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

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28 Feb 21, Kobie Swanepoel (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
My pumpkin's leaves are full of lice. What natural remedy can i use for that? Thanks
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28 Feb 21, Daniel Chai (New Zealand - temperate climate)
in my garden now many pumpkins are sprouting, even if it is not the season. Maybe after eating pumpkins the dregs were dumped there. what shall i do? Do I remove them to save the space for other veges or leave them?
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10 Mar 21, Orlene (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Howdy, If you can afford to give them that space e.g you dont need to use it for something else I say keep them in, might as well give it a go and see if you can get another harvest. I am currently growing Golden Nugget Pumpkins, they are a bush variety so can handle a bit lower temp/less light hours. One thing you will need to watch out for is powdery mildew as the plants tend to stay wetter for longer in the morning and the evening.
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01 Mar 21, (New Zealand - temperate climate)
There is not much sense growing something out of season. You may produce a crop that has little or no produce. Grow some thing that is in season.
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15 Feb 21, Que (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
How many plants must I plant in a hectare?
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16 Feb 21, Anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Google to find out some numbers. MAKE SURE you have plenty of bees in your area.
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12 Feb 21, Margaret (New Zealand - temperate climate)
How long do I keep watering pumpkins? They are big now - mid Feb - leaves a bit mildewy. But new leaves growing.They were planted late Oct from memory.
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22 Feb 21, Richard (Australia - temperate climate)
Different pumpkin types take different times to grow but most take over a month to fully ripen and you often wont see any finished products until mid or late March. It is definitely not time to give up yet. Good things to those who wait :) The plants will die very rapidly after the temperature drops in April and May. However if your getting mildew on the leaves in mid Feb I would recommend that you prune or spray the affected leaves to reduce the spread. I have had years where the plant died in late Feb before the pumpkins fully matured and I was very sad.
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15 Feb 21, (Australia - temperate climate)
By the guide here pumpkins take around 5 months to grow and ripen.
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26 Jan 21, victor (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
hello. i want to know which pumpkin produce green seeds and where can i buy it to plant it?
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Showing 81 - 90 of 833 comments
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Just found this - commercial production. For efficient pollination and fruit set, there must be: both male and female flowers and bees to move pollen from male to female flowers. A number of factors can influence pollination, Cold and overcast days limit pollination activity of bees. Hot dry conditions desiccate pollen making it unviable. Rapid growth promotes earlier flowering. However, high temperatures, long days and high rates of nitrogen can result in: vigorous vegetative growth and few flowers and a higher proportion of male to female flowers. It is important to check the sex of the flowers. A ratio of 1 female to 7 male flowers is usually considered adequate. Flowers open early in the day and for one day only, and they close by mid afternoon. These periods are shorter under high temperatures. Flowers are most receptive to pollination in the morning when bee activity is usually the highest. Bees are necessary for pollination and must be active in the crop. Flowers require at least 12 bee visits for good pollination. If bees are not plentiful, introduce at least two hives per ha after female flowers appear and male flowers start producing pollen. Spread hives around the field outside the crop, preferably so that bees have to fly over the crop to get to another food source. Destroy flowering weeds around the crop.

- Mike

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