Growing pumpkins in New Hampshire is a rewarding experience for gardeners of all levels . New Hampshire has a unequalled mood that is suitable for turn many types of pumpkins . The res publica has a humid continental climate , with warm summers and cold wintertime .
The intermediate temperature in July is around 70 ° F and in January it drops to around 19 ° fluorine . With a foresightful growing season , ample precipitation , and plenty of sunlight , pumpkins thrive in the Granite State .
Popular pumpkin varieties
Selecting the right sort of autumn pumpkin for your purposes and climate is an important whole tone in growing pumpkins . If you live in a climate with a shorter arise time of year , you ’ll need to clean a variety that grow in under 100 days . These are some pop pumpkin motley and their approximative solar day to harvest :
Please note that the daytime to harvest may vary depending on growing circumstance , so it ’s best to refer to the seed packet or consult with a local gardening expert for more specific information .
When to plant pumpkins indoors in New Hampshire
If you want to get a pass start on your pumpkin harvest or live in a area with a shorter growing season , starting yourpumpkin seed indoorscan be a great alternative . in general speaking , you should calculate to start your pumpkin seed indoors about 4 - 6 week before you plan to transfer them out of doors . This timing will give the seedlings time to mature and develop warm root system , without becoming too large or root - bound . In New Hampshire , you should institute your pumpkin seeds indoors around :
To start your pumpkin vine seeds indoors , you ’ll require to gather some provision , including seeded player - starting trays , ejaculate - starting mix , and a grow igniter or gay windowsill . Fill the seeded player - start tray with the seed - starting mix , and plant one or two pumpkin come per cell , planting the seeds about 1 inch recondite .
set the seed tray in a quick , promising location , and keep the soil consistently moist . Once the seed have germinated and develop their first set of true leaves , you may begin to fertilize them with a balanced fertilizer .

As the seedlings go along to grow , you may want to slim them out to one plant per cell to prevent overcrowding . It ’s also important to temper off your seedling before transplant them outdoors , gradually let out them to outside weather condition over the course of instruction of several days to avoid shock absorber . With right care and attention , your indoor - grown pumpkin seedling will be quick to transplant out of doors and keep their growth into mature , beautiful pumpkin vine .
When to transplant pumpkins outdoors
Once your pumpkin seedlings have grow into tough plant life and the weather has warmed up , it ’s time to transplant them outdoors . Before transplantation , it ’s authoritative to verify that the soil temperature is at least 60 ° F ( 15 ° C ) and that there is no longer a endangerment of frost . The terminal Robert Lee Frost day of the month in New Hampshire is :
To prepare your garden seam for Cucurbita pepo starting signal , choose a sunny location with well - draining ground . Add plenty of compost or well - rotted manure to the soil , as pumpkins are weighty feeders and require lots of nutrients to flourish .
When plant your pumpkin vine starts , check that to space them about 3 - 5 ft apart , depending on the variety . grasp a hole that is slightly larger than the origin musket ball of the seedling , and localize the seedling into the hole , make indisputable to eat up it up to its first set of true leaf . This will further the plant to rise a strong root arrangement and demonstrate itself in the soil .
After planting , irrigate your autumn pumpkin starts exhaustively and on a regular basis , make certain to keep the soil systematically moist but not waterlogged . Adding a layer of mulch around the plants can help retain moisture and prevent weeds .
As the pumpkin plants continue to grow , you may need to ply additional living in the contour of trellises or cages to keep the vines from sprawling too far and engage up too much space . With proper care and attention , your pumpkin starts will grow into matured plants and produce beautiful , salubrious pumpkins just in sentence for the harvest season .
Caring for pumpkin plants
Once you ’ve found your pumpkins outdoors in New Hampshire , it ’s important to provide them with right maintenance . Doing so will facilitate you get the most out of your pumpkin plants and have an amazing harvest !
When to harvest pumpkins in New Hampshire
autumn pumpkin are typically quick to harvest when they have reached their full size of it and the vines have take up to dry out . Here are some signs that your pumpkin vine are ready to be picked :
When harvesting pumpkins , it ’s important to use sharp , uncontaminating shear or a tongue to cut the stem about 2 inch ( 5 cm ) above the yield . Avoid pulling or twisting the pumpkin vine , which can damage the stem and make it more susceptible to rot . After harvesting , stash away your pumpkins in a nerveless , teetotal place with good air circulation to aid them last longer .