Plant Now, Carve Later: How to Grow the Perfect Pumpkin Patch
Jul 14, 2025
Pumpkin planting season is upon those who wish to grow their own jack-o-lanterns or plan their large-scale operations.
Ben Gilbert — with Greenpoint Ag — knows what that is like after nearly decade of putting autumn’s chubby treasures in the ground. He owns his plot of pumpkins nestled in a blanket of green vines. He grows 100 acres in the rolling hills of East Tennessee.
“If you plant a pumpkin this week, you could harvest that pumpkin in September and the first part of October,” he said.
Depending on the seed, some pumpkins could require 15 square feet or up to 50 square feet. Planting this harvest hug in gourd form should only go a half-inch into the ground. Gilbert said it’s important to note that pumpkins don’t like super wet conditions. Pumpkins need nature’s black and yellow honeybees and require pollination to get set into motion.
“Honeybees don’t work in the rain,” he said. “You have to have bees or there’s no fruit.”
After planting pumpkins, most will start coming up within three to five days. Pumpkins pop up fast, he said.
For those just wanting a small pumpkin patch during sweater weather season at home, Gilbert said to buy a couple of different packets of seeds, including jacks. Depending on the seed, one to eight pumpkins per vine could sprout up for these orange-laced days ahead.
“Get them planted and watch them grow,” he said. “Pumpkins grow really fast, and get some well-rounded fertilizer. They may need water at times, or there may be plenty of rain where you live. Everyone wants to carve a pumpkin.”
What you can get from Co-op to help
Many types of pumpkin seeds may still be available at your local Co-op along with the fertilizer you need to give your orange crops their best shot at ultimate growth. Those fertilizers could include 15-15-15 fertilizer or 19-19-19 fertilizer.
Your local Co-op may also be available to help with taking a soil sample of where you want to grow your patch and analyze what fertilizer best fits your ground profile.
Weed control is also a must. You could go at it the old-fashioned way and pull weeds, but Gilbert recommends trusting a chemical option to help keep them away, which is also available at Co-op stores.
Ben Gilbert — with Greenpoint Ag — knows what that is like after nearly decade of putting autumn’s chubby treasures in the ground. He owns his plot of pumpkins nestled in a blanket of green vines. He grows 100 acres in the rolling hills of East Tennessee.
“If you plant a pumpkin this week, you could harvest that pumpkin in September and the first part of October,” he said.
Depending on the seed, some pumpkins could require 15 square feet or up to 50 square feet. Planting this harvest hug in gourd form should only go a half-inch into the ground. Gilbert said it’s important to note that pumpkins don’t like super wet conditions. Pumpkins need nature’s black and yellow honeybees and require pollination to get set into motion.
“Honeybees don’t work in the rain,” he said. “You have to have bees or there’s no fruit.”
After planting pumpkins, most will start coming up within three to five days. Pumpkins pop up fast, he said.
For those just wanting a small pumpkin patch during sweater weather season at home, Gilbert said to buy a couple of different packets of seeds, including jacks. Depending on the seed, one to eight pumpkins per vine could sprout up for these orange-laced days ahead.
“Get them planted and watch them grow,” he said. “Pumpkins grow really fast, and get some well-rounded fertilizer. They may need water at times, or there may be plenty of rain where you live. Everyone wants to carve a pumpkin.”
What you can get from Co-op to help
Many types of pumpkin seeds may still be available at your local Co-op along with the fertilizer you need to give your orange crops their best shot at ultimate growth. Those fertilizers could include 15-15-15 fertilizer or 19-19-19 fertilizer.
Your local Co-op may also be available to help with taking a soil sample of where you want to grow your patch and analyze what fertilizer best fits your ground profile.
Weed control is also a must. You could go at it the old-fashioned way and pull weeds, but Gilbert recommends trusting a chemical option to help keep them away, which is also available at Co-op stores.