825 comments

I have 19 butternut pumpkins on my vine and it is starting to die off, how long should I continue to feed the plant for and is it best to wait till the plant has completely dead before harvesting the pumpkins?

- Diahann Jackson

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