Cucurbita Maxima 'Jack O'Lantern'

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Pumpkins are very frost sensitive. You should wait until the days average at least 70°F and the last chance of frost has passed. On our farm we generally plant all of our pumpkin varieties the first week of June. Depending upon where you are in the United States, you can generally plant between late May and late June. #sowdirect May 10th

Plant your seeds 1 - 2 inches deep. Don't worry about which end is up. The plant will find its way to the surface. Your seeds should sprout in 7 - 10 days. Once your seedling sprouts is a good time to add additional compost around the plant. The compost will help to keep weeds down and retain moisture. Again, if you don't have compost, don't stress, pumpkin vines are pretty resilient.

Pumpkins are about 80 - 90% water, so as you can imagine they use a lot in their growth. The secret is to only water pumpkins when they need it. Check the soil with a trowel or a hoe. As long as the moisture is good and your plant looks happy, leave it alone. When the soil is starting to dry out, or the plant starts to look a bit droopy, give it a long deep drink. Deep but infrequent watering results in a healthier plant.

It is important to not get water on the leaves, and water in the morning instead of late in the evening, to help stave off fungal diseases. When your pumpkin fruit starts to turn orange, gradually decrease the amount of water. Your pumpkins will store longer if you cut off water 7 - 10 days before you harvest.

Jack-O-Lantern variety should be predominately orange in color. If the vine has started to "go away" (meaning dying off and declining) this is another signal. Sometimes the stem is already starting to twist and dry. The most important indication to look for, is that the shell has started to harden. If you can easily indent the pumpkin skin using your fingernail, the fruit is still too immature to harvest. If you harvest it at this stage, your pumpkins will likely shrivel and spoil within days.

http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/growing.html