Q&A for How to Grow a Pumpkin

Typically, pumpkins take between 95 and 120 days to reach maturity after planting.

Pumpkin seeds don't need light to germinate. They will sprout when planted 1-2 inches deep.

The female has a bulb right underneath the flower. The males are thin and straight.

You can try to harvest the seeds for a snack, a new garden, or add it to a compost pile or bin.

This depends strongly on the variety and the circumstances of the plant. From my own experience, I know that a healthy 'Hokkaido Red' pumpkin will yield 4-6 pumpkins with moderate compost.

Do you have pollinators (bees)? If not, fertilize flowers by hand with a soft paintbrush.

If it turns orange, that means it is ready for it's harvest. You can make it bigger by waiting a few more days, but don't wait too long, it will go rotten.

Yes, because that is the middle stage of the pumpkin. After a while they will fall off, and become a full grown pumpkin.

Not straight away, but eventually it should grow back with the right nourishment and attention.

Take them out of the pot, gently tease their roots apart, and place each in its own hole. Add nutrients, soil, good organic compost or composted cow manure and water well. Be sure to give the plants plenty of room, they get very big!

It is a good sign because that means it is still growing, and its close to becoming a Halloween decoration or pie.

See if your pumpkin has both male and female flowers. If it does, then see if there are insects to pollinate. If none then use a brush to pollinate by hand.

No, it's normal for the flower to fall off as the pumpkin grows. As long as pollination is complete, you don't need the flower anymore and it's okay if it comes off.

You do not have any pollination. You need bees or a paint brush to self pollinate the female flowers with pollen from male flowers in order to get pumpkins.

This depends on the variety and the circumstances (climate, weather, soil, nutrients). In a temperate climate, you should count on at least 5 months.

There are two kinds of flowers: male and female. Typically, the male flowers appear first, and many flower before the appearance of the female flowers. These flowers can differ in outward appearance because they have longer stems than the females. The female flowers are typically close to the vine and have small bulb-like bases, which eventually turn into the fruit. I figure the male flowers outnumber the female flowers by about 6:1, and as they die off, they are quickly replaced by new ones.

I've seen this happen when there are two or more growing on one vine, or when the plant encounters stress (like dryness). It seems like the plant diverts all its energy to the most viable pumpkin and abandons the other "pumpkins in progress," based on my observations.

Yes, it's okay to cut off some stems. If you do this, make sure you cut the stems that don't have any female flowers. Also, cutting off the stems can give more nutrients to the stems that weren't cut off.

You should prune a pumpkin plant's vines after they start developing fruit. By plucking off the fuzzy end of the vine, you help the plant's energy to be directed towards the development of fruit instead of vine growth.

The female flowers can take a month or longer to appear.

You might be having problems with pollination. If natural pollinators like bees aren't doing it and your flowers aren't getting pollinated as a result, then the pumpkins won't grow. Try hand pollinating your flowers for more results!

No, only the female flower is a potential pumpkin. You can tell the female flower, as it has an unfertilized pumpkin at its base.

Since both cucumbers and pumpkins have vines/runners this is not recommended, as the vines will try to take over each other, and rob the soil of nutrients. Cucumber vines grow well on a trellis. It is fine to plant with squash, but again, be mindful of the vines needing space to grow.

Yes. They will develop over a period of time, and then the growth will be exponential.

The pumpkin plants should be watered a few times a week and/or when the soil becomes too dry. If the environment is normally damp or it has rained, you may want to water less often than that (once a week even). However, when you water, water deep into the soil with plenty of water. Pumpkins are greedy for nutrients and water. When watering, try not to get any water on the leaves, as that may cause mildew. Watering should also occur during the morning hours so the sun can dry any that got on the leaves.

This could be powdery mildew. Cut off the leaves that look the worst and throw them out. You can also mix a solution of water, baking soda, a drop of dish soap, and olive oil/vegetable to spray on the leaves.

Your pumpkin's flowers might not be getting sufficiently pollinated. Try planting flowers to attract bees and other pollinators, or hand pollinate the flowers yourself.

Yes, pumpkin breeds range in color from red to even blue. You can find seeds online.

No, they start out green, then turn yellow, then finally orange.

These blossoms could be male. Males produce pollen, while females produce pumpkins (if pollinated). Also, female blossoms have a baby pumpkin at the base of the flower, but males just have standard flower stems.