Pumpkin · last checked 2026-09-27
When to plant pumpkins for Halloween: soil and state dates
Pumpkins are frost-tender, and most home growers plant them with one date in mind: the end of October. Sow too early and the fruit can soften before then.
Each line names the Extension service it comes from and links to their page. Vine size changes spacing a lot, so each service's figures are listed.
When to plant
- Illinois Extension says to wait until frost danger has passed and the soil is well warmed; for Halloween, sow from late May in the north to early July in the far south, since early fruit may rot first. Pumpkin (Home Vegetable Gardening) · checked 2026-09-27
- Clemson Cooperative Extension says most varieties need to be planted by early July to be ripe for Halloween; pumpkins take roughly 70 to 120 days to mature. Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27
Soil temperature
- Clemson Cooperative Extension says to sow after the last frost once the soil four inches down is warmer than 60 °F. Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27
State planting dates
| Who says | Region | Planting window | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson Cooperative Extension says | South Carolina, Piedmont counties | Spring planting is not recommended. Summer (listed as fall): June 15 to July 15. | Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27 |
| Clemson Cooperative Extension says | South Carolina, Coastal Plain counties | Spring planting is not recommended. Summer (listed as fall): June 1 to June 30. | Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27 |
Spacing
- Illinois Extension says vining types need 5 to 6 feet between hills and 10 to 15 feet between rows, with seed an inch deep, later thinned to two or three plants per hill. Pumpkin (Home Vegetable Gardening) · checked 2026-09-27
- Clemson Cooperative Extension says bush types go 2 to 3 feet apart in rows 3 to 5 feet apart; large vines need 3 to 5 feet in rows 6 to 8 feet apart. Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27
Harvest
- Illinois Extension says pumpkins are ready when evenly colored with a hard rind, usually late September or early October there; cut them with 3 to 4 inches of stem. Pumpkin (Home Vegetable Gardening) · checked 2026-09-27
- Clemson Cooperative Extension says only fully mature fruit stores well; cut rather than tear it from the vine and keep a generous stem. Pumpkins & Winter Squash (HGIC fact sheet) · checked 2026-09-27
Further reading
- Vegetable Gardening in Oregon (EC 871) (Oregon State University Extension). Link only: we no longer quote this page.
Unless a line says otherwise, weeks are counted from the average last spring frost where you live. Find that date through your state’s Extension service. See how these pages are put together.
Other crops: Blueberry, Broccoli, Garlic, Okra, Potato, Strawberry, Sweet potato, Tomato.