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- Start indoors
- Sow outdoors
- Plant out
- Plant
- Fall crop
- Today
Historical frost averages plus extension guidance, not a forecast. Check the forecast and soil temperature before planting.
Sow pumpkin seeds outside 2–5 weeks after your last spring frost, once the soil is at least 60°F (70°F+ is better). You can start them indoors 1–2 weeks before the last frost and plant out 2–4 weeks after it. For Halloween pumpkins, count back your variety's days to maturity from early October.
- Frost tolerance
- Very tender: no frost
- Soil temperature
- Sow at 60°F+, best 70–90°F
- Days to harvest
- 90–120 days from seed
The rule we use
- Start seeds indoors: 1–2 weeks before the last spring frost
- Sow outdoors: 2–5 weeks after the last spring frost
- Plant out: 2–4 weeks after the last spring frost
Timing pumpkins for Halloween
Look up the days to maturity on the seed packet, add about two weeks for slower growth in fall, and count back from the start of October. A 100-day pumpkin sown in late May or early June is usually ready in time. Sown too early, pumpkins ripen in August and may rot before Halloween.
In short-season areas the frost-free window may be barely long enough. The calendar above warns you if your season is tight. Choose smaller, faster varieties there.
Sowing and planting
Pumpkin seed rots in cold, wet soil, so wait until it's truly warm. Sow 1 inch deep, in groups of 2–3 seeds on low mounds, then thin to the strongest plant. Give each plant a lot of room: vines can run 10–20 feet.
If you start seeds indoors, use pots at least 4 inches wide and keep the seedlings no longer than 2–4 weeks. Pumpkins dislike root disturbance, so plant them out without breaking up the root ball.
Growing on
Water deeply at the base about once a week, more in hot spells, and keep the leaves dry to slow powdery mildew. Bees do the pollination, so avoid spraying insecticides when flowers are open.
Harvest when the rind is hard enough that a fingernail won't dent it and the color is deep all over. Cut the stem, leaving 3–4 inches, and bring pumpkins in before a hard frost.
Seeds and supplies for pumpkins
- Pumpkin seeds at True Leaf Market
- Park Seed for seeds and young plants.
- A soil thermometer to check the soil is warm enough before sowing.
- Seedling heat mats keep seed trays warm for fast, even sprouting.
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Questions about planting pumpkins
When should I plant pumpkins for Halloween?
Usually late May to mid-June. Count back the days to maturity from early October, plus about two weeks for cooler fall weather.
Can I plant pumpkins in July?
Only fast varieties in areas with a long season. Check that you have more frost-free days left than the variety needs, plus a couple of weeks.
Should I start pumpkins indoors?
Only in short-season areas. Start them 2–4 weeks before planting out, in roomy pots, and handle the roots gently.
Sources
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland (2026), University of Maryland Extension
- Vegetables for Spring and Fall Planting; Vegetables for Summer Planting, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners
- Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah, Utah State University Extension
- Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720), Colorado State University Extension
- Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination, Oregon State University Extension
- Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16: Vegetable Gardening, NC State Extension
- Frost dates: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (doi:10.25921/4ek7-fk11)