What it is
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is in the Cucurbitaceae (Gourd) family. Needs room to roam, but the payoff is storable squash and seeds. Sow by early summer for fall harvest.
How to grow it
It wants full sun, water it moderate, deep, and give it rich soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–6.8. Space plants about 48–72 in apart. Expect roughly 90–120. Warm-season annual.
How it's used
Pumpkin is used: roasted, pies, soups; seeds roasted.
🔎 How to identify it
- Sprawling bristly vines
- Big orange flowers
- Ribbed orange fruit
Edibility
PartsFlesh and seeds
UsesRoasted, pies, soups; seeds roasted
CautionNone.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.
Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.