One thing I love about that time of year, when the days get shorter and the air becomes crisp, is the abundance of pumpkins at every turn. I love to see the classic, round, orange pumpkins dotting stoops around the neighborhood, and the tiny ornamental variety lined up on kitchen windowsills.
Villages hold pumpkin festivals, bakeries fill their display cases with seasonal pumpkin spice breads, cupcakes, and muffins, and our favorite coffee shops whip-up tasty libations that call to mind the coziness of hearth and home. Pumpkins have become an integral part of our autumn tradition, and we’ve come to regard them as being as American as, well, pumpkin pie.
Pumpkins have had a place in our hearts and on our tables for hundreds of years. First introduced to early European settlers by Native Americans, they were among the earliest crops grown by colonists for food, thanks in large part to their versatility in cooking and the thick rind and dense flesh that allowed them to be stored over the winter. While native to Central America and Mexico, today they are grown throughout the world.
Pumpkins are members of the gourd family, which also includes cucumbers, melons, and zucchini. Pumpkins are a nutritious food source, high in fiber, and rich in vitamins A and B, protein, potassium, and iron. And best of all, they are easy to grow at home! With so many different varieties of pumpkin seeds available to the home gardener, whether you have a large space or a small, whether you plan to admire them or bake them into pies, (or both!), there is a pumpkin that’s just right for you.
If names like Jack Be Little, Wee Be Little, and Baby Boo aren’t reason enough to have you reaching for the seed packets, these diminutive charmers also have the advantage of being some of the easiest pumpkins to grow at home, and they are especially good choices for gardeners like me, who are working within a small space. Reaching sizes of only 3 – 4 inches across and 2 inches high, there are a number of creative ways to incorporate these little fruits into the garden.
If you are short on space in the veggie patch, seeds of the bright orange Jack Be Little and Wee Be Little, or the ghostly white Baby Boo can be planted along fences, or trained to grow on trellises or over arbors. They can even be grown in containers on a sunny porch or patio – as long as the vines are tied to a supportive structure that they are able to climb. Miniature pumpkins can be brought indoors and used to make great fall decorations, and, because they are tiny enough to fit in their little palms, growing small varieties can be a fun project for kids. Like all pumpkins, seeds should be direct sown in spring in full sun; they’ll take about 95 days to reach maturity.
Sugar pumpkins, sometimes called sugar pie pumpkins, are small and sweet, with a fine, tender orange flesh, that, as their name would suggest, makes them a perfect choice for cooking and baking into pies, muffins, and breads. Plants can spread up to 4 feet wide when grown along the ground, but, like the miniature varieties, sugar pumpkins can be tied to a trellis if space is at a premium. Once pumpkins get too large and heavy for the vine, (they’ll eventually grow to roughly 10 inches in diameter and weigh around 6 – 7 pounds), support them with a sling made from strips of fabric. Sugar pumpkins take 95 -100 days to reach maturity, and should be planted in spring once danger of frost has passed. They should be harvested before the first fall frost is able to do any damage. And cute as they were dotting your landscape, once you cut them down, the fun really starts! Preparing sugar pumpkins for use in recipes is simple – and will seem particularly so for anyone already accustomed to carving intricate designs into their jack-o-lanterns. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, (save them for planting if you like, or season and toast for a snack), and bake in the oven. You’ll end up with sweet, tasty flesh that can be pureed and used in anything from homemade soup to your Thanksgiving pie.
If any pumpkin is to be held up as a quintessential slice of Americana, it must be the Connecticut field pumpkin. With its ideal round shape, flattened bottom, and orange color, this is the pumpkin that will grace your front stoop when the October days become chilly and it’s the perfect choice for carving jack-o-lanterns in anticipation of spooky Halloween nights. An heirloom variety, the Connecticut field pumpkin was first introduced to settlers in New England prior to 1700. It remains a popular choice due to its reliability, its size, and its edible flesh, (though it isn’t quite as smooth or sweet as the sugar pumpkin). Ultimately weighing 15 – 20 pounds, or more, and measuring 12 – 20 inches in diameter, these sprawling vines are definitely not for the faint of heart, or for the small space or patio gardener. But if you do have the room, they are a fun crop to grow, and kids and grown-ups alike will love helping with the harvest in the fall. Seeds are often direct sown in hills that are spaced 6-feet apart, and you will want to devote 50 – 100 square feet per hill to accommodate the vining nature of the plant.
Known variously as the ‘Bright Red Etames,’ ‘Rouge vif D’Etampes,’ or simply ‘Cinderella’ pumpkin, for its resemblance, of course, to the one that, with the wave of a magic wand, becomes an enchanted coach in the fairytale, this French heirloom is notable for its flattened shape, pronounced ribbing, and vivid red-orange color. (And for being my favorite of all the pumpkins – that must count for something, right?) Beloved in France for hundreds of years, ‘Cinderella’ was introduced to the United States in the late 19th century, and became popular here as well due to its frequent use as an ornamental plant and its mildly sweet flesh that can be used for cooking and baking. It makes a most attractive addition to an autumn display – I’ve even seen the hollowed out shell put to use as a decorative soup tureen! Like the Connecticut field pumpkin, this one is best grown where ample space can be devoted to vines that will ramble and roam. Seeds are typically planted in hills, with 3 – 4 seeds per hill. When mature, this pumpkin can reach 1 – 2 feet in diameter, and weigh between 15 – 40 pounds, so plan on calling in reinforcements in the form of your most able-bodied friends come harvest time.
Regardless of which type you choose, pumpkins are a warm season crop, and can be grown with much success throughout most of the United States. In addition to their role dressing up doorsteps and front porches in autumn, they are wonderful in treats both sweet and savory like soups, pies, breads, custards, and pumpkin butter. Pumpkins are a tender crop, with seeds that won’t germinate in cold soil, and seedlings that are easily damaged by frost, so be sure to plant once soil is warm and all danger of frost has passed.
If you want your pumpkins to reach maturity in time for Halloween — and of course you do – plant in late May to allow plenty of time for growth. Be sure to plant in a sunny spot, and keep the surrounding area free of weeds. Your pumpkins should be harvested before any heavy frost occurs in the fall, and will likely be ready in late September or early October, when the rind is hard and the fruit becomes a deep orange color. Take care when cutting pumpkins from the vine to leave 3 – 4 inches of stem attached, as pumpkins without this “handle” tend to fare poorly in storage. Make the task easier by wearing gloves to avoid prickly stems and using a sharp knife or set of pruning shears. And, remember to invite friends, kids, or grandkids to help out in the pumpkin patch! Everyone will love to be rewarded with his or her very own pumpkin.