How to Grow Pumpkin
Cucurbita maxima
Pumpkins need full sun, rich, moisture-retentive soil, and a long, warm season. Start indoors late spring and plant out after frost into compost-rich mounds. Provide wide spacing and water deeply; feed weekly once vines run. Encourage bees or hand-pollinate early flowers. Set fruits on tiles or straw to keep dry; limit to 2–4 fruits on vigorous types for size. Harvest when rind is hard and the stem corky; cure in a warm, airy place before storing.
When to Start
Start seeds indoors 4 weeks before your last frost date. Transplant outdoors once night temperatures stay above 10°C and soil has warmed to at least 12°C.
Don't know your frost date? Find it here →
Growth Stages
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- High-potash liquid feed weekly once fruits start swelling.
- Needs lots of space and rich soil. Place a tile under developing fruit to prevent rot.
Companion Planting
Sweetcorn, Marigolds, Nasturtium
Growing Conditions
- Min. soil temperature
- 12°C+
- Germination temperature
- 20–28°C
Pet Safety
- Sow indoors
- —
- Transplant out
- —
- First harvest
- —
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Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 120 cm |
| Row spacing | 150 cm |
| Sow depth | 2.5 cm |
| Mature height | 45 cm |
| Mature spread | 300 cm |
For large, vining pumpkin varieties. These need a huge amount of space to sprawl. 'Bush' or compact varieties are available for smaller gardens.
Companion Planting
Grows well with
In the classic Three Sisters guild, sweetcorn provides a vertical scaffold for climbing beans while pumpkin's broad leaves shade the soil, reducing moisture loss and suppressing weeds beneath the canopy. The combined system fixes nitrogen, provides structure, and conserves water.
▼Marigold flowers provide a concentrated nectar source that attracts bees and hoverflies to the pumpkin patch, improving pollination rates on the large, short-lived pumpkin flowers that require multiple bee visits for full fruit set.
▼Nasturtiums lure squash bugs and striped cucumber beetles away from pumpkin vines via trap cropping, while their flowers attract native pollinators that benefit nearby pumpkin blooms.
▼Keep away from
Pumpkin vines smother potato foliage and both crops are heavy potassium feeders — growing them together depletes soil potassium rapidly and reduces tuber and fruit size. Keep in separate beds at least 2 metres apart.
▼Pests & Diseases
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Large irregular holes in leaves, slime trails, hollowed-out seedlings; damage to fruit skin where it contacts damp ground
- Apply organic slug pellets (ferric phosphate based) around young plants
- Place developing fruits on tiles, straw, or boards to lift them off wet soil
- Hand-pick slugs at dusk; use beer traps
- Apply ferric phosphate slug pellets around plants
Pest Cucumber Beetle / Squash Bug
Identification: Wilting vines despite adequate water; small beetles on flowers and foliage; eggs laid on leaf undersides
- Hand-pick adults and egg clusters from leaf undersides
- Use fleece or mesh covers on young plants until flowering
- Encourage ground beetles and other predators
- Spray with pyrethrin-based insecticide if infestations are severe
Pest Aphids
Identification: Clusters of green or black insects on growing tips and leaf undersides; sticky honeydew; curled or distorted young leaves
- Blast off with a strong jet of water
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Encourage ladybirds and hoverflies
- Spray with a contact insecticide containing pyrethrins
Disease Powdery Mildew Podosphaera xanthii
Symptoms: White, powdery coating on upper leaf surfaces spreading to stems; leaves yellow and die back prematurely
Treatment: Remove badly affected leaves; spray with a sulphur-based fungicide or potassium bicarbonate solution
Prevention: Space plants widely for good airflow; water at the base; avoid overhead watering; choose resistant varieties
Disease Grey Mould (Botrytis) Botrytis cinerea
Symptoms: Fuzzy grey mould on flowers, fruit, and damaged stems; soft, brown rotting patches on developing fruits
Treatment: Remove affected plant parts immediately; improve air circulation; avoid wetting foliage
Prevention: Place fruits on dry surfaces; remove spent flowers; ensure good ventilation around plants
Disease Cucumber Mosaic Virus Cucumber mosaic virus
Symptoms: Mottled, distorted leaves with yellow-green mosaic patterns; stunted growth; misshapen, warty fruits
Treatment: No cure — remove and destroy infected plants to prevent spread to other cucurbits
Prevention: Control aphids which spread the virus; remove weeds that harbour it; wash hands and tools between plants
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 12°C |
| Germination temperature | 20–28°C |
| Base growth temperature | 10°C |
| Min. daylength to start | 11h |
| Photoperiod sensitivity | day neutral |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Pumpkin?
- Plant Pumpkin 120cm apart with 150cm between rows.
- When can I harvest Pumpkin?
- Pumpkin is ready to harvest approximately 85 days after transplanting.
- What grows well with Pumpkin?
- Pumpkin grows well with sweetcorn, marigolds, nasturtium.
- Is Pumpkin frost hardy?
- Pumpkin is classified as Tender.
