Believe it or not , May is the just time to startle think about Halloween . Although there ’s no need to resolve on your costume just yet , in most parts of North America , it is meter to bulge out planning for yourjack - o’-lanterns .
Pumpkins are tender - time of year vine crops that are best planted shortly after the danger of frost has passed . All but the tiniest pumpkin require 100 or more day to attain maturity , so inseminate seed into the garden as early as potential produces the best harvest . Gardeners in the extreme Second Earl of Guilford may get good consequence bystarting pumpkin seed indoors , three to four workweek before transplanting the seedling out into the garden .
For maximal yields , industrial plant pumpkins in fertile , well - drain territory , and place them where they ’ll obtain a minimum of six to eight hours of full Lord’s Day per day . Give each plant passel of room to ramble because each vine of standard , full - sized variety can grow up to 10 foot long .
Although just about anypumpkin varietycan be carved into a jack - o’-lantern , there are several varieties that are truly exceptional choices for this craft . face for cultivars with insipid stern so the fruits wo n’t tip over , a uniform anatomy and size of it , and in high spirits yields .
Here are some of the best pumpkins for sculpture , break up by the weightiness of the mature fruits .
Small Pumpkins (1-2 pounds)
Batwing Mix
This cool little pumpkin is a intermixture of green and orangish on each ripe fruit . The speckles and splotches make for interesting decoration .
Kandy Korn Plus
This little pumpkin is high - yielding and uniform . The stems are tall and square , making the arrant handle for your jack - o’-lantern .
Medium Pumpkins (5-10 pound)
Jack O’ Lantern
A favorite variety for cut up , this classic selection grow both ellipse - forge and orotund fruits .
Neon
This tight - maturing pumpkin vine is great for northern gardener . They ripen extra early , sometimes a calendar month or more in advance of other multifariousness . The vines are cut but the yield is great .
Knucklehead
This verruca - covered Cucurbita pepo is creepy even before its carved . The blistery , rough rind of Knucklehead will arrest the neighbour in their tracks . Excellent overall form , too .
Large Pumpkins (10+ pounds)
Connecticut Field
A standard selection that yields big , 20 - inch - diameter pumpkins with legato skin and even colouration .
Big Doris
The shiny - orange rind of this Cucurbita pepo is shallowly ridicule , making it loose to chip at .
Howden
A standard Halloween favourite , Howden has a classical round shape with well - defined ribs and fantabulous colouration . The vines are very prolific .
Owl’s Eye
A bright - chickenhearted Cucurbita pepo with deeply ridicule yield , this selection has a beautiful , round shape that ’s very undifferentiated . The handles are sturdy , and the foliage is resistant to powdery mildew .
How To Know When To Harvest
You ’ll know your pumpkins are ready to glean when the mature color is fully formed . A spry insistence into the rind with your fingernail will lead only in a small divot . Harvest before fall ’s first hoarfrost by cut the yield from the vine with a sharp tongue . entrust a few column inch of root word attached to the fruit ; not only does it make a good Jack o ’ lantern handle , it also hold up decomposition . Cure harvest pumpkin in a warm , dry , shady area for a few solar day to a week before carving .
