How To Grow Pumpkins

Everyone should know how to grow pumpkins from seed in their garden. Pumpkins are a part of the winter squash family. I enjoy growing pumpkins to make my own pumpkin for baking. The seeds can be saved for planting next year from heirloom pumpkins. The seeds can also be roasted with salt for your eating pleasure.

Because we want our pumpkins to be ready in the fall, we plant them in June and July. Most pumpkins take about 120 days, some take 90.

Pumpkins make great decorations for autumn. This is the Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin.

This week, I am trying a new page format. I am placing the actual article, all in one at the top of the page with my daily farm diary at the bottom of the page. I believe it will be easier for visitors to read the entire article and then check out what has been happening at the bottom. I will see how this works. If I don't like it, I can always change it back.

How To Grow Pumpkins - 5/19-5/25/2025

Sugar Pie pumpkins are great for making pies because they have thick flesh.

Hey there, fellow gardeners! Ever thought about how to grow pumpkins right in your own backyard garden? It's easier than you think, especially here in Texas. I know some folks are hesitant to start from seed, but trust me, it's incredibly rewarding. Plus, you'll save a trip to the pumpkin patch!

So, let's dive into how to grow pumpkins from seed, a skill that will transform your garden into a pumpkin paradise. You can take a look at all of our pumpkin seed varieties here.

First things first, let's talk about the timing of how to grow pumpkins. In Texas, you'll want to plant your pumpkin seeds directly into the ground after the last frost, usually around late April or early May. This gives your pumpkins plenty of time to grow before the first fall frost arrives. If you want to time them just right for fall decorations, plant them at the beginning of July.

These are the Jill Be Little pumpkins.

How To Grow Pumpkins - Soil Prep

Next up, soil prep. Pumpkins love well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter. Amend your soil with compost or aged manure to give your pumpkin plants a healthy start.

Now, let's get those seeds in the ground. Plant them about an inch deep and about 2 to 3 feet apart. This gives them enough space to spread out and grow those big, beautiful pumpkins.

Watering is key, especially here in South Texas where it rains so infrequently that we tend to forget what rain is. Water your pumpkin plants deeply and regularly, especially during dry spells. Consistent moisture is essential for healthy pumpkin growth.

Once your pumpkin plants start to vine, you can add a layer of mulch around them. This helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil cool.

Keep an eye out for pests and diseases. Squash bugs and vine borers are common pumpkin pests. If you see any signs of these critters, take action quickly to prevent them from damaging your plants.

This is the Galeux D'Eysines pumpkin. Yes, it really grows like this.

As your pumpkins grow, you might need to support the vines with trellises or other supports. This helps keep the pumpkins off the ground and prevents them from rotting.

Now, for the exciting part – harvesting! Pumpkins are ready to harvest when they have a deep, solid color and the rind is hard. Cut the stem a few inches above the pumpkin, leaving a bit of stem attached.

And there you have it! Growing pumpkins from seed is a fun and rewarding experience. So, grab some seeds from David's Garden Seeds®, get your hands dirty, and enjoy the fruits (or should I say, gourds?) of your labor.

This is the Kakai pumpkin. It has green hulless seeds that are delicious when roasted.

How To Grow Pumpkins In The Heat

Let's talk more about growing pumpkins, especially in the Texas heat. Our summers can be intense, so it's important to provide your pumpkins with some extra care.

One way to protect your pumpkins from the scorching sun is to provide some shade during the hottest part of the day. You can use shade cloth or even some old sheets draped over stakes. We use shade cloth all around the property. It is a game changer.

Another important tip is to water deeply and consistently. Pumpkins need a lot of water, especially during hot weather. Make sure the soil stays moist but not waterlogged.

Mulching is your best friend when it comes to growing pumpkins in Texas. A thick layer of mulch helps retain moisture, keeps the soil cool, and suppresses weeds.

This is the Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkin. Known as Cinderella pumpkin in America, it is great for pie making.

How To Grow Pumpkins - Varieties

Now, let's talk about varieties. There are tons of different pumpkin varieties to choose from, so do some research and find one that's well-suited to the Texas climate. Find some wonderful heirloom pumpkin seeds over at David's Garden Seeds®.

Some popular varieties for Texas include 'Big Max', 'Cinderella', and 'Jack-o'-Lantern'. These varieties are known for their heat tolerance and ability to produce large, beautiful pumpkins.

Remember, growing pumpkins in the garden is a journey, not a race. Be patient, give your plants the care they need, and you'll be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.

These are White Flat Stacker pumpkins.

How To Grow Pumpkins From Seed

Let's dive deeper into how to grow pumpkins from seed, with a focus on getting those seeds off to a strong start.

Before planting your pumpkin seeds directly into the ground, you can give them a head start by starting them indoors. This is especially helpful if you have a shorter growing season.

Start your seeds indoors about 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost. Use peat pots or seed starting trays filled with a good quality seed starting mix.

Plant the seeds about an inch deep and keep the soil moist. Place the pots or trays in a warm, sunny location.

Once the seedlings have emerged and have a few true leaves, you can harden them off by gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions.

The Jarrahdale pumpkin is orange inside and is great for making pies.

When the danger of frost has passed, you can transplant your seedlings into your prepared garden bed.

Starting your pumpkin seeds indoors gives them a jumpstart and can lead to earlier harvests.

Now, let's talk about the importance of pollination when growing pumpkins.

Pumpkins rely on bees and other pollinators to transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers. Without pollination, your pumpkin plants won't produce fruit.

To attract pollinators to your garden, plant flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen. Bees love flowers like sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos.

The White Abominable pumpkin is great for carving. The seeds are also very tasty when roasted.

You can also help with pollination by hand-pollinating your pumpkin flowers. Simply use a small brush to transfer pollen from the male flower to the female flower.

Ensuring proper pollination is crucial for a successful pumpkin harvest.

So, you're ready to learn how to grow pumpkins from seed, and you want those pumpkins to be absolute giants, right? Let's talk about maximizing pumpkin size.

One key to growing giant pumpkins is to choose the right variety. Some varieties, like 'Atlantic Giant', are known for their ability to produce massive pumpkins. In the Texas heat, they won't grow that big. They will grow big if you live in the northern part of the country like New England or New York. I've seen them.

The Porcelain Doll Pumpkin is very nice for making pies and other baked goods.

Another important factor is soil fertility. Pumpkins are heavy feeders, so make sure your soil is rich in nutrients. Amend your soil with compost or aged manure before planting.

Regular watering is essential for large pumpkin growth. Water deeply and consistently, especially during dry periods.

Once your pumpkins start to grow, you can encourage larger size by pruning the vines. Leave only one or two main vines and remove any smaller, unproductive vines.

With the right care and attention, you can grow pumpkins that are truly impressive in size.

Let's shift our focus to growing pumpkins in the garden, specifically dealing with common pests and diseases.

One common pest that can plague pumpkin plants is the squash bug. These insects suck the sap from the leaves and stems, weakening the plant and reducing fruit production.

Another pest to watch out for is the vine borer. These larvae tunnel into the vines, disrupting the flow of nutrients and water.

To control these pests, you can use insecticidal soap or neem oil. You can also handpick the pests off your plants.

In terms of diseases, powdery mildew and downy mildew are common problems for pumpkins. These fungal diseases can cause the leaves to wilt and turn yellow.

To prevent these diseases, make sure your plants have good air circulation and avoid overhead watering.

By being vigilant and taking preventative measures, you can keep your pumpkin plants healthy and productive.

Let's talk about different ways to use your homegrown pumpkins, beyond the traditional jack-o'-lantern.

Pumpkin puree is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from pies and muffins to soups and stews.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a delicious and nutritious snack. Simply toss the seeds with olive oil and your favorite seasonings and roast them in the oven.

You can also use your pumpkins for decorative purposes. Create beautiful fall displays with pumpkins of different sizes and colors.

This is the Speckled Hound Pumpkin.

Growing pumpkins isn't just about the harvest; it's about the joy of nurturing something from seed to fruition.

Let's talk about how to save seeds from your homegrown pumpkins so you can grow them again next year.

Choose a healthy, mature pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Rinse the seeds thoroughly to remove any pulp.

Spread the seeds out on a paper towel or screen to dry. Make sure they are completely dry before storing them.

Store the dried seeds in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.

Saving your own pumpkin seeds is a great way to preserve your favorite varieties and save money on seeds next year.

So there you have it - a comprehensive guide on how to grow pumpkins from seed. Remember, growing pumpkins is a rewarding experience that connects you with nature and provides you with a delicious and versatile harvest.

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a beginner, growing pumpkins in the garden is a project that anyone can enjoy. Embrace the process, learn from your experiences, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Now that you know how to grow pumpkins from seed, get out there and start planting! Happy gardening!

This is the Black Bear Mini Pumpkin.

Weekly Farm Diary

Monday, May 19, 2025

Good morning. We have a chance of rain today! David made a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. He wants me out at work by 8am to pull a big fat stack of weekend orders. It is a good thing I pulled a bunch on Saturday because this stack is high. Plus, I have the website orders to pull.

I just had the weirdest dream right before I woke up. We were selling at Trader's Village in San Antonio and we had cats with kittens, lions with babies, and hundreds of monkeys. They all escaped and I was trying to find them. Also, while all of this was going on, Matt bought two shirts from Amazon and they were too small so he asked me to help him return them. So I was carrying the package of shirts while looking for the animals and I lost it! It was a big mess.

Before starting to fill orders, I cleaned the pond and refilled it as it was getting very low.

The day was a long one. The only thing I did all day long was close Amazon orders until 6pm and we are not finished. My back was killing me after sitting there all day long. I then took inventory of all of our seed sets.

David had someone come over to pull weeds for four hours. Matt was putting water on a lot of plants out front.

Memorial Day Sale 5/23-5/26/25

We will be having a big Memorial Day weekend sale starting on Friday morning through midnight on Memorial Day. You will be able to save 25% on all seed sets and single seed packs. I just finished setting up the sales at 8pm. I watered all of my plants and trees this evening. Some did not do well in this heat at all.

Tomorrow morning, I need to pull the website orders from Sunday and today. I never got to touch any of them today.

I need to go do dishes and get ready to watch Martha tonight at 9pm. Hot dog! Wednesday is the premiere of Master Chef and then Gordon's brand new show, Secret Service! I am so excited about that!

It is now 8:22pm and David is still out there working. Matt stayed late until 7:30pm.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Good morning. I woke up a little after 6am to Trump barking loudly. I was starving so I made an egg casserole which I am now eating. It came out good but I could not find a jar of salsa...I think we need to get some more.

It is time to get dressed and start pulling orders again.

There is a lot of patty pan squash growing.

I picked a patty pan squash today and air fried it for dinner.

I picked some Patty Pan squash today. It is pretty large. I cooked it up for dinner tonight and it was so good. I actually sliced it and air fried it with some fajita seasoning. I also made Ahi tuna and french fries. it was such a good meal with some Polynesian Chick Fil A sauce.

One of many squash flowers in the garden.

Pink Banana Jumbo squash hanging down.

Going back to the day, we had one set of customers coming in from the coast and that was it. Another man stopped by to pick up an order from about ten days ago. I spent the entire day mailing orders out.

Close to 9am, we had a rain shower that I don't think lasted ten minutes but it did soak everything. Then the clouds went away, the sun came out, and it got up to 101°.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Some Kajari melons are starting to grow.

Good afternoon. It is almost 3pm and I am just now finding time to get on here. I have been closing orders for most of the day. I picked some more patty pan squash and watered the flowers in a lot of pots around the parking lot. The bees were out in full force, pollinating this morning. We don't have any tomatoes on our plants yet, but we are getting flowers on them.

We have several types of squash growing. We also have several types of melons that are starting to grow. The Scarlet Runner Beans have red flowers but have not started making beans yet.

I picked some more squash. I found some melons that have started to grow.

I inventoried all of our trays in the store. They have all been marked down a lot so they will not be on sale. However, the seeds and seed sets will be.

I did not get much sleep as neuropathy woke me up in my left foot. Over an hour later, it stopped and I dozed off. I was rudely awakened by it going off in my right foot so more fun. I finally went to the couch, fell asleep and was awakened by Sue Ellen barking in my face.

We are now completely out of Tatume squash seeds and we will not be getting anymore in this year. We are also out of several other popular seeds and we have to take inventory tomorrow before our big sale starts Thursday night at midnight.

There were no in-person customers, no FedEx deliveries, no Amazon deliveries.

We did have one visitor who came to see David this afternoon when he got back from a meeting he had in Devine.

Matt and I watered plants and took care of things this morning. Then we both pulled orders. I closed them and Matt made envelopes and counted seeds.

I made shrimp and grits, jalapeno cornbread, and corn on the cob for dinner tonight while we watched Gordon for two hours! Master Chef was good and Secret Service is a twist on Kitchen Nightmares. It was good except for the rats in the restaurant's basement in Washington, D.C. I look forward to next week's adventures.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

A basket of Celebrity tomatoes...yum!

Good morning. It is 75° and the high will be 99°. I was awakened by neuropathy in my left foot that kept me awake for more than an hour.

The pool is looking pretty good and it will get used this holiday weekend. If you want to shop in the store this weekend, we will be open on Friday from 9am to 5pm, on Saturday from 10am to 2pm and on Monday from 9am to noon. As always, we are closed on Sunday. The store will have specials that are not available online.

I called the podiatry office and made an appointment for some injections since the supplements are no longer working. The earliest they could get me in is June 2. I also called the orthopaedic doctor who gave me the carpal tunnel injection. I will say my hand is somewhat better but it still goes numb. He will see me next week.

We are gearing up for the big Memorial Day Sale that starts at midnight tonight. A lot of seeds will be going away--once they're gone, they are gone so get them over the next four days if you want them. All of our seed sets and trays will be on sale as well. If you want great seeds for fall, we have them ready for fall planting.

Fall tomatoes here in Texas should be planted indoors under grow lights in July. Pumpkins should be started directly in the ground in June and July in Texas. Shop now while there is still a good selection.

We've made a Walmart grocery order this morning as we definitely do not have time to go to the store. I shocked the pool and the pool vac is going. I wish I could spend all day there but there are orders to pull and a Memorial Day sale to get ready for.

The grocery order came in but we did not get any tortillas. That means I can't make enchiladas so Matt will have to swing by and get some.

I chopped up a bunch of veggies and then peaches and apricots and made them for dinner along with pork and baked potatoes. By the time I was done, my legs were aching big time. I sat down briefly, then took a hot shower which made them feel better along with Tylenol.

We had two in store customers today.

This morning and then this evening, I had two more rounds of foot neuropathy.

Friday, May 23, 2025

All seeds are now 25% off through Monday!

Good, dry morning. It tried to rain all night but we didn't get jack...still dry as a bone here in Rossville, Texas. When I got up a little after 6am, it was darker than usual and very cloudy. I had rain hopes but those were shattered and here we are with beautiful bright, blue skies.

I am pleased to announce that I had no neuropathy pain in the night but I woke up and waited for it around 3:30am. Fun times.

Our Memorial Day Weekend sale is now live and people are finally starting to order seeds. It's been live since midnight but no one started ordering until about 7am today.

I made potato and egg scramble with toast. It was good. Then I paid the monthly bills for home and business. The store is open and I am about to start filling orders.

Matt is outside planting more seeds. David is inside printing Amazon orders. I don't know if the Amazon seeds are on sale. I guess I will find out, depending on how tall the stack of orders is.

I picked this Big Bertha pepper from the garden.

I spent the day filling orders. We had one whole customer come in.

I have vegetables and a roast in the Instant Pot right now. I hope it hurries because I am ready to eat. It is 98° and no rain.

I caught the sun going down right across the road from us. I took this on the porch by the Farm Store.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Sunrise from the first seed shack with the lovely generator in the way...I was going out to feed the fish.

Good morning. I had no neuropathy pain in the night for which I am grateful.

I went out and took care of all of the animals on my own. Then I watered all of my plants and trees out back. I thought I would be working alone. As I was putting on makeup, there was a knock on my bedroom door. (I keep it closed so the dogs don't come in and ruin my stuff.) David was already gone at this point.

I asked who it was and it was Matt. I was very surprised to see him. He did all sorts of stuff that needed to be done. He went out front and at 9:30am, I got a text from him saying the first customers were here. Swell! We don't open until 10am on Saturdays so I have time to do a few things but I went out and waited on them.

This bee is having a good time pollinating a squash flower. The bees are working all over the property.

I was working in Fulfillment and I got a call from David saying a Walmart order should be there. I looked and a man was at my front door. I went over and he did not speak a word of English. I asked in Spanish where the groceries were because he had not unloaded them and he was going to leave. I had to type the code David sent me into his phone and we unloaded the groceries. At that point, he uttered the only English word he knows: "Bye". Lol!

I had to go in and put them all away.

Here we are having a fantastic sale and only two customers came by. This economic turn down has been so bad for business. Matt made seed envelopes and counted seeds. I pulled orders and shipped them. The weather was unbearably hot. Everytime I step outside, it feels like I am being baked.

This afternoon, I vacuumed part of the house. I made egg stuffed meatloaf with rice and vegetables. I decided to try to make an angel food cake from scratch. It sure takes a lot of egg whites--12 to be exact. I messed up but it came out okay. It should have been light and fluffy but I did not do something right...I know what I did wrong. I served it with strawberries that I cooked to make it sort of syrupy. It was good. I will try again.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Our corn is coming up--my favorite!

Good morning. I woke up before 6am and could not get back to sleep. I was awakened one time with neuropathy pain in the night. I used Deep Heat instead of Bio Freeze and it went away quickly. With Bio Freeze, it lasts about an hour. For most of this time, I was using Bio Freeze, sometimes Icy Hot. Icy Hot makes it go away in about 30 minutes. With the Deep Heat that I used last night, I was not awake for long so I think we have a winner.

I have picked out my pumpkins to grow for this year. In a few weeks, we will be planting them. I will be planting Porcelain Doll, Sugar Pie, Jarrahdale, and Rouge Vif d'Etampes. There may be another that David wants to plant. I hope you have enjoyed learning how to grow pumpkins this week.

I noticed that there were a lot of pumpkin seeds ordered because I pulled a bunch of them. Some orders were just pumpkin seeds with four or five varieties. Obviously, how to grow pumpkins was a good topic for a lot of folks. Thank you to everyone for your support. See you tomorrow for a new garden topic.

Return from How To Grow Pumpkins to Our Sixth Year

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