Growing pumpkins

Space individual plants 4 to 6 feet apart.
Before planting, add some general purpose fertilizer and compost to the soil.
Keep the soil evenly moist.
It can be beneficial to prune older, damaged, or very crowded leaves from pumpkin plants. This allows bees easier access to the flowers. If you have ever had small shriveled squash fruit that do not develop, the reason is likely lack of pollination. Planting flowers nearby that are attractive to bees will also help.
To harvest, leave fruit on the vine until fully mature with a firm rind. Cut the stem with a few inches remaining attached to the fruit. If you plan to store the fruit, wash with a bleach solution of 10 parts water and one part bleach. Dry and store at 50 to 60 deg. F. with good air circulation.
PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
You can do one of the following:
1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
-OR (as I do)-
2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

2026

Connecticut Field

(Cucurbita pepo). 100 days. The heirloom pumpkin of the New England settlers and Native Americans, several hundred years old. Connecticut field pumpkins are a type of pumpkin first attested in the 16th century. Golden fruit weighs about 15 to 20 lbs. each. This is a truly old variety; can be used for pies; the traditional American pumpkin. Open pollinated variety. (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Pie Pumpkin Party

Cucurbita pepo. 80-90 days.
We searched high and low for open pollinated pie pumpkins and were amazed at how few varieties we could get our hands on. After months of scouring the internet and the Seed Savers Exchange, we had 11 varieties, including several heirlooms that came with no description or info beyond the name. We decided to grow them all together, letting them cross freely, and this is the result – a Pie Pumpkin Party! Fruit have your typical pie pumpkin color and shape, with most weighing between 2-7 lbs although there is the occasional large 10+lb fruit. Some have slight netting on the skin similar to Winter Luxury. Each variety passed a taste test before contributing seeds to the party. There were some definite flavor, flesh color, and texture variations, but all make excellent pie; Early Sweet Sugar Pie even won the annual Caughlin Pumpkin Pie Contest. Parents include Big Red California Sugar, Hondo Small Sugar Pumpkin, New England Sugar Pie, Paarman Sugar Pumpkin, Winter Luxury, Early Sweet Sugar Pie, and more, along with Cinnamon Girl PMR F1. This is a collaborative breeding project with Keegan Caughlin of Taproot Growers and Zea Sonnabend of Fruitilicious Farm. We’re excited to see where it goes! Open pollinated variety. (Adaptive Seeds)

Below are varieties offered in 2025. Some may also be available this year. I’m still working on updating the site.

Cinnamon Girl

Beautiful ornamental with excellent eating quality.

85 days. As the name suggests, Cinnamon Girl can be combined with the favorite spice of fall and used for pie filling, in bread, or in any other pumpkin-based recipes. It also makes an excellent small ornamental. Our thanks to the University of New Hampshire and Cornell University for working with us to develop this variety. Short vines. Avg. weight: 3–5 lb. Hybrid variety. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Cinderella’s Carriage

Heirloom French pumpkin
110 days. We import seed for this big gorgeous heirloom pumpkin from its original French breeder who maintains the best centuries-old strain, still beloved in European markets. Cinderella’s Carriage is our name for this large, thick fleshed selection that looks exactly like the original in old-fashioned illustrations of the magical fairy tale coach. The 18 to 35 pound, deep orange-red fruits are flattened and deeply lobed, and their vivid color glows among the lush vines as they ripen in celebration of fall. Open pollinated. (Renee’s Garden)