conn96
Full Member
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: Denham Springs, LA

When to plant pumpkins? (Louisiana)

Last year I attempted to grow pumpkins, but not knowing much about the plant, accidently planted them in an area with little sun light. I now know that pumpkins are major sun lovers so this year I have a nice, fertile, sunny spot chosen for them. I'm planning to probably just plantthestandard Jack-O-Lantern type. I've beento various sites online, and looked in a few books, but all seem to have different thoughts on when to plant your pumpkins. I livein thedeepsouth, and would like to have the pumpkins ready to harvest around early October, just in time for Halloween. Anyone know when to plant pumpkin seeds? Also,any tipsto a successful patch? Thanks!

Hortman
Senior Member
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Chicago area

Hello Conner. Ken here in the Chicago area. Let’s see if we can produce a
successful pumpkin patch. Your Jack-o-lantern type pumpkin is a vining type
which can cover up to 500 sq. ft. They need lots of room. The days to harvest
of the Jack-o-lantern type is 100 days. This means once the seed germinates, it
will be ready to harvest in 100 days. For your vining type pumpkin, plant 5 or6
seeds 1 in. deep in hills 6-8 feet apart. Thin the seedlings to 2 per hill.
Give them periodic fertilizer and keep the foliage dry to prevent disease. Water
when the plant starts to wilt. Protect the pumpkins from wet soil and rot by sliding
something underneath, like a wooden shingle. Remember that pumpkins do not do
well in high heat and humidity. Good luck and take care.
Last edited by Hortman on Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I plant pumpkins on May 5 or a few days later depending on weather. That is about two weeks before my average last frost date. Most years they come up and do not get frozen, but now and then they get a light frost. I need to push the envelope because I don't have a very long season. If you want them for Halloween, I would plant 120 to 130 days before Halloween. You could also plant some earlier as the mature pumpkins will keep for a time.

Here is a tip if you want nice round pumpkins. Usually they develop laying on their side and the weight of the fruit makes them form lopsided. You can pick the small fruit up gently and move them a bit closer to the attachment point of the vine so you have a little slack in the vine, then sit the pumpkin on its blossom end. I like to put a newspaper (several layers) under the fruit to protect the end that is on the ground. Now they will form round.

If you are going for large pumpkins, after you have a nice fruit developing on a vine, clip all others so all the plants energy goes into one fruit.



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