When to plant pumpkins by city
Sow pumpkins outdoors 1–3 weeks after your last frost, once the soil is at least 65°F. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates and the date its normal daily temperature reaches 65°F, so cool-spring places like Seattle wait for real warmth (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.
| City | Last frost | Sow outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA (9a) | Mar 13 | Jun 30 – Jul 14 |
| Portland, OR (8b) | Feb 25 | Jun 25 – Jul 9 |
| Sacramento, CA (9b) | Jan 12 | May 2–16 |
| Phoenix, AZ (10a) | Jan 5 | Mar 9–23 |
| Salt Lake City, UT (7b) | Mar 31 | May 24 – Jun 7 |
| Denver, CO (6a) | Apr 30 | May 30 – Jun 13 |
| Dallas, TX (8b) | Mar 2 | Apr 6–20 |
| Minneapolis, MN (5a) | Apr 23 | Jun 3–17 |
| Kansas City, MO (6b) | Apr 4 | May 10–24 |
| Chicago, IL (6b) | Apr 10 | Jun 6–20 |
| Columbus, OH (6b) | Apr 20 | May 23 – Jun 6 |
| Nashville, TN (7b) | Apr 1 | May 5–19 |
| Atlanta, GA (8a) | Mar 24 | Apr 27 – May 11 |
| Raleigh, NC (8a) | Mar 28 | May 1–15 |
| Philadelphia, PA (7b) | Mar 30 | May 12–26 |
| Boston, MA (7a) | Apr 4 | Jun 5–19 |
In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: plant pumpkins in late winter or early spring and again in late summer.
Don’t go by the calendar alone. Pumpkins planted into cold soil sit still for weeks; wait until the soil 4 inches down is at least 65°F and nights stay above 50°F.
Pumpkin spacing
In a square-foot bed, plant one plant per 9 square feet (a 3 × 3 ft block). In traditional rows, space plants about 60 inches apart with 96 inches between rows.
For Halloween pumpkins, count back the days to maturity from early October.
How to grow pumpkins
Pumpkins are easy if you have space; full-size vines need far more than most beds offer. Kids love them, and timing the planting so jack-o’-lanterns are ready for Halloween is part of the fun.
Sun and soil
Full sun and fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, pH about 6.0–6.8. Keep soil evenly moist, 1–2 inches of water a week.
Planting
- For Halloween, count back the days to maturity from early October and add a week or two of margin.
- Sow 1 inch deep 1–3 weeks after the last frost, once soil is 65°F, 4–6 seeds per hill thinned to the best two.
- Space hills 60 inches apart in rows 96 inches apart; miniature and semi-bush types can go closer.
Care
- Water deeply at the base and keep leaves dry when you can.
- Row-cover young plants and uncover when flowers appear so bees can pollinate.
- For big fruit, keep one or two pumpkins per vine and set each on a board or cardboard.
Harvest
Pick when the rind is hard and evenly colored and the stem is drying. Cut with a 3–4 inch stem and never carry pumpkins by it. Harvest before a hard freeze, cure at 80–85°F for about 10 days, and store at 50–55°F.
Common problems
- Powdery mildew: The most common pumpkin disease, worst on late plantings. Grow resistant varieties and give vines room.
- Squash bugs and cucumber beetles: Crush egg clusters, trap squash bugs under boards, and use row cover early against beetles and the wilt they spread.
- Poor fruit set: Pumpkins rely on bees. Avoid insecticides in the morning while flowers are open.
Varieties to try
- 'Howden' — classic jack-o'-lantern
- 'Connecticut Field' — traditional large carver
- 'Small Sugar' — sweet pie pumpkin
- 'Jack Be Little' — miniature
Crop rotation
Pumpkins belong to the squash family (Cucurbitaceae). Heavy feeders. Cucumber beetles and powdery mildew carry over between years. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, cantaloupe, watermelon.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant pumpkins?
What grows well with pumpkins?
How far apart should I plant pumpkins?
How long do pumpkins take to grow?
Can pumpkins handle frost?
Sources
- Frost dates: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
- Hardiness zones: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, USDA-ARS and PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
- Planting windows and spacing: Vegetable Planting Guide (GardenNotes #720), Colorado State University Extension, and other land-grant extension guides.
- Trap cropping: a review of the state of the art, Sarkar et al., 2018 (open-access review)
- Food Yields and Nutrient Analyses of the Three Sisters, Jane Mt. Pleasant, Ethnobiology Letters 7(1), 2016
- Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023
- Pumpkins & Winter Squash — Clemson Cooperative Extension (HGIC)
- Pumpkins in the Garden — Utah State University Extension