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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13 Dec 17, Damian Blake (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Why is it recommended to avoid growing pumpkin near potato plants?
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02 Oct 17, sunshine (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
When is the time to grow pumpkin, cauliflower, mandarin. Thank you.
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21 Oct 17, Margaret Symons (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
In HB, pumpkin planting of seeds you've stored from last year gets underway in early October. They're easy to grow, plant deeper than 3 cm if birds may dig them out. They will ramble everywhere in your garden! ....Plant mandarins before November. Mandarins do fine semi rural in HB with no frost protection. But once a year, you need to spray them with oil as they can get sooty mould. The sooner you spray the better if the leaves start showing this black mould as it spreads. I hate spraying if there are bees around so check this out first. I underplant citrus with allysium as this little flower is meant to discourage bugs.
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01 Aug 17, (New Zealand - temperate climate)
When to plant bottle Gourd?
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03 Aug 17, Bev (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Like all curcubitae, planting time is when your soil is up to 20C. Definitely after all risk of frost is over
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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.
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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
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09 Aug 17, Rana (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I heard that is has something to do with uneven watering or spurts of drought.
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10 Apr 17, Raymond (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I am retired and live in Masterton and would like to grow pumpkins for a little extra income.My father grew triable variety in New Plymouth.Can they grow down here. Thanks
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11 Apr 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You should be able to grow pumpkins successfully in Masterton. About four years ago a little chap (3) from Masterton won the biggest pumpkin competition run by Mitre 10. To get a good start plant the seeds in toilet paper cylinders filled with potting mix and kept on a sunny windowsill. You could start them in mid-October ready to plant out in early November. Plant the cylinder as well to save any root disturbance (it will rot). Triamble is a great old variety. If you can get seed of 'Queensland Blue' it will probably give you a higher net yield per plant at an average of 17 kg. Properly ripened pumpkins always sell well. Try pubs, restaurants, etc. All the best.
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Showing 51 - 60 of 85 comments
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Most veggies are grown as an annual. To have one 12mths old is a bit unusual. The vine would be very long now before the flowers appear, maybe the plant can't sustain that. Pumpkin zucchini and probably watermelons and rock melons etc When they flower they start with male flowers to start attracting the bees, then produce female flowers. The female flower is only open for one day generally and will be shut by lunch time. So it needs a few visits from bees in that 2-4 hrs to fertilise the female flower. Or needs hand pollination on that day. I live at Bundy and I grew pumpkin through last summer and it was 3-4 degrees hotter last summer than this year so far. I think you just have an old plant that has had it's day. After you pick this years crop think about planting next year in the spring, your vines will be well establish going into summer. It will also allow you to refresh the soil with compost, manures fertiliser etc.

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