Most pumpkins need somewhere between 90 to 120 days to mature, although giant pumpkins need up to 150 days to size up. Short season gardeners should select varieties that will have time to mature before the hard frosts arrive in autumn. This is the time required to go from seed to harvest. 1) When to harvest pumpkins based on days to maturityĪs noted above, each pumpkin variety has a specific ‘days to maturity’ listed on the seed packet or in the seed catalog. There are 4 signs to look for to determine if a pumpkin is ripe and ready to harvest. Most pumpkins are harvested in September or October, depending on your location. Within a few weeks it will turn completely orange and be ready to pick. This immature pumpkin is still green and isn’t ready to harvest. Plant once the last frost date has passed and the weather has warmed.Īs summer progresses, supply regular moisture to the plants and encourage pollinators like bees to visit the male flowers and female flowers by adding companion plants well suited to squash.

Also be sure to plant in a site with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. It’s a good idea to add a slow release organic vegetable fertilizer to the soil when you sow pumpkin seeds or transplant seedlings. Pumpkin plants are heavy feeders and need a steady feed of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. To encourage healthy plants and plenty of pumpkins, start out right by amending the soil with compost or aged manure. Each variety has a ‘days to maturity’ listed on the seed packet that tells you how much time it needs to go from seed to harvest. Pumpkins are a warm season vegetable related to cucumbers and melons and need a long growing season to go from seed to harvest. It’s important to harvest pumpkins when they’re mature, but also before cold weather arrives. On the other hand, pumpkins left in the garden too long, especially if they’re exposed to frost and cold temperatures, also rot. Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie? A pumpkin harvested immature generally rots within a few weeks, if not sooner. Recognizing when a pumpkin is ripe is an important skill for gardeners to learn, particularly those who wish to store their pumpkins for cold season cooking and baking. Why it’s important to harvest pumpkins at the right time These beautiful pumpkins have been cured and are ready for carving or long storage. Below you’ll learn four signs to help you to decide when to harvest pumpkins from your garden. Why? Underripe or overripe pumpkins are prone to rotting. However you use your homegrown pumpkins, it’s important to harvest the fruits when they’re fully mature. The colorful fruits can be used as Jack-o’-lanterns, autumn decor, or stored for cooking and baking. Pumpkins are a fun and easy crop to grow in a home vegetable garden with the harvest season beginning in late summer.

Pumpkin stem color