How to grow pumpkins in a raised bed

Pumpkins are the sprawlers of the veggie patch — give them room and a sunny spot and they'll reward you with fruit that stores for months. Let the vines trail out of a raised bed and along the ground.

Quick facts

• Position: full sun, 6+ hours
• Spacing: one plant per 1–2 m — they roam
• Tub depth: our 35 cm depth
• Time to harvest: 14–20 weeks

When to plant: Pumpkins are frost-tender — plant from spring into early summer once the soil is warm. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.

Growing them in a raised bed: Plant into rich, well-fed mix at the edge of a bed and let the vines trail out. Good spacing and airflow help fend off powdery mildew, which pumpkins are prone to. Hand-pollinate a few flowers in the morning if bees are scarce.

Watering and feeding: Water deeply at the base and keep it even; water the soil, not the leaves, in the morning. They're hungry, so feed while the fruit swells.

Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids, the 28-spotted ladybird and fruit fly. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.

Common diseases: the main ones are powdery mildew, downy mildew and mosaic virus. Good airflow, morning watering and steady moisture prevent most.

Companion plants: Beans and sweet corn are the classic 'three sisters' companions; nasturtiums lure aphids away. See our companion planting guide.

Harvest and storage: Harvest when the skin is hard and the stem has dried and corked. Leave a length of stem on, and cure in the sun for a week or two — well-cured pumpkins keep for months.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.