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VegetablesTenderAnnual
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a vigorous winter squash grown for large fruits with firm flesh and good storage qualities through autumn and winter. Plants spread widely and need warmth, fertile ground and time, but can yield dramatic ornamental and kitchen harvests from a single planting.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Tender
Planting partners
2 companions · 1 crop to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
110 days
Germination window
5–10 days
Germination temperature
20–30 °C
Plant spacing
90 cm
Row spacing
150 cm
Sowing depth
2.5 cm
Height
45 cm
Spread
120 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Give pumpkins deep fertile soil, plenty of space and reliable moisture while vines are expanding and fruits are swelling. Leave fruits on the plant until skins are hard and the stalk begins to cork over, then cure them somewhere warm and dry before long-term storage.
Common pests
Slugs, snails, powdery mildew, grey mould.
