Is it too late to plant pumpkins?

I'm in SouthEast Louisiana. Would I have pumpkins for Halloween or Thanksgiving if I planted them now? It won't get chilly here until mid/late December.

Hi NematanthusNut....I don't grow pumpkins (yet) but I grow other squash. I hope someone else with direct pumpkin experience can comment, but I looked at maturity times for some average pumpkins online. Looks like they range from 95 to 125 days, which is quite long. So by my calculation, even if you planted today, you would be lucky to have any by Thanksgiving. The maturity days can be affected by days that are cooler/cloudier than usual. So if you need 95 days, but 10 of those days were cooler than seasonal, you might be closer to 105 days. I'm not really sure about growing in zone 9a, but I would imagine that the variance on days to maturity is about the same in any zone. It's still the number of days that are needed for the mature fruit/veg, and it's variable from year to year. So, I would say you're probably pushing your luck unless you can find a really early-maturing variety. Maybe by Christmas though, if you don't get too cool for them to mature. Hopefully someone in your zone can comment further.

Hey Nematanthus! Do you get frost?

Hey Kanita!

No, thankfully I don't get frost. Other people in my area occasionally do but I am only two blocks from Lake Pontchartrain and the warmth from the lake keeps frost away from me. The downside to that is that hurricanes tend to put the lake in my front yard! Do you grow pumpkins? It looks like I should have planted them sooner. I always wanted to grow one HUGE one like you see in the fair. I would think that southern CA would be plant mecca! Wish I could afford to live there but with the cost of living I'd have to live in a cardboard box.

Holly

FYI - from Anioleka Vegetable Seeds Company:

Here is an exhibition quality Pumpkin variety in the form of the BIG MAX Pumpkin. This is a huge orange pumpkin variety that produces pumpkins which average approximately 100+ pounds each that is ideal for exhibiting at your county fair or state fair or for carving into giant Jack-O-Lanterns. The BIG MAX Pumpkin also makes for an excellent pumpkin pie in servings enough to feed a small army. Grown exhibition style (ie. trimming the vines down to support a single prize pumpkin), some BIG MAX Pumpkins have been known to approach up to 6 feet in circumference!

Where, when, and how should the seeds be planted?

Where: Pumpkins love a sunny spot -- the more sun the better. Choose a place that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day.

When: Seeds can be planted directly in the garden when the days consistently reach into the low 70's and the spring rains have tapered off. In colder climates, the seeds can be started indoors and transferred to the garden when the weather warms. Most pumpkins require 110 to 140 frost-free growing days. The amount of time depends mainly on the variety, the climate, and the number of daylight hours during the summer days.

How: Pumpkins seeds typically are planted in the middle of small hills or mounds that are about three feet in diameter. Surround each hill with a moat (about 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep) to help contain water around the roots. Plant 4 to 5 seeds in a circle in the middle of the hill, and space the seeds about 6 to 8 inches apart.

Thankfully, pumpkin seeds know which way is up, regardless of how they are set in the ground. Traditionally, the seed is laid on its side, narrow edge skyward. Soaking the seeds the night before planting will soften the outer shell and make sprouting easier and faster. But don't let this little step hold you up if you are suddenly ready to plant. Cover the seeds with about an inch of soil to block out light and hide them from hungry birds. The soil should be loosely packed and kept moist but not wet; think of it as a well-squeezed, damp sponge.

During the seed stage, water gently with a sprinkling can to avoid washing away the covering soil. Don't peek under the soil or you may disturb the delicate root hairs that are forming. After 7 to 14 days, the seed sprout cracks the soil, and within a day, two succulent oval baby leaves break through and unfold like a pair of opening hands which soon look like low flying butterflies.

If you are planting more than one hill of pumpkins, the hills should be 10 feet apart. Once the seedlings are established (two weeks after they have sprouted), thin to two or three of the strongest and largest young plants per hill. This may take some courage, and it may seem impossible to make the right choice. Take heart in the promise of abundance. In the pumpkin garden, it will surely be fulfilled.


....Based on the above info, I say GO FOR IT!

But...there aren't 110 days (not to mention 140 days) before Halloween or Thanksgiving, regardless of whether they are frost free or not, and also daylight hours will be decreasing. 14 days of August left, plus 30 of September, plus 31 of October takes us to Halloween (75 days). Then Thanksgiving is November 24. 75 plus 24 is 99 days.

I bet you could have a green pumpkin though (the ripening to orange takes some time), or maybe some of the smaller ornamental varieties take less days?

I found this link to "Autumn Gold F1 Hybrid" pumpkin which is 90 days. Maybe you could try that one!
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/varieties.html

Also on this link, near the bottom, "spooktacular" pumpkin is listed as 85 days.
http://www.raingardens.com/seedpage/pumpkin.htm

Oooh...there is hope! Just found this one too:

http://www.howarddill.com/seed.html

Neon NEW! (Quickest to Ripen) 65 Days.
Extra early in Nova Scotia. The perfect pumpkin for short growing seasons.
Beautiful black stem, great orange colour. Uniformally 7 to 8 lbs., but
over test trials yielded fruit 10-15 lbs. Semi-bush, high plant population
will make high yield. Colours faster than any pumpkin on the market! Seed
treated. 20 seeds per pkt. 1 pkt. ....................$1.75 2 pkts. ....................$3.25

If it's extra early in Nova Scotia (which is where my parents live, and is zone 6a), then it's bound to work in zone 9a.

I always GO FOR IT anyway - whatcha got to loose but a few seeds? And Pumpkin plants are soooo cool to watch grow...

Holly - with the cost of living, if I move out of my rent controlled apartment to another, I would be moving into a shoe box. I am working on buying my own home. In my outdoor garden, (a friend with a lovely backyard with the best sun exposure let me "have" his backyard since he didn't use it, and hates gardening), I do grow pumpkins that are doing extremely well (a little too well) there's lots of baby pumpkins. However, the variety I have only grows small pie pumpkins, not he large jack o lanterns, and are cold hardy. Mine only grow to about 8-10 lbs, but supposedly have the best flavor for cooking. I'm going to can them up for my pumpkin muffins and pies. California weather is great for growing though, I must admitt.

Anyhoo, if you don't have frost, and crow a smaller pumpkin, I'm sure you will be fine. The seeds germinate really fast!

kanita

I say go for it too, I wasn't saying that pumpkins wouldn't grow, I was just saying that I was doubtful that they'd be fully mature (i.e. orange) by Halloween or Thanksgiving, which was the original question. They might be with an early maturing variety. Can't hurt to try, but I wouldn't pin all my hopes on having an orange one by that day.

Even if they only got the size of a softball, they turn orange after picking. My little nextdoor neighbor knocked on my door and handed me a "small watermelon", well he inadvertantly picked one of my late sugar pie pumpkins - tis what I get for teachin the youngster gardening. He's a bit zelous and eager to pick.... LOL