How Long Does It Take To Grow A Pumpkin?

Thinking about growing pumpkins but not sure how long it would take? Wondering when to start or how long it'll take before you can harvest your plants? We've researched this in depth and have some answers for you!

Whether you want to cook or carve, pumpkins are the way to go! The flesh of these large rounded yellowish-orange fruits is perfect for sweet or savory dishes. However, this American native requires a long growing season. Planting, growing, and harvesting pumpkins can be a time-consuming task but once you accomplish it to perfection, it will be worth the effort.

Now the actual question is: How long does it take to grow a pumpkin? It’s best to plant pumpkins by the start of July in extremely southern states and by end of May in northern locations. They require about 75 to 100 frost-free days to grow. Therefore, it’s best to let all the frost pass and wait until the soil is warm enough.

For your convenience, to know the growth time from seed to harvest, we have divided the query into the following three parts:

• From Planting Seeds to Flowering: How long does it take for a pumpkin to start showing after planting seeds?
• From Flowering to Harvesting: How long does it take for a pumpkin to grow after flowering?
• Summary - From Seed to Pumpkin: What are the growth stages that the pumpkin plant goes through?

From Planting Seed to Flowering

The time for a pumpkin to start showing after planting seed varies depending on the quality of the process. The more effort you put into providing the perfect conditions, the better the results. Here are a few things you need to accomplish and the time it requires to complete each step:

The Time It Takes to Select the Perfect Site

To plant seeds and acquire a fruitful outcome, the first thing you need to do is select the most appropriate site. The time you take to find the perfect area and to prepare the soil completely depends on you.

The Time It Takes to Plant the Seeds

The best way of planting the seeds is by sowing them directly on the earth. With the right temperature and conditions, the vines should appear in 7 to 10 days. You can snip off unwanted vines without disturbing the roots.

Click here to buy pumpkin seeds on Amazon.

Click here to buy old manure on Amazon.

How long from pumpkin flowering to harvesting

If you want to end up with delicious bright-colored pumpkins, patience is the key. The process of planting and harvesting takes about 90 to 120 days. It all depends on the following processes:

Pumpkin Pollination Process Time

Pollination is one of the essential factors to get fruit from your plants. The female flowers appear after 8 to 9 weeks after the seeds are sowed and a few days after the male ones appear. About 7 days after the female flowers appear, you will see that the pumpkins start forming.

How long for the Fruit to Appear after Flowering

Once the pollination is performed successfully, the pumpkin takes about 45 to 55 days to grow and mature. The pumpkin starts growing larger and its color starts transforming according to the variety you have planted. Once the pumpkins ripen, the stems die, denoting that it's harvest time.

Harvest Time

Once it is harvest time, store your fruit in a warm place where the temperature is around 25ºC for about 2 weeks. This will ensure a longer life span. After this, store your fruit in a cool, dry place with temperatures between 10ºC to 12ºC.

Summary: From Seed to Pumpkin

Following are the 8 stages of pumpkin plant growth:

1. Seed

Like most other fruits, pumpkins begin as a seed. All you have to do is plant the pale yellow, triangular-looking seed in warm soil and wait for a week or two for the leaves to appear.

Read more: Where to buy pumpkin seeds online

2. Sprouts

Two green leaf-like growths will appear from the ground. These are actually sprouts that will transform into a pumpkin plant eventually.

3. Leaves

After about a week after the little pumpkin sprouts break from the earth, they start growing leaves. Those leaves continue to grow for a few more weeks.

4. Vines

 

After the growth of leaves, the pumpkin plant begins to grow. The vines keep growing taller. If the weather is right and the pumpkin vines receive the necessary water, they can grow as long as 6 inches each day.

Read more: How to control pumpkin vines.

5. Pumpkin Flower

The male flowers bloom first and the female ones emerge after about 10 days after them. Both are necessary for pollination to occur.

Read more: What are pumpkin flowers like?

6. Green Pumpkin

After the female flowers close, a green pumpkin starts taking shape. Once you see them, you’ll know for sure that the pollination process was successful.

7. A Transforming Pumpkin

Over the weeks, the green pumpkin keeps increasing in size. Once they reach their final size, the color starts transforming.

8. Harvest: It’s Pumpkin Party Time!

Once the fruit is ready for harvesting, the pumpkin vines start turning brown. You can pluck the pumpkins at this stage and enjoy them to the fullest. You can cook them or make your Jack-o’-lanterns.

Read more: When and how to harvest your pumpkins

Are you about to plant pumpkins in your garden?

That's awesome! Pumpkins are as beautiful as they are yummy! Before you move ahead, make sure you read our epic post about how to grow pumpkins successfully. For choosing the right variety - and to get inspired! - check out our mega list of 73 types of pumpkins too.