Pumpkins and Squash (6219)

Pumpkins and squash are warm-season vegetables. You should not plant them until the soil is warm and all danger of frost or severe chilling is past.

Sow seeds directly in the garden after the soil has warmed to 65, which usually in late May. Alternatively, sow in pots or other containers indoors around May 1 for transplanting to the garden around May 20th. You can get an earlier harvest and greater yields if you start seeds indoors.

In any case, single plants should stand separately along the row, with at least one foot between vining cultivars and two feet between bush or non-vining cultivars. Some of the so-called summer squashes_zucchini, patty pan and many others_are really pumpkins and are bush, or non-vining plants.

True squash do not cross with true pumpkins, so you can grow these crops in the same area. Even when crossing does occur, as it may among all of the summer and regular pumpkins, genetic differences do not show until you save seeds from the crosses and plant them the following year.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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