How to Grow a Pumpkin in a Pot

Pumpkins grow on large vining plants, making most varieties unsuitable for container gardening. Small-fruiting varieties produce shorter vines and take up less space, making these the most suitable types for growing in the confines of a pot. Bushkin and Sugar Baby pumpkins produce small fruits on short, bushy plants suitable for containers. Properly planting the pumpkins and providing ongoing maintenance throughout the gardening season results in healthy, productive plants.

Potting soil
Slow-release fertilizer
5-gallon pot
Pumpkin seeds
Soluble fertilizer
Knife

Instructions

- 1
  Mix 2½ tablespoons of a 10-10-10 or 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer blend with 5 gallons of potting soil. Add enough water to the soil to thoroughly moisten it.
- 2
  Place the potting soil in a 5-gallon container. Use a container with at least one drainage hole in the bottom or along the sides near the bottom.
- 3
  Insert three pumpkin seeds into the soil, sowing the seeds about 1 inch deep. Set the pot in a sunny, warm location. Pumpkin seeds typically sprout within a week.
- 4
  Water the soil daily or as needed to keep it evenly moist, never allowing more than the top inch to dry out. Check the soil moisture daily ensuring it doesn't dry out.
- 5
  Thin the plants so only one seedling remains in the pot after they germinate and produce their second set of leaves. Leave the strongest seedling.
- 6
  Begin fertilizing with a soluble 15-30-15 fertilizer six weeks after planting. Apply the fertilizer twice monthly at half the rate listed on the package.
- 7
  Harvest the pumpkins when they develop their full-orange color and after the rinds harden. The curly vines near the stem become dry and brittle at maturity. Cut the mature pumpkin from the plant with a sharp knife when harvesting.

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