At a Glance
Pumpkins are a big part of Halloween traditions, with millions sold each year. This guide covers how to grow your own pumpkins, including selecting suitable varieties, planting in spring, preparing soil, and caring for crops through harvest. It also stresses sustainability by reusing seeds, cooking the flesh, and minimising waste after carving.
Grow Your Own Pumpkin This Halloween
A pumpkin for Halloween is a holiday tradition in the UK, with almost 24 million sold each year. But if you’d rather make your own rather than buying them from the supermarket, you might be interested in growing pumpkins outdoors in your allotment or garden.
Whether you’re a first-time grower or an experienced gardener looking, why not test yourself to grow pumpkins for the children this Halloween!
Whilst Halloween may feel a long way off, getting ahead is key - and that starts with planting in late spring. This guide covers when to plant pumpkins for Halloween, how to choose the right variety, and everything else you need to know.
Choosing the Right Variety of Pumpkin
Whether you want to cook or carve your pumpkins will influence your decision when it comes to the variety you choose to grow.
The best varieties of growing pumpkins outdoors for eating include:
- Bon Bon
- Queensland Blue
- Uchiki Kuri
The best pumpkins for Halloween carving:
- Jack o’Lantern
- Racer F1
- Jack of All Trades
- Baby Bear
- Casper
- Polar Bear
- Prizewinner
One piece of pumpkin growing advice that we can’t reiterate enough is to reduce food wastage. Once you’ve finished carving, don’t throw away the seeds and flesh. You can store some of the seeds for future growing sessions, while some can even be dried, roasted and eaten (they’re tasty and nutritious). The flesh can be turned into soups, stews, or pies.
DIY Pumpkin Growing Advice
If it’s your first time growing a pumpkin for Halloween, here’s our community-approved advice to get started.
1. Plant Your Pumpkins at the Right Time
Wondering when to plant pumpkins for Halloween?
To get a good harvest of Halloween pumpkins, you’ll need to plant them in the spring, between April to June. You can start them off early in a greenhouse (if you have access) or a polytunnel. Alternatively, you can sow pumpkins in containers, before planting them outdoors in late May.
Pumpkins need an average growing temperature of 18-30°C, and night temperatures of around 16°C.
Once the ground begins to thaw and the temperature rises, you can plant them outdoors. If nighttime temperatures are dipping below average, you can protect them with cloches or fleece.
2. Prep the Ground
Sow pumpkin seeds in containers measuring 3 inches deep, filled with soil and compost. It’s good practice to sow them on their sides, about 1 inch below the surface.
The seed takes about a week to germinate, and you should keep the young plants in their pots for about a month before transplanting them outdoors. Harden the plants off before transplanting into the soil.
The ideal spot for growing pumpkins outdoors is a sunny yet sheltered spot. The outdoor soil must be well-drained, yet moisture-retentive. It’s a good idea to mix in manure and mulch to improve the soil quality.
To get the biggest pumpkin for Halloween, we recommend adding high-potash fertiliser.
3. Care for Your Pumpkins Properly
Plant the pumpkin plants about 3ft apart or more, depending on the variety. Larger pumpkins need to be placed further apart to allow them to grow to their full potential.
Make sure to protect the young pumpkins from slugs and snails, and remove the plants that grow too close together to help them reach their biggest size.
Once the pumpkins reach a certain size, prop them on top of a brick or piece of wood. This prevents the fruit from rotting by being in direct contact with the ground. Remove larger leaves to allow direct sunlight on the crops, allowing the pumpkins to ripen in time for Halloween.
4. Harvest Your Pumpkins at the Right Time
Patience is the key when growing a pumpkin for Halloween. Leave the fruits on the plant for as long as possible. When the stem starts to crack and the skin becomes rough to the touch, it’s time to harvest. Harvesting pumpkins in early October will allow you to carve them in time for the spooky festival.
A good way to know if a pumpkin is ready to harvest is to gently tap on the fruit. If you hear a hollow sound, it’s time to harvest.
Once harvested, allow the pumpkin to sit in the sun for a week before carving.
How to Use Your Halloween Pumpkin
Our pumpkin growing tips and tricks don’t end once you’ve harvested your produce. We're a mindful and sustainable community that works to promote organic growing and reduce our collective carbon footprint.
With that in mind, here are our tips for how to use your pumpkin for Halloween and beyond:
- Use the flesh and seeds in recipes like pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta, and the quintessential pumpkin pie
- Chop off extra pumpkin, remove the seeds, and add it to your compost bin
- Dry and store some of the seeds for next year’s sowing
- Roast the seeds for a healthy snack
- Donate any extra pumpkins to your friends and family, or even to a local farm as animal fodder
Share Your Pumpkin Growing Tips and Tricks with the Allotment Online Community
Growing a pumpkin for Halloween can be a rewarding experience that you can share with your children and wider family. Pumpkins are generally easy to grow and can be attempted in your first year of growing.
Check our allotment society page if you’re looking to rent an allotments in your area, or learn more on our Grow Your Own pages. Whether it’s squash, apples or other seasonal vegetables, fruit, or herbs, we have advice on them all!
Are you already an experienced gardener with your own pumpkin growing tips and tricks? Share them with our community and help others get their best harvest yet!