Pie and sugar pumpkins
Small Sugar represents compact culinary types selected for cooking quality.
Georgia warm-season cucurbit guide
Growing Pumpkins in Georgia
Successful pumpkins begin with the intended harvest date: choose the type, count backward from its days to maturity and give warm-season vines full sun, room, pollinators and steady care.
Maturity, vine room, pollination and hard rinds
Georgia Pumpkin Quick Facts
Maturity
Many types need roughly 85–120 days, depending on the cultivar.
Planting depth
Sow seed about 1 inch deep after cold weather is no longer a threat.
Space
UGA guidance uses about 72 inches between rows and 48 inches between plants.
Harvest
Look for mature color, a hard rind and a drying, corky stem.
STATEWIDE MATURITY PLANNING
When to Plant Pumpkins in Georgia
For a fall or Halloween harvest, choose the cultivar first and count backward from its stated days to maturity.
A 90-day pumpkin and a 120-day pumpkin do not share one useful planting date. Allow a weather cushion and plant only after frost danger when soil is warm. Current authoritative material supports statewide planning—commonly from mid-May into early July for many fall-targeted types—but does not provide defensible crop-specific North, Middle and South Georgia windows, so this guide does not manufacture three regional cards.
Choose the purpose before the planting date
Pumpkin Types for Georgia Gardens
Carving pumpkins
Autumn Gold and Jack O Lantern provide familiar carving forms; Merlin is a larger option.
Giant pumpkins
Atlantic Giant and Prizewinner demand especially generous space and a long season.
Miniature and ornamental types
Little Ironsides represents tiny pumpkins useful for small displays and specialty harvests.
Plan the root zone and the vine footprint
How to Grow Pumpkins
Sun
Choose full sun after frost danger has passed.
Soil
Use fertile, well-drained soil and a soil test to guide amendments.
Moisture
Maintain dependable moisture during flowering and fruit development.
Vine habit
Compare vining, semi-vining, semi-bush and bush habits before allocating space.
Water near the soil rather than routinely wetting foliage, mulch to reduce weeds and moisture swings, and rotate pumpkins away from recent cucurbit beds.
Male and female flowers have different jobs
Pumpkin Flowers, Bees and Fruit Set
Pumpkin vines produce separate male and female flowers, and pollen must reach a female flower for fruit to develop.
Bees normally perform that work; hand pollination is not universally required. If tiny pumpkins fail to enlarge, poor pollination is one possible cause. Protect pollinator activity and avoid unnecessary insecticide use during bloom.
Scout vines before symptoms spread
Common Pumpkin Problems in Georgia
Vine and leaf insects
Squash vine borers, squash bugs and cucumber beetles can damage stems, foliage or developing plants. Inspect vines regularly and identify the pest before treatment.
Powdery and downy mildew
Georgia humidity can favor foliar disease. Provide spacing and airflow, keep leaves dry when practical and consider resistance information when selecting cultivars.
Poor fruit set
Flower timing, weak pollinator activity, stress or damaged vines can limit fruit. Do not assume every failed flower requires hand pollination.
Protect the rind and keep the stem attached
Harvesting, Curing and Storing Pumpkins
Harvest when fruit has mature color for the cultivar, a hard rind and a drying, corky stem. Cut instead of tearing, leave a useful stem section attached and never carry a pumpkin by that stem. Keep harvested fruit dry and protected from damage; sound fruit stores better than pumpkins with broken stems or wounded rinds.
Grow → Harvest → Cook: Carry mature Georgia pumpkins into the protected recipes below, then browse the complete Georgia Garden Recipe Finder.
From mature rinds to the kitchen
Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin, carrots and potato simmered with onion and garlic into a smooth seasonal soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and diced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, sauté until softened.
- Add diced pumpkin, carrots, and potato to the pot. Stir in ground cumin and ground coriander.
- Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend in batches.
- Stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Roasted Pumpkin Risotto
Creamy Arborio rice folded with roasted pumpkin, garlic, Parmesan and white wine.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, kept warm
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh sage leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toss diced pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized.
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, sauté until softened.
- Add Arborio rice to the pan and stir to coat the rice with oil.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until it is mostly absorbed.
- Begin adding the warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Allow each ladle of broth to be absorbed before adding the next.
- Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked to al dente.
- Stir in roasted pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, and butter.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with fresh sage leaves before serving.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Roasted pie-pumpkin puree makes a smooth custard seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a flaky crust.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 2 cups roasted pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edge and chill it while making the filling.
- Whisk the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs and egg yolk until smooth. Whisk in the evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F without opening the door. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Cool completely for at least 3 hours. Slice and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Garden note: Use a small sugar or pie pumpkin rather than a field-carving pumpkin. Drain watery homemade puree through cheesecloth before measuring.
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
A moist pumpkin loaf scented with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, finished with crunchy pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line the long sides with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk and vanilla.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture just until no flour streaks remain.
- Spread the batter in the pan and scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf onto a rack and cool before slicing.
Garden note: For clean slices and the best spice flavor, cool the loaf completely. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Continue your Georgia cucurbit garden
Keep Exploring GA Garden
Continue with squash, cucumbers, watermelons and the Georgia vegetable guide. Use the Georgia Planting Calendar, Companion Planting, Pest & Disease Help and Harvesting Guides.