If you’ve ever grown cucurbits (the family that includes squash, cucumbers, pumpkins and melons), you’ve probably noticed that bees are crazy about them. On a dewy summer morning, it’s not uncommon to find several bees dozing in each flower, or flying industriously from one to the next coated so completely in the yellow pollen that they look like flying yellow fuzzballs.

Male Peponapis pruinosa in a squash blossom. Photo courtesy of USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab.
The Squash Bees Squash need bees, too—most varieties won’t set fruit without being hand- or bee-pollinated. Cucurbits are native to the Americas, and have a symbiotic relationship with two types of native bees from the genera Peponapis and Xenoglossa, aka the “squash bees”. The ground-nesting squash bees are found in almost all parts of the Americas, and are specialists—they only visit flowers from cucurbits. They’ve also been shown to be excellent pollinators, rising earlier and pollinating cucurbits more efficiently than honeybees. They can be visually distinguished because they cover their bodies in dry pollen, unlike honeybees that use a bit of honey to pack it into "pollen baskets" on their hind legs. Squash bees often cozy up for the night inside a wilted squash blossom, chewing their way out the next morning to forage and mate. This year you can give the squash bees a helping a hand and have fun with pumpkins too! Growing your own Halloween Jack O’Lanterns, pie pumpkins, and decorative gourds is easy and economical, and you’ll get lots of enjoyment from the porch decorations and pies that result. Next we’ll talk about how, where and when to start your pumpkin patch.

These semi-bush Cider Jacks need less room to grow than standard vining varieties, and offer powdery mildew resistance that makes them easier to ripen.
Where to Site your Pumpkin Patch Pumpkins are generally big, rambling plants, so it’s a good idea to choose a spot with good drainage where they’ll get full sun (at least 8 hours a day) and have plenty of room to spread out without getting in the way. Make sure you can access the area with a watering can or hose, since the plants need regular watering while they’re getting established and in periods of dry weather. Lay Out your Mulch We recommend covering the entire area of the pumpkin patch with a thick layer of straw or cardboard mulch before planting. The mulch keeps the soil covered, suppresses weeds, holds in moisture, discourages pests, and ultimately breaks down, adding organic matter to the soil. The other advantage of this method is that you can site your patch on existing lawn or sod, whereas otherwise you’d need to till the whole area first. Tip: if you use cardboard, lay it out like overlapping shingles starting on the eastern side of the bed, so that the prevailing wind (usually from the west) doesn’t toss it around while your plants are getting established. You can also use bricks, rocks, or bags of soil to hold it down if you’re in a very windy spot.

Casper's smooth white face is great for painting
Plant your Pumpkins Cut or make openings in the mulch in a grid so that the openings are at least 3 feet apart from each other. Dig a hole at least 6” across in each opening, refilling it with the loosened soil you dug up but discarding any plants or roots. Add about a quart of finished compost to this soil, then plant your seeds or transplants in the hole, label the variety, and water in well. If cucumber beetles are severe in your area, cover the plants with row cover until flowers form. Pinch back the end of the first vine when it reaches 5’ long to encourage more fruit-producing side shoots. You can do this to all the vines once enough fruit has formed and you want the plant to focus on ripening. About a month after planting, fertilize each plant with another quart of compost. Timing is Everything

Some varieties, like heirloom Musque de Provence, take up to 125 days to mature - so plant early!
With Halloween pumpkins, it’s all about timing. If we want our pumpkins to be ready by October 20th (allowing a week for curing) and they take about 100 frost-free days (minus two weeks if transplanting) that means we should plant them out between the beginning of June and the middle of July. Here in Vermont we generally start our cucurbit crops as transplants about 3 weeks before setting out– I started mine this past weekend for planting around June 8th, since our first fall frost is around September 15th, and this way I still have 100 frost-free growing days. But if I had planted pumpkins this past weekend and I lived in the south, they would be ready to harvest when the weather was still warm, and almost two months before carving time. Jack O’Lanterns don’t store as well as winter squash, especially in warm weather, and they’d be getting soft by Halloween.

Unusual colors, like our bright yellow Owl's Eye, make a statement on porches
So here’s a rule of thumb:
  • In far Northern climates, with first frosts in September, we recommend transplanting in early June
  • In warmer climates, with first frosts starting in October, we recommend transplanting in mid-June
  • In hot climates, where growth is rapid and the first frost is in November or December, seeds should be planted in early July, and transplants set out by mid July at the latest
Harvesting As your pumpkins are ripening, turn them very gently once in a while to help create an even shape. Stray vines can be carefully lifted and re-routed in a different direction if they’re getting in the way. Pumpkins are ready to harvest when they are a solid color (usually orange), sound hollow when tapped, and the rind feels hard and resists puncture when you press your fingernail into it.

Kids love Jack Be Little miniature pumpkins, and they make great table decorations too.
To harvest, cut the pumpkin from the vine with pruners, leaving at least 4 inches of stem attached (all squash degrade rapidly if you remove their stems). Allow to cure in the sun for about a week, covering the fruit if frost threatens, then carve and display or store in a cool, dry place around 55 degrees F. And don’t forget when carving that pumpkin seeds make a tasty treat! Just rinse them, toss with melted butter or oil and salt (and spices if you wish), then spread on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden.