Pumpkins and squashes are native to the tropical Americas and to fully ripen their fruits require a fairly long summer growing season. Their leaves turn black and die with almost any hint of frost and the plant does not do well when conditions become cooler so it is very much a summer crop. All of the large cucurbit family to which pumpkins belong do best if they do not encounter setbacks in their growth, so it pays to treat them well and pay attention to their fairly modest requirements. Never plant out any cucurbit until all danger of frost is past and the weather can be relied upon to be continually reasonably warm. You can either buy plants or sow seeds in pots or directly in the site where the plants are to grow. The latter ensures that they will not recieve transplanting shock and if warm enough they usually romp away.

The site for growing pumpkins and squash should be very open and sunny, and as sheltered as possible. The soil should be rich and water rententive, best achieved by digging in well rotted compost and animal manures if available.  Horse and sheep manure, combined and made into four flat mounds about a metre and a half across works well, and covering the top with some good garden soil to a depth of about 10cm.

Plant out with three plants spread around a flat hollow on the top of each mound. This is to facilitate easy watering and to ensure that the water does not run off, but is soaked up around the plants. Abundant supplies of water are required for all stages of growing pumpkins or any cucurbit for that matter. Lack of water in the mid summer when the plants are flowering leads to most flowers not developing fruits, and those that have set becoming withered and falling off.

Pumpkin stems root into the soil at the nodes where the leaves emerge from the wandering stems. Pumpkins should be clean and dry before they are stored in an airy, dry place. They should be handled carefully to ensure the skins are not scratched or punctured as this is the usually the site of future rotting.

When harvesting, the stems should be cut off well away from the fruit and allowed to wither, if they are broken off next to the fruit rot often starts there quickly. They need to be checked regularly, and any showing signs of spoilage such as a patch of surface mould should be used first. Pumpkins can also be stored frozen, skins removed and cut up ready for cooking.

After talking with a friend about starting my own pumpkin patch, she showed me this article from The Leader from April 30th 2009, by Stephen McArthy