Pumpkin season is here

Since we’re now in September, it's time to start thinking about pumpkins. My wife recently had me bringing fall decorations out of the attic, so pumpkins are fresh on my mind. You can probably find the pumpkin of your dreams at a local farm, but perhaps next year you’ll want to grow your own. If so, here are some things to consider.

Both pumpkins and gourds are members of the cucurbit vegetable family. This means they are relatives of squash, cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, and cantaloupe. As such, they share many of the same pests, and many of the same soil and growing conditions. However, while most of the other cucurbits are used as food, pumpkins and gourds are primarily (but not solely) grown for their ornamental value.

Above: At a hefty 1,097 pounds, this pumpkin grown in Nash County won the 2023 NC State Fair’s contest for largest pumpkin grown by a NC resident.

Left: An assortment of curcubit fruit species. Curcubits are vining plants that include pumpkins and gourds. Most pumpkins and grourds are grown primarily for their ornamental value. The uglier and more unusual they are, the better they work as fall decorations.

If growing either pumpkins or gourds, be prepared to provide a good deal of space, as both are vining crops that will run 4-8 feet or more in each direction. Don’t overcrowd the plants. Avoid using sprinklers or other watering methods that wet the leaves, as foliar diseases will occur when leaf moisture is high and air circulation between plants is poor. Pumpkins and gourds will use a lot of nutrients during the growing season, so test your soil prior to growing, and follow recommendations. Fertilizing with too much nitrogen is a common mistake that will result in lush vine growth with few fruit.  

Harvesting pumpkins and gourds can be a bit tricky for beginners. For gourds, look for a change in the sheen of the skin. When mature, it will go from shiny to somewhat dull. You also want the outer skin to be hard and not easily scratched with your thumbnail. Pumpkins will also develop a more robust outer shell when mature and will be a deep orange color (for most varieties, anyway). Perhaps the most important thing to remember when harvesting your pumpkins and gourds is to cut through the stem with a knife rather than trying to twist or tear it from the vine. If the stem is damaged during harvest (or after), it will lead to a rapid decline in the post-harvest life of the fruit. Gourds and pumpkins with long intact stems are easier to handle and last much longer.

Now, for the fun part: What varieties can you grow? There is a tremendous amount of variation in the color, shape, and size of pumpkins and gourds, much too many to list, but that diversity lends itself to their decorative uses. If you’re picking a pumpkin to turn into a Jack-o-Lantern, you will likely want one that is large, orange, and relatively smooth. If you’re using pumpkins or gourds for other decorative purposes, however, a good rule of thumb seems to be that the uglier and more unusual they are, the better they work as decorations. Many varieties are odd shaped, have weird growths on them, or come in random combinations of colors that look like an artist has splattered paint on the flesh of the fruit. 

Above: ‘Red Warty Thing’ is a large red pumpkin that is prized for its rough, warty surface. 

Above: ‘Porcelain Doll’ is a creamy-pink, flat pumpkin that is wider than it is tall.

Some of the most interesting ones I’ve come across are ‘Red Warty Thing,’ a large pumpkin that looks exactly like the name, and ‘Porcelain Doll,’ a creamy-pink, flat pumpkin that is wider than it is tall. Comb through your favorite seed catalogs and find the ones that appeal to you. Grow a few favorites for next year!

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.