How Many Pumpkins Per Plant Can You Grow? (2024)

FAQs

How Many Pumpkins Per Plant Can You Grow? ›

From a standard pumpkin vine, you can expect an average of two to five pumpkins. But that all depends on the size of the pumpkins. Some smaller varieties can produce as many as 12 per plant, whereas growers of giant pumpkins limit growth to one pumpkin per vine. There are other environmental factors involved as well.

A general rule of thumb is that large fruiting plants produce only a couple of pumpkins per vine. On the other hand, the smaller varieties can produce 8-10 fruits.

Quick Guide to Growing Pumpkins

Space pumpkin plants 2 to 5 feet apart (depending on the variety). Grow each pumpkin on a 3-foot wide mound of warm, fertile soil that has a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

How long does it take to grow a pumpkin from a seed? The amount of time can vary depending on the variety of pumpkin being grown, but you should plan on just over 3 months (100 days) from planting to maturity; some pumpkins, such as giants, may need as long as 120 days.

If you are growing competitively for size and weight, selecting one pumpkin per plant is a must. You must also consider the risk that disaster could befall this one fruit. The defensive move, is to keep two fruit on the vine, and sacrifice some potential size.

For example, pumpkins don't typically make good companions for potatoes, or anything in the brassicas (cabbage) family like cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, or kale.

Pumpkins love spending their days in the warm sun, so plant them in a spot that sees sun all day. If you're growing pumpkins in small spaces and your only option doesn't offer all-day sun, somewhere that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun a day can work.

You can also grow pumpkins in a large 5- to 10-gallon bucket if need be. It is important to note that pumpkins require nutrient-rich soil—and a lot of it—as their large size tends to foster an even larger appetite for fresh soil. Make sure the soil you lay down is well-drained and not too soggy.

Sand is Your Giant Pumpkins Friend

Having a bed of sand underneath your pumpkin allows it to grow more easily. It makes sense, think about how easy it is to have sand flow through your fingers. It's made up of many small particles. Allowing less friction than if you were growing directly on soil.

Planting and Spacing

Pumpkins should be planted when soils are 65ºF or after frost danger has past. Plant four to six seeds in mounds 4 feet apart. After they have two leaves, thin to two plants per mound. Transplants should be planted 2-3 feet apart in the row with rows 4-6 feet apart.

Do pumpkins need a lot of water? ›

Mature pumpkins are 80 to 90 percent water, so you can bet that pumpkins need a lot of water as they grow. Irrigate plants when soil is dry. It's typical for pumpkin leaves to wilt at high noon, but if plants are wilted in the early morning, that's a sign you need to water.

In the case of winter pumpkins, the harvest time depends on the variety. However, it can generally be stated that the pumpkin harvest begins between the end of August and the end of October. With a few little tricks you can quickly find out when your pumpkin can be harvested.

Within a week true leaves will appear and the vines will start to grow. Expect blooming within 8 to 10 weeks, and soon afterward fruits will start to appear. The pumpkins will grow rapidly, and it generally takes 40-50 days from the time the fruit appears until it's ready for harvest.

Pumpkins are typically planted in May through June so that they fully mature by early October. Plant varieties that take longer to mature in May, and faster developing varieties by mid-June.

The Rind - the pumpkin skin (known as rind) will be hard if the pumpkin is ripe. To test its readiness try to pierce the skin with your fingernail. It should be strong enough to resist puncture so if the skin dents but doesn't puncture, the pumpkin is ready to pick. The Sound - a ripe pumpkin will sound hollow.

Burying it where the leaf forms on the vine helps anchor the plant and prevent damage from wind by making it another anchor point on the plant, any new growth from these points should be pinched off.

First off, pumpkins, like other cucurbits, have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. That means that it takes two to make fruit.

Start decreasing the amount of water you're providing pumpkin plants when fruits turn their mature color. If you intend to store pumpkins for winter use, they'll store longer if you stop watering completely a week to 10 days prior to harvest. Save seeds from this year's pumpkin to plant next year.

Jack O Lantern produces 12 to 16 inch pumpkins with deep orange skin. Each Pumpkin plant will produce about 3 to 5 fruits per vine & each fruit will weigh about 10 to 24 pounds each. The plants themselves will grow to a mature height of only 12 to 24 inches tall and spreads to a varying length of 10 to 15 feet long.

If you want to save seeds from a fresh pumpkin to plant, clean off all the pulp. Rinse off the seeds then air dry them on a paper towel. Plant when they're dry or store them in a paper envelope until you're ready to plant them.