When to Plant Pumpkins
Sow pumpkins outside 1 to 4 weeks after your last frost.
Pumpkins at a glance
- Sow outside
- 1 to 4 weeks after your last frost
- Time to harvest
- 90 to 120 days from sowing
- Harvest lasts
- about 10 weeks
- Spacing
- 1 plant per 9 square feet
- Frost
- Tender: frost kills it
Growing pumpkins
Pumpkins need warm soil, full sun, plenty of compost and water, and a long season. For a Halloween pumpkin, count back from late October using the days to harvest on the seed packet. A board or some straw under each fruit keeps it clean and dry.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | The season is usually too short here; a fast variety under cover is the best bet. | |
| Zone 3b | May 24 – Jun 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 25Pick a fast variety. |
| Zone 4a | May 19 – Jun 9 | Aug 17 – Sep 28 |
| Zone 4b | May 15 – Jun 5 | Aug 13 – Oct 1 |
| Zone 5a | May 10–31 | Aug 8 – Oct 5 |
| Zone 5b | May 8–29 | Aug 6 – Oct 10 |
| Zone 6a | May 6–27 | Aug 4 – Oct 13 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 29 – Oct 7 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 22 – Sep 30 |
| Zone 7b | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jul 11 – Sep 19 |
| Zone 8a | Apr 5–26 | Jul 4 – Sep 12 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 – Aug 31 |
| Zone 9a | Mar 9–30 | Jun 7 – Aug 16 |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 – Mar 8Nights are still cool before mid-February, so this starts a little later. | May 16 – Jul 25 |
| Zone 10a | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | May 16 – Jul 25 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so pumpkins can go in from late winter, and again in late summer for a fall crop. | |
Good neighbors
Questions about pumpkins
How much room do pumpkins need?
A lot. The vines can run many feet, so plant them at the edge of the garden where they can spill over a path or lawn, or choose a small variety.
When should I pick pumpkins?
When the color is even, the rind resists a fingernail and the vine starts to die back. Bring them in before a hard frost and let them cure somewhere warm and dry.
